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The Travel Franchise Group, Inc. Case Study

Company Overview

The Travel Franchise Group, Inc. (formerly Carlson Leisure Group) manages leisure and franchise travel operations throughout the United States under a variety of diversified companies and brands, including Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates (franchised travel agencies and leisure-owned offices in the U.S.), Cruise Holidays (cruise-specialty retail franchises in the U.S. and Canada), Results Travel franchised locations, SeaMaster Cruises home-based franchised locations, All Aboard Travel, SinglesCruise.com®, Cruise Specialists, Fly4Less.com, CruiseDeals.com, Carlson Destination Marketing Services, and Carlson Leisure Travel Services.

Challenge

The Travel Franchise Group's business was growing, and they needed a direct marketing system that could grow with them. Their current product didn’t have the robust features to allow it to expand with the business, therefore limiting TFG in their technological capabilities.

TFG was looking for a system that could expand with them, not hold them back. The system had to be easy to use and easy to access. The right system would allow agents to personalize pre-approved marketing materials to shorten turnaround time and get communications in the hands of customers sooner. It was essential to TFG that the new system integrate with their internal database of addresses. TFG also wanted their agents to have the ability to create their order, pay for their order, and launch the direct mail campaign, all from within the system.

TFG was looking for a vendor that could not only provide this expansive system, but also develop the look and feel of the multiple franchise sites and host the sites in a secure facility.

Solution

The Travel Franchise Group, Inc. chose James Tower to make these business objectives a reality. James Tower’s direct mail system, Axonis, provided TFG with all the features they were looking for. Because Axonis is a Web-based application, TFG’s agents could access the site from anywhere and create, preview, customize, purchase, and launch their direct mail campaigns in an instant. Agents can have campaigns completed in hours or days, rather than weeks or months. Agents can also upload their mailing lists directly from their internal database into Axonis.

James Tower developed the overall look and feel of TFG’s Carlson Wagonlit Travel site and Results site under the direction of TFG. TFG provided the logos, color schemes, and additional graphics for James Tower to use on the two franchise sites. James Tower hosts the sites in its state-of-the-art facility in North Mankato, Minn.

Results

James Tower’s Axonis product has helped TFG shorten the lead time on their agents’ orders and has provided TFG’s agents with an easy and convenient system for creating and managing their direct marketing materials. TFG can also use the expansive set of online administrative reporting to measure their campaign success and areas for improvement.

TFG has received rave reviews from their agents in regards to the Axonis system. The agents love the turnaround time that delivers their direct mail pieces to their customers quickly and the easy accessibility provided by the Web-based application.