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Carnival Cruise, Live Nation Entertainment Align

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An alliance between Carnival Cruise Lines and Live Nation Entertainment will expand the cruise line's "Didja Ever" marketing campaign.

The deal will allow Carnival to reach music fans before, during and after live shows through Live Nation's multichannel distribution platform, VIP priority seating, in-venue visibility, fan interaction and exclusive artist access. The program, which is Live Nation's first-ever partnership with a cruise line, begins this month.

The agreement makes Carnival the official concert series sponsor at four Live Nation amphitheater concert venues, including Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood in Atlanta, Jiffy Lube Live in Washington D.C., Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston and Superpages.com Center in Dallas.

Carnival branding will appear on tickets and in advertisements promoting Carnival's "Rock The Deck" concert series in each market. Carnival will also be the official cruise line sponsor at Live Nation's Susquehanna Bank Center amphitheater in Philadelphia. All markets are within a short drive of a year-round Carnival homeport.

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There is a natural fit between Live Nation and Carnival, given Carnival's long-standing reputation as a brand focused on "fun," says Henry H. Harteveldt, vice president and principal analyst, airline and travel research, Forrester Research, Inc.

"Carnival can do promotions tied in to Live Nation events to its passengers, and can offer coupons or extend special offers at Live Nation events," Harteveldt tells Marketing Daily. "I see lots of potential for social media-based cross promotions as well."

To extend Carnival's "Didja Ever" marketing campaign, Carnival and Live Nation will offer music experiences that allow fans to fulfill lifetime dreams at Live Nation concerts, such as attending a sound check with a top-performing artist, or meeting a band prior to a show.

Other elements of the partnership will include pre-show entertainment gatherings, "Carnival Sailgate Parties," Carnival-reserved VIP seating areas for fans, and photos capturing concertgoers enjoying the pre-show festivities that will be made available on Carnival's Facebook page after the events. Consumers can learn about how to receive access to these experiences and other offers in the coming weeks at www.facebook.com/carnival.

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