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A Polynesian cruise includes unforgettable natural beauty, such as emerald peaks and turquoise water.

Few who have experienced the turquoise lagoons or emerald peaks of Tahiti and Bora Bora will ever forget their breathtaking beauty.

Travelling to the South Pacific for most people can also mean a taste of exotic local customs.

But one cruise company found it had veered away from offering that full experience to tourists, and had also alienated travel agents by going direct to consumers. So, when Bellevue, Wash.-based Paul Gauguin Cruises came under new ownership, it was time for a rethink of the French Polynesian experience on-board.

On acquiring the company in 2009, Pacific Beachcomber, which also operates eight luxury resorts and hotels in French Polynesia, set about a turnaround.

Chief among its goals was to revamp the on-board experience on the Paul Gauguin, the longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific and one of the two cruise ships in the company's fleet. In 2012, the ship underwent a $7-million refurbishment, including new furniture, an expanded casino and restored dance floors.

But while the boat represented the vehicle, it was the flavour of French Polynesia that Paul Gauguin Cruises really wanted to inject into its voyages. So it hired Vancouver firm Persona Creative to examine its offerings, and after Person interviewed both the crew and luxury travellers, they coined a new tagline: "Paul Gauguin: To the soul of the South Seas."

To that end, drawing on the experience of those who live the French Polynesian lifestyle on a year-round basis was crucial.

"We have infused the welcoming, hospitable spirit of French Polynesia in every sailing and offer a number of South Seas exclusives," Paul Gauguin Cruises said. "Our troupe of 'Gauguines' and 'Gauguins' – local Tahitians who serve as cruise staff, entertainers, and storytellers – are a highlight for many guests, along with local musicians and dancers who perform on board."

In addition to that, the company now offers access to private islets and beaches, and an enrichment program, featuring lectures and performances from the likes of famed oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau and Hawaiian singer Jamie Lawrence.

The reception has been good, the company says. Though it wouldn't disclose revenue or sales figures, it has gained increased awareness, and was voted last year's No. 1 small-ship cruise line by Travel & Leisure magazine.

Brand experts say that that differentiation is key.

"I think that literally hiring local Tahitians to work on the cruise line, that this ability to story tell with the brand, is key to differentiate, and in particular with luxury brands that, if you don't have the story right and if you can't deliver it, you fall down," says Patricia McQuillan, president and founder of Brand Matters Inc. in Toronto and branding council chair for the Canadian Marketing Association.

While she thinks that Paul Gauguin Cruises could do a little more to infuse that French Polynesian spirit on its website, with videos showing the on-board experience, for instance, she says that bringing that experience onto the ship is of paramount importance.

"The cruise-ship passenger is a different passenger," she says of customers who are paying somewhere between $3,995 (U.S.) and $20,245 a person for the experience aboard the Paul Gauguin.

"It's typically a passenger that's not out seeking adventure; they want the adventure to come to them. So I think the offerings on board the cruise ship are key."

The other stated goal that Paul Gauguin had with its rebranding campaign was to reconnect with the luxury travel industry and its advisers and agents in particular. Overhauling the on-board experience was one way to pique their interest, but the company also introduced a Partners Earn Added Rewards and Learn to Sell (PEARLS) travel agent specialist training program that was conceived to provide travel professionals with a deeper understanding of the company and its offerings.

PEARLS partners receive access to resources such as exclusive sales and marketing training, advance notice of promotions and marketing tools.

The program and rebranding campaign have been a refreshing change for some in the luxury travel industry.

"I think under the old ownership they weren't very adviser friendly per se," says Sandra Staples, the president of Artistico Travel Consultants Inc., in Folsom, Calif. "They went direct to market versus marketing through travel advisers so I think the travel adviser community has got back on track [with regards to their] bookings."

Ms. Staples has sold cruises aboard the Paul Gauguin for a number of years. She says that it's easier to sell the product now, mainly because agents and advisers have a better idea of what they are selling.

"There have been a few transformations over the years, but I think the last one they did was the best," she says. "Prior to the Beachcomber company taking them over, it was still a nice product but it still hadn't really carved out an appropriate niche for what they were trying to sell. It's definitely more focused now."

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