Skift Take
As Fathom prepares to enter its new chapter, the brand needs to clearly identify its mission and experience to connect with the right travelers. If "social impact" wasn't a clear enough description, will "participatory" do the job?
When Carol Matulonis first heard about Fathom, a cruise line that offers volunteer-focused trips, she was on board with the idea immediately.
"I just thought it was amazing and I booked it that same week," the Fort Pierce, Florida resident said.
Matulonis, a travel agent who owns a Cruise Planners franchise, took the weeklong trip to the Dominican Republic with her 25-year-old daughter over Mother's Day last year and enjoyed the experience. They taught English and helped at co-ops that made chocolate and stationery products.
But despite her enthusiasm, Matulonis wasn't able to sell Fathom cruises to anyone — even clients who were intrigued by the concept.
"I wanted to. I tried really hard, I had a lot of people look at it," she said. "But if they had to do the time and money for one vacation of the year, they wanted to do something different."
That disconnect between interest and action was a persistent problem for the Fathom brand, and in late November, parent company Carnival Corp. announced that Fathom would fold its cruise line operations in the spring. The name and idea will live on as branded experiences on ships and shore for passengers on other Carnival lines.
And the other ground that Fathom pioneered — cruises between the U.S. and Cuba after a decades-long freeze — is expected to be covered by sister brands in the Carnival family.
Tara Russell, Fathom president and Carnival Corp.'s global impact lead, acknowledged that the line had a hard time communicating its message in a way that made enough people want to book.
"In many ways, we introduced a new category of travel, a new brand, and a new experience to the marketplace that was somewhat foreign," Russell said.
She said there was a limited budget to foster awareness and comprehension, as well as a short window of time to help the idea catch on, though the brand reached out to travel agents through road shows, ship visits, online education portals, and webinars. Travelers who didn't quite get the concept were also reluctant to spend their limited travel time on an uncertainty.
Once travelers tried the brand, Russell said, they often loved it, some sailing six times in as many months.
"We have very sticky engagement once people have an experience with u
