AIGA San Diego Tijuana
Walt Disney Travel Company is the exclusive wholesale travel partner of Disney destinations, offering a magical, one-stop-shop for vacation packages. Nicole Knox (Robbins) served as Manager of Marketing and Product Development for the Walt Disney Travel Company. In this key role, Knox was a collaborative partner in guiding the Resort and wholesale travel audience through the rebranding and expansion of the Disneyland and Anaheim Resort, including go-to-market strategy for Disney's California Adventure, the Grand Californian Hotel and Downtown Disney.
In this role, Knox oversaw the negotiation, positioning and marketing of a comprehensive wholesale travel portfolio of destination, hotel and attraction partners as well as taking the lead on key National Accounts like AAA Vacations and AMEX Travel. Knox was appointed special project lead for the Disneyland Resort Expansion (2001), the West Coast launch of Disney Cruise Line (2022) and the Disneyland Resort 45th (1999) and 50th Anniversaries (2003). During her tenure withe the company, she was named a Travel Industry Rising Star (2000) and awarded the AAA Vacations Preferred Partner of the Year.
SECTORS
Design, Creative, Advocacy
Professional Development
Nonprofit, Education, Events
PRIMARY LEADERS
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MaeLin Levine, AIGA SD-TJ President
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Ron Miriello, AIGA SD-TJ Board Member
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Amy Levine, AIGA Y-Conference Lead
ENGAGEMENT
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Pro-Bono, Board Member
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8 Years over multiple terms
AREAS OF FOCUS
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Brand & Message Strategy
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Membership Marketing
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Event Marketing
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Digital Presence
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Media & PR
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Special Events
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Donor Development
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
BOWHAUS EXHIBIT
Creative ideation and committee oversite of the AIGA SD Bowhaus exhibit including brand development, positioning, message strategy & copywriting, sponsorship strategy and volunteer structure / recruitment.
UKRAINE EXHIBIT
Message strategy promoting the GRAPHIS Designers for Peace: United with Ukraine exhibit featuring work from 60 artists from 30 countries. Included a merchandise website with proceeds benefitting humanitarian aid.
EVENT MARKETING
PR, marketing and communications support designed to raise awareness and increase attendance at AIGA monthly and yearly events including the annual Y-Conference and monthly Intrépido speaker series.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
SCOPE & WORK
Destination Marketing & Product Launches
Vision casting and storytelling were essential to my role with the Walt Disney Travel Company. Clearly communicating a vast offering of accommodations, theme parks, ticket options, dining, add-ons and exclusives was paramount to creating magical and memorable Guest experiences. Beyond our robust product portfolio, each season involved multi-layered product launch strategy. From new attractions, entertainment and exclusive experiences to introducing entirely new theme parks, hotels and entertainment districts, there's always more magic on the horizon from Disney, and our hallmark was creating excitement around these moments.
Designers for Peace
Each annual product lineup included 3 seasonal campaigns of travel planning resources. Walt Disney Travel Company released two annual catalogues plus a summer mini brochure. In addition, we created exclusive private label product lines and campaigns for key national accounts like AAA Vacations and American Express Travel. Our frontline sales team and travel agency partners were equipped with compelling multimedia, sales collateral, point of sale displays, branded swag and promotional offers in ways that create excitement and ensure success.
Chapter Communication Strategy
Annual product negotiations and pricing strategy was an essential facet of each year's travel offering. We began by establishing differentiated packages supporting a broad spectrum of price points, inclusions, and exclusive entitlements.
Positioning these often complex and nuanced travel bundles in clear and compelling ways were key to our success and ensured that Guests didn't miss out on a single magical moment.
Brand Refresh and Clarification
When planning the magical trip of a lifetime, receiving your travel documents is a moment that should amplify excitement and punctuate that something special has been prepared especially for you. With exceptional attention to detail, the Walt Disney Travel Company ensured a magical experience from start to finish by incorporating storytelling, history, and insider tips into every travel document that we delivered. Additionally, we were proud to develop exclusive, commemorative merchandise that invited every traveler to "Be our Guest" in celebrating milestones both big and small during their visit to Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom.
Event Marketing & Promotion
The Walt Disney Travel Company held our relationship with Travel Industry media & professionals in the highest esteem. As such, we were intentional in our approach to equip them well, offering a helpful blend of insider product previews and unique behind-the-scenes experiences, details and tips to help them craft once-in-a-lifetime experiences that made every Guest feel as though they were the exclusive recipient of the "keys to the kingdom."
Membership Marketing
Understanding the travel habits of our Guests was just one of the ways that we ensured every visitor knew we were paying attention to what they valued most! Seasonal travel packages were a great option to serve up magic in more unique ways to create uncommon memories. These bundles were a creative opportunity to showcase new attractions, accommodations and exclusive Guest Experiences while also introducing compelling offerings for our valued National Accounts and key partners.
Bowhaus Exhibit
Bringing the magic of Walt Disney's original park to VIBRANT LIFE in ways that supported our fabulous travel industry partners was an essential component of every marketing cycle. Our goal was to equip a Disney-savvy audience with insider information that generated excitement and engagement in each upcoming season by reinforcing the vision and core values of Walt Disney in creative, engaging ways that reminded every visitor that it "it was all started with a mouse."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I'm Nicole, the Nick behind Nicknox Communications. For more than 30 years, I've brought uncommonly creative brand, marketing and communications strategies to life for organizations of all kinds.
I'm passionate about brand strategy, storytelling and fabulous creative. I also love to explore best practices in high EQ leadership, core values, relational marketing and resources + workflows that help creative teams bring their best to every project.
My areas of expertise include design thinking, personal brands, performing arts, HR, travel & entertainment, B2B, startup + launch strategy and many other delightful sectors.
