FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Marty Raab 972.371.5810 • marty.raab@reachmediainc.com
Is the Economy Back? Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage Cruise Presented by Ford SELLS OUT
Over the past several months, consumers raced to grab cabins between $4,000 – $18,000, but in recent weeks were turned away for the party with a purpose to support students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(DALLAS – March 20, 2012) Tom Joyner’s “The Ultimate Party with a Purpose”, which has been sailing since 1999, is a case study in customer loyalty.
Many passengers have saved for years and have shared four-person cabins. Black college alumni rally to find a way to support the cruise and captains of industry and celebrities line up to board what’s described as a once in a lifetime experience. The cruise has managed to thrive in this bad economy since 2008 despite competing against a current cruise industry that discounts the cabins for a week at less than $699 per person. Tom Joyner, with a loyal and responsive audience, has not only kept it afloat, but in 2012 with a great deal of competition and cruise discounting, maintained the price, making sure that students continued to receive the longtime support.
How Does Joyner Do It?
- TRUST. Developed a trust of bringing to the African-American consumer value and something they can’t get anywhere else.
- CRUISE EVENT MANAGEMENT. 100% management of the cruise daily schedule. In 1999, long before the cruise industry was chartering ships, Joyner created a cruise that feature R&B music, comedy, seminars and theme nights that complemented the African-American traveler interest and lifestyle.
- WHAT’s NEW IN THE TOUGH ECONOMY?
- Interaction with Celebrities: The development of Fantastic Fantasy Packages, where guests are going to dinners hosted by the performers and celebrities on the ship, attending special receptions with the celebrities, and even getting serenades before they go in for spa session.
- Value for passengers: More than 69 performers will be on the six day cruise, they’re usually up to 6 to 8 performances a day from the pool deck at noon to a 2:00 AM hip-hop show, followed by an after party, followed by a breakfast club DJ that goes until 7:00 AM
- Theme Nights: Each of the theme nights go from 7:00 PM to a 1:00 AM parade. They’re a combination of Las Vegas and New Orleans’ Mardi Gras to create a festive atmosphere.
- Seminars for everyone: Relationships, art, networking, pole dancing, financial planning…and more.
- Sponsor Value: Sponsors like Ford, actually place two cars on the top of the ship, doing a giveaway; Southwest Airlines bring seminars generally related to business and personal wealth management.
- Tax Deductible: A portion of every passengers’ fee will be made to the of The Tom Joyner Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity, and the satisfaction of helping students that will be part of our future.
- Social Media Interest: Last year, the photo gallery/video gallery from the cruise had almost 4 million views. People are sharing more pictures with friends and family, posting them on their Facebook pages, Twitter, blogs, Flickr pages and YouTube.
For seven days, Tom Joyner takes his passengers to a place, where no other theme cruise can compete the Fantastic Voyage, a 24/7, nonstop event packed with entertainment and high value for passengers and sponsors. The most telling response about the cruise is a statement that’s been echoed by passengers year after year as they’re debarking the ship on the last day…”Well, Back to Reality.”
About the Tom Joyner Morning Show and BlackAmericaWeb.com
The nation’s #1 syndicated urban morning show, which airs in more than 105 markets reaching nearly 8 million listeners, has distinguished itself over the years as continuously giving back to its audience with quality programming, highly popular promotions, special events and philanthropy. Since 2004, Joyner has awarded millions in cash and prizes to contest winners and his Foundation has raised more than $60 million to help keep students in historically black colleges and universities. The Morning Show with co-hosts Sybil Wilkes, J. Anthony Brown and senior news analyst Roland Martin, also features “Inside Her Story” with Jacque Reid; political commentary from Stephanie Robinson and Jeff Johnson; entertainment reports from Kevin Frazier, as well as comedic observations from D.L. Hughley and the Celebrity Snitch Huggy Lowdown. Joyner’s website, BlackAmericaWeb.com, has more than 1.5 million registered users.
About the Tom Joyner Foundation
Founded in 1998, the Tom Joyner Foundation has focused on its primary mission of helping to keep students enrolled in Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). The Foundation has assisted more than 20,000 students and worked with more than 100 HBCUs, raising more than $60 million. Throughout the week, the Foundation announces scholarship winners on the nationally syndicated radio show hosted by its founder, Tom Joyner. Each week, separate financial awards are focused on students who are single parents, high achievers, and distinguished male students at the ‘School of the Month’.