Leading specialist cruise retailer Harding has rebranded as Harding+ in a move that better reflects the brand's ambitions, culture and growth. The fresh identity, which is focused on business and cultural transformation, is revealed at the TFVA World Exhibition in Cannes.
The branding reflects the key pillars of the team and culture, covering innovative partnerships, growth, business strength, vision and insight – all with Harding's people strategy at its heart.
The introduction of the "+" icon and multi-colored propeller icon help to bring to life the business purpose of "Making Every Cruise Better" - a line found in the new logo.
"The rebranding embodies our mission and desire to always do better, go further and provide space for the potential of all our team members to truly contribute to our business success and as a result be able to grow themselves," said CEO James Prescott.
"It's a spirit already ingrained in our culture that we want to shout louder and prouder about, to show how we're a better choice for cruise lines, brands and employees as their partner of choice."
"The addition of '+' is a clear commitment to be innovative in everything we do, to push the boundaries and to have a clear view of our purpose."
"From championing a proprietary cruise guest data model, we've pioneered over the past few years to shape the right retail solutions, to further pushing sustainability goals and becoming more inclusive in all aspects of our people and internal strategy."
"The new brand also signifies how we stand with our cruise line and brand partners in being bold, modern and fully focused on how to contribute to the positive return of global cruise passengers
"This isn't about the status quo, it's about thinking ahead, driving action and sharing the value of those we work closely with every day on what is now more than 100 ships across 20 different cruise partners and our 1,500-strong team that fits and the sea, which I am incredibly proud of.”
The rebranding is the result of a five-month research and planning journey that included discussions with cruise partners and brands, as well as internal teams, to understand what Harding meant to them and how the business could better reflect those impressions and needs.
The big reveal comes at an important time for the company, which expects the cruise line to experience record passenger levels next year after a period of "winning new and extending existing long-term contracts".
The new "+" brand is said to encompass the "shared ambitions" and "collaborative spirit" that drive the company's business relationships.
