Center Parcs books in UK media business with iProspect

Center Parcs UK and Ireland, the forest holiday operator whose villages are beloved of the middle classes, has handed its media account to Dentsu-owned iProspect following a competitive pitch.

The short-break company opened its first site near Rotterdam in 1968, expanding to the UK in 1987 by opening a camp in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire.

It now has five sites across the UK and one in Ireland and 26 resorts in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Germany.

The business previously worked with multiple agencies in the UK but opted for iProspect’s media strategy, planning and activation, with the agency’s audience mapping and planning tools, as well as its understanding of experimentation and measurement across media winning through.

The appointment brings areas previously overseen by three agencies – Hearts & Science for above the line media planning and buying, DAC for paid search and SEO, and Starcom in Ireland – under iProspect’s remit.

Center Parcs chief sales and marketing officer Colin Whaley said: “We are constantly looking for ways to provide customers with the best possible experience. iProspect was able to demonstrate its data expertise and how it would put our audience at the heart of its approach. We are looking forward to working together and leveraging the entire dentsu network to take our media capabilities to the next level.”

iProspect client managing director Heidi Kenyon-Smith added: “With 97% occupancy levels, Center Parcs is a hugely successful brand. The challenge is building on that, attracting new customers and building loyalty with existing ones.
“This is where our audience-centric approach comes into its own. Through our sophisticated approach to media, we were able to show how we can increase meaningful engagement with new and existing customers.”