Press release
Brussels, 15 January 2015
TENDER
Brand communication, CRM and digital:
Thalys announces its choice of partners for the next 3 years
Following a tender process, Thalys selects Rosapark for brand communication and
DigitasLBi for CRM and digital strategy.
Thalys thereby intends to strengthen its image, step up its commitment and further enhance relations with its
passengers by reinforcing the "Welcome to our World" trademark in a coherent manner, with a strong digital
presence across all four countries served by Thalys.
The call for tender was subdivided into two lots:
 Lot no. 1: brand communication. Agencies had to propose a global strategy for the brand, external
communication and the choice of media and tools. Creation, execution and production of campaigns were
also part of the missions along with brand content development, the 360° communication plan and
creation of published media.
 Lot no. 2: CRM and digital. Agencies had to fulfil the following missions: advice on (e)CRM strategy
(acquisition, conversion, profiling, loyalty retention), identification of customer journeys by segments
(including frequent travellers), implementation of action plans as part of a multi-channel approach and
measuring the impact of levers put in place. Plus, advice on digital strategy for all digital environments
(web, mobile, social media, newsletters, WiFi portal), structural and graphic creations and optimizations.
"We are delighted to continue working with Rosapark for development of our brand communication strategy, and
to have selected DigitasLBi for our CRM and digital strategy," comments Scheherazade Zekri-Chevallet, Chief
Commercial Officer with Thalys. "The two agencies effectively took on board the issues for Thalys and the
importance of the multi-cultural dimension. The strategy proposed by DigitasLBi is ambitious and incorporates a
digital presence across all channels while respecting our core values and meeting the requirements of our medium
term goals."
Contract dates: 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2018
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About Thalys
Thalys is the high-speed red train linking
Paris to Brussels in 1 hour 22 minutes, and
to Cologne and Amsterdam in just 3h14 and
3h16. Since 2011, Thalys also serves the
three German cities of Dusseldorf, Duisburg
and Essen, as well as Brussels Airport.
Thalys provides a Lille to Amsterdam service
since April 2014.
Thalys is a member of Railteam, a
collaborative venture between the main
European high-speed rail operators, the CER
(Community of European Railway and
Infrastructure Companies) and the UIC
(International Union of Railways).
Since 1996, Thalys has been the only truly multicultural operator to achieve success in the international highspeed rail business in four countries. The Thalys success story is both commercial - 100 million rail
passengers transported - and technical, with for example the successful introduction of on-board WiFi in 2008
and a new train management system, ERTMS, in 2009. For increased efficiency and fluidity, and even greater
improvements in terms of customer service and satisfaction, Thalys will become a full-function train operating
company by 2015.
A true innovator, Thalys has created an exceptional service which is today considered a benchmark for rail
operators worldwide and where its signature slogan "Welcome to our world" is synonymous with passenger
comfort, a warm multilingual welcome, high quality catering, the Comfort 1 service package, new
communication technologies (all Thalys coaches offer on-board WiFi, a service provided by 21Net and
activated by Nokia Siemens Networks)... Since 26 August 2013, Thalys has held NF Transport Service quality
certification awarded by AFNOR Certification for its Paris-Brussels line, an international first.
Thalys' TheCard loyalty programme offers customers the opportunity to collect Miles and access a range of
services. The programme is open to all rail passengers at thalys.com.
Thalys on Twitter :
twitter.com/thalys_en
Press contact
Thalys International
Patricia Baars
+ 32 2 504 05 99
[email protected]
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