🔹 Job Title: Lead, Trade Marketing
🔹 Company: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd
🔹 Location: Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom
🔹 Job Type: On-site
🔹 Category: Trade Marketing
🔹 Date Posted: July 11, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 2-5 years
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Implementing, developing, and managing the comprehensive trade marketing plan across Europe, Middle East, and Africa for Celebrity Cruises.
- Overseeing trade marketing communications, managing creative agencies, and ensuring maximum engagement and return on investment.
- Collaborating with various teams, including global trade communication and marketing teams, external agency partners, and trade media in relevant regions.
- Working in a matrix organization with a large team, requiring strong leadership and management skills.
- Leveraging data insights to drive performance and cost efficiencies.
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic mindset, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work effectively in a matrix organization. The ideal candidate will have experience in trade marketing, campaign management, and team leadership.
📋 Key Responsibilities
🔹 Trade engagement & commitment
- Oversee the execution of all trade marketing offline and online communications for UK, Ireland, Nordics, and Germany, ensuring they are fully on brand and deliver maximum engagement and return on investment.
- Accountability for Celebrity Central trade web portal, ensuring it is maintained with relevant content and working with the Head of Trade Marketing to implement future developments.
- Develop and execute POS materials and collateral in line with trade strategy and commercial objectives.
- Responsibility for implementing and delivering the Celebrity Rewards (trade loyalty programme) annual engagement strategy, leading the incentives and communications plan, and using data insights to provide recommendations for future planning.
- Implement and deliver trade incentives for Germany and Nordics markets, in partnership with local PR agencies where applicable.
🔹 Execution
- Effective execution of multi-channel engagement plans across UK, Ireland, and EMEA to deliver consumer promotional and targeted tactical campaigns, including dedicated printed marketing collateral, digital assets, and targeted, revenue-driving marketing initiatives.
- Implement and execute bespoke campaigns and marketing support for key accounts and International Representatives, providing marketing strategic support when required and dedicated review of marketing plans and co-op executions.
- Work with all areas of the Marketing team to ensure that all trade communications are consistent and achieve cut through.
- Work with key commercial contacts within the trade press and Head of Trade Marketing to create and execute the trade media strategy, including digital, press ads, sponsored editorial features, competitions, and partnership activity. Provide post-campaign analysis and recommendations.
- Build relationships and be a day-to-day contact for all relevant agencies: i.e., Trade press, Creative and Media agencies. Attend regular Sales and Marketing meetings and keep up to date with consumer marketing plans and activities that can be leveraged for the Trade.
- Ensure all activity is measured and reported on, analyzing weekly stats and providing recommendations and insights to drive performance and cost efficiencies.
- Identify new opportunities and recommendations to deliver improvements on key metrics.
🔹 Support
- Plan, attend, and present in internal sales and marketing meetings.
- Plan, attend, and present at key trade partner marketing meetings.
- Support with internal planning, trading, and commercial meetings when required.
- Trade media, sponsorships – Assist with key trade media events.
- Assist with effective management and “smart spending” of the total UK, Ireland, and EMEA Trade Marketing budgets. This includes monthly forecasting.
📈 Key Relationships
- Total EMEA business
- Global Trade Communication and Marketing teams
- External agency partners
- Trade Media in relevant regions
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
🔹 Industry: Travel Arrangements
🔹 Company Size: 10,001+ employees
🔹 Founded: Not specified
🔹 Company Description: Royal Caribbean Group delivers unforgettable vacations to guests who trust us with life’s greatest moments. We build the best ships and even better careers, all while doing the right thing. We are passionate. We are innovative. We are unstoppable. We open the world to our employees. Your journey is our journey — chart your own course.
🔹 Company Specialties: Cruise vacations, travel arrangements, hospitality, customer service
📊 Role Analysis
🔹 Career Level: Mid-level to senior-level role, requiring significant experience in trade marketing, campaign management, and team leadership.
🔹 Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Head of Trade Marketing and has matrix reporting lines to various teams, including global trade communication and marketing teams, external agency partners, and trade media in relevant regions.
🔹 Work Arrangement: On-site, with potential for flexible working hours and travel.
🔹 Growth Opportunities: This role offers opportunities to grow within the trade marketing function, potentially leading to a head of trade marketing role or other senior marketing positions within the organization.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
🔹 Office Type: Corporate office environment in Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom.
🔹 Office Location(s): Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom
🔹 Geographic Context: Weybridge is a town in Surrey, England, with a population of approximately 50,000 people. It is located about 15 miles southwest of London, offering easy access to the city and the surrounding countryside. The area is known for its historic sites, including the ancient church of St James the Great and the 18th-century mansion, Brooklands.
🔹 Work Schedule: Standard full-time work schedule, with potential for flexible hours and travel as required by the role.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
🔹 Typical Process: The interview process may include phone or video screens, followed by on-site interviews with the hiring manager and other relevant stakeholders. Applicants can expect a comprehensive assessment of their trade marketing, campaign management, and leadership skills, as well as their cultural fit with the organization.
🔹 Key Assessment Areas: Trade marketing strategy, campaign management, team leadership, communication skills, problem-solving, and adaptability in a matrix organization.
🔹 Application Tips:
+ Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant trade marketing, campaign management, and leadership experience.
+ Prepare examples of successful trade marketing campaigns you have led or contributed to, emphasizing your role in driving engagement and return on investment.
+ Research the company and the role to demonstrate your understanding of the organization's goals and the specific needs of this position.
+ Practice common interview questions related to trade marketing, campaign management, and leadership, and be ready to provide concise and impactful responses.
🔹 Company Values: Make good choices, integrity, compliance, doing the right thing, and putting people and communities first in everything we do.
🔹 Work Style: Collaborative, dynamic, innovative, and customer-focused. The ideal candidate will thrive in a matrix organization, working effectively with various teams and stakeholders to deliver results.
🔹 Self-Assessment Questions:
+ How do you align with the company's values, particularly in making good choices and putting people first?
+ Describe your experience working in a matrix organization and how you have successfully navigated complex reporting structures.
+ How do you ensure effective communication and collaboration with diverse teams and stakeholders to deliver results?
⚠️ Potential Challenges
🔹 Challenges specific to this role:
+ Managing a large team and multiple projects simultaneously, requiring strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize effectively.
+ Working with external agency partners and trade media, which may require negotiation and relationship-building skills.
+ Adapting to a dynamic work environment with changing priorities and deadlines.
🔹 Challenges specific to the company/industry:
+ The travel industry's constant evolution and the need to stay updated on market trends and consumer behavior.
+ Balancing the demands of multiple brands (Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea) within the organization.
+ Maintaining a strong company culture and employee engagement in a large, global organization.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
🔹 How this role differs from related positions:
+ Focus on trade marketing versus consumer marketing or other marketing specializations.
+ Scope of responsibility, as this role covers multiple regions (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and manages a large team.
+ The need to work effectively in a matrix organization with complex reporting structures.
🔹 Industry-specific context:
+ The cruise industry's unique dynamics, such as seasonality, destination-specific marketing, and the importance of relationships with travel agents and tour operators.
+ The competitive landscape, with other major cruise lines and regional players.
📝 Sample Projects
🔹 Project examples specific to this role:
+ Developing and executing a successful trade marketing campaign for a new ship launch, driving bookings and generating buzz among travel agents and consumers.
+ Implementing a trade loyalty program that increases engagement and drives repeat business from travel agents.
+ Collaborating with external agency partners to create and execute a targeted, revenue-driving marketing initiative that exceeds expectations.
🔹 Project examples specific to the industry:
+ Working with the consumer marketing team to leverage their campaigns and content for trade marketing purposes, maximizing ROI and minimizing duplication of efforts.
+ Conducting market research and analyzing data to identify trends and opportunities in the trade market, informing trade marketing strategy and tactics.
💡 Key Questions to Ask During Interview
🔹 Questions specific to role responsibilities:
+ How does the Head of Trade Marketing support the Lead, Trade Marketing in day-to-day tasks and strategic decision-making?
+ What are the key priorities for the first 90 days in this role, and how can I best contribute to their successful execution?
+ How does the company measure the success of trade marketing campaigns, and what are the key performance indicators (KPIs) I should focus on?
🔹 Questions specific to team structure:
+ Can you describe the team I will be leading, and what are their current priorities and challenges?
+ How does the company support the professional development of its trade marketing team members?
🔹 Questions specific to company culture:
+ How does the company foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within the trade marketing function?
+ What are some examples of successful trade marketing initiatives that have driven significant business impact, and what lessons can be learned from them?
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
🔹 Submit your application through [this link](https://jobs.royalcaribbeangroup.com/job/Weybridge-Lead%2C-Trade-Marketing-ENG-KT13-0XW/1306643100/).
🔹 Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant trade marketing, campaign management, and leadership experience, as well as your understanding of the company and the specific needs of this position.
🔹 Prepare for your interview by practicing common interview questions related to trade marketing, campaign management, and leadership, and be ready to provide concise and impactful responses.
🔹 Follow up with the hiring manager after your interview, expressing your enthusiasm for the role and reiterating your qualifications.
🔹 If you are offered the position, consider asking about the company's onboarding process, training opportunities, and potential career growth within the trade marketing function.
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
