Ian Johnson, Out Now
October 12, 2007
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TOPICS: Gay travel. GLBT travel. LGBT tourism. Gay travel marketing. LGBT tourism market. Lesbian marketing. Lesbian communications. Gay communications. PlanetOut. RSVP Vacations. Atlantis Events. PlanetOut Inc. (NASDAQ:LGBTD) -- RSVP cruises sold by LGBT company PlanetOut.
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PlanetOut Inc. -- the publicly listed LGBT media and travel leisure company has announced it has sold off its loss-making cruise line vacation business, RSVP Vacations, to its closest competitor, Atlantis Events.
PlanetOut -- the US market's first public share float for a gay and lesbian company -- has had a tough year.
In May PlanetOut directors revealed they were facing a cash crisis.
The RSVP Vacations brand has been a somewhat clunky fit for the PlanetOut company from the outset.
On paper it made sense -- a gay media company buys a gay travel business and sells more cruise and vacation tickets by discounted / contra advertising in its own LGBT media products to drive the gay travel market onto the company's cruise ship charters.
The reality proved a lot different however as disparate business models came together in the RSVP - PlanetOut merger. The planned for gay marketing synergies failed to result, and some cruises, notably a groundbreaking charter earlier this year of the Cunard vessel Queen Mary 2 QM2 was slow to sell and, rather than being a flagship gay market success for the brand, may have sailed at a loss for RSVP.
The end of June saw a lifeline extended to PlanetOut by Bill Gates through his part owned investment vehicle Cascade Investment LLC.
The PlanetOut (NASDAQ:LGBTD) share price has been down dramatically from its original IPO pricing, but a recent PlanetOut 10 for 1 reverse share split saw the stock price re-inflate.
Now PlanetOut has offloaded the RSVP brand to nearest gay cruise vacation competitor Atlantis Events.
Atlantis Events has said it intends to maintain the RSVP brand as a quality gay travel mark, separate from the more party focused Atlantis brand.
RSVP Vacations pioneered gay travel cruise vacations back in 1985.
PlanetOut stock traded up 10% on the news of the sale of the RSVP business.
Out Now Consulting has since 1992 worked for our clients in delivering leading edge marketing solutions in all facets of gay and lesbian marketing, including understanding gay marketing issues and how they affect companies targeting the LGBT market. To get expert GLBT travel marketing communications, research and marketing strategy insight, from the leading gay and lesbian community marketing experts; contact Out Now.
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