CUG Marketing as a growth and distribution channel

‍A premium provider in the holiday park industry was looking for a way to attract new guests without relying on public discount platforms and without compromising brand positioning. Through GENRTR, Closed User Group Marketing was implemented as a new, scalable sales channel. What started as a local test grew into an internationally scalable distribution model. The result: 93% year-on-year growth, strong international expansion, and a structural new source of bookings.

The challenge

‍The client's core objective was controlled growth while preserving brand value.

• Develop a new sales channel
  ‍Supplementary to existing distribution, without reliance on public discounts. 

• Protect brand positioning
  No 'discount' perception, despite offering competitive deals. 

• Incremental growth
  Attract new customers instead of bringing back existing customers with discounts. 

• Seasonal optimization
  Increase occupancy outside peak periods. 

• International growth
  Attract new target groups from neighboring countries. 

• Market validation
  Test new markets via reliable, local platforms.
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The approach

‍The strategy was rolled out in phases, focusing on controlled scale and quality:

STEP 01. Local launch (NL)

• Rapid onboarding of multiple CUG partners 
• Exclusive, non-crawlable discounts within closed environments 
• Protection of price and brand value through non-publicly visible offers

STEP 02. International expansion

• Rollout to Belgium and Germany with local CUG platforms 
• Focus on attracting international guests to existing locations 
• Rapid validation through direct bookings after launch

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STEP 03. Strategic activation 

• Deployment of premium exposure, such as newsletters and prominent placements 
• Targeted peak moments in traffic and conversion 
• Collaborations with partners offering high reliability and reach 

STEP 04. Market exploration (UK) 

• Initial partnerships established for brand awareness 
• Testing via trusted local ecosystems 

STEP 05. Optimization & selection 

• Scaling up partners with high conversion and a quality target audience 
• Lowering discount levels for a better balance between conversion and margin 
• Extra attention for markets with the highest potential, such as Germany 
• Strategic activation moments for peaks in bookings 
• Strong focus on new customers instead of discounted repeat bookings 

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The result

The channel has grown into a structural source of bookings and enables international expansion without a physical presence in new markets. At the same time, the balance between price and brand remains fully intact: attractive propositions without compromising the premium positioning. By cleverly responding to seasonal dynamics, a better distribution of bookings throughout the year is also achieved, supported by continuous, data-driven optimization per partner and market.

• +93% growth
  ‍in CUG bookings from year 1 to year 2. 

• International expansion:
  100%+ growth from Germany, partly due to targeted activations. Belgium and the UK successfully added as new markets. 

• Quality new inflow:
  The majority of bookings came from incremental growth. 

• Strong partner impact:
  Large, trusted platforms ensured volume and conversion. 

• Average conversion:
  7.5% from CUG platforms. 

• Brand protection:
  No visible price reductions in the public domain, despite competitive offers. 

• Distribution power of partners:
  In 2023, 49% of all bookings came through the ICS specials for ANWB credit card holders. In 2024, 45% of bookings came through the ING points shop (6 million app users) and 42% through ICS (reach: 2.6 million cardholders).  

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Why CUG Marketing Works

The implementation of CUG marketing has proven to be a sustainable and scalable growth model for premium brands. By operating within closed, trusted ecosystems, new target audiences are reached without reliance on public discount platforms. The model makes international growth accessible, while brands maintain full control over pricing, distribution, and positioning.

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