Travel Alliance Partnership’s rebranding aligns legacy and services under a unified banner
In the competitive and ever-evolving travel industry, effective branding is more than just a logo, it is the foundation of a company’s identity and direction. For Nicole Mahoney, CEO of Travel Alliance Partnership (TAP), the rebranding journey was not only about aligning their legacy and services under a unified banner but also about enhancing their impact and expanding their influence. The decision to rebrand TAP under its new identity marked a significant chapter in the company’s evolution, reflecting its dedication to innovation, collaboration, and growth within the tourism sector. In this interview, Nicole shares the inspiration behind the rebranding effort, the lessons learned, and the transformative outcomes that are driving TAP toward even greater success.
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Leisure Group Travel: What inspired the decision to rebrand your entire company under the Travel Alliance Partnership(TAP) name and what were the main goals of this rebranding effort?
Nicole: In2021, Break the Ice Media acquired an industry leader in travel and tourism, Travel Alliance Partners. Acquiring TAP was part of a strategic plan to build an international community of small-to midsize destinations and tourism and hospitality businesses who rely onus for our industry thought-leadership, innovation, and collaborative spirit.
As TAP moved under Break the Ice Media’s leadership, it quickly became clear that the two entities provided valuable benefits to common audiences: tour operators, destinations, attractions and more. It has been a natural evolution to combine efforts to provide services and strengthen connections and alliances in this travel community. This rebranding reflects the transformative journey that will continue to allow us to deliver exceptional results for our clients and contribute to the growth and success of our partners in the travel community.
When we embarked on the branding process, we identified the following problem that we wanted to solve: We had three distinct brands: Break the Ice Media, Travel Alliance Partners and our podcast, Destination on the Left. Recognizing the need for a branding overhaul, we sought expert guidance to define our challenges clearly. This step was crucial in laying the ground work for our rebranding efforts and ensuring alignment with our overarching goals. Our work with branding expert Karley Cunningham from Big Bold Brand helped us pinpoint key challenges, such as communicating the value of our diverse offerings under three distinct brands, enabling our team to talk clearly about what we offer and clearly differentiating ourselves from the competition.
LGT: Rebranding can be a significant undertaking. What lessons have you learned from there branding process that you’d share with other organizations considering a similar transformation?
Nicole: Number one: Start with a clear vision and allow your vision to guide decision-making. Define the problem you are trying to solve with the new brand and engage employees in the process. Build a strong foundation that includes vision, purpose, values and brand promise. Recognize when you need to bring in additional resources and work with a branding expert to help guide you through the process. Focus internally and externally–your brand will transform your company for your employees and your customers.
Your brand launch is just the beginning not the end. Keep that in mind as you select your launch date and identify the assets needed for launch and what can be worked on after launch.
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LGT: How has the response been from your partners and the travel industry since the rebrand and what has been your proudest moment since rebranding TAP?
Nicole: We have received many accolades from our community and the travel industry since the brand launched. Here are a few quotes from industry leaders:
- This is incredibly exciting news. I think it’s a wonderful new brand, and one that really amplifies a leadership position that is relevant and so well deserved.
- It’s been wonderful to see your journey and how you’ve grown through the pandemic and literally out the other side.
- Makes good sense and look forward to seeing the evolution.
(As for my) proudest moment, there were many in 2024 when I watched our brand come to life at tradeshows. Here are a few examples:
- Our brand was launched at the New York State Tourism Conference in Niagara Falls in April 2024. Our entire team of 12 attended the conference. We had many activations throughout the event. The one that was the most memorable was our sponsorship of the opening night reception. Our team was in full branded gear, welcoming event attendees with what we call a TAP welcome, we line both sides of the entrance and cheer each person through our line. In addition, we played a fun matching game where attendees had to find up to 5 people who had a matching game piece–this got everyone at the event mingling and talking.
- TAP Dance 2024 was held in Southern Indiana in May. Our new brand elevated the entire experience, and the TAP team had fun applying our core values to every aspect of the event. We introduced new programming and added fun twists. This was the first post-pandemic TAP Dance that felt like we were finally gaining traction again. It helped that we had an amazing host in Todd Read from So IN tourism.
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LGT: TAP brings together tour operators and travel suppliers. How do you see this partnership evolving in the coming years?
Nicole: We will continue to be a leader in the tourism industry serving our community of primarily small to mid-size destinations and tourism and hospitality businesses. Our clients, members, and industry turn to us because we bring a competitive advantage for business growth solutions. They rely on us for our thought leadership, industry education and strategic growth services. We will continue to build and expand our platform for creating collaborations and partnerships within the industry. We are a people-first company centered in services-based teams, grounded in our core values and supporting work-life balance.
LGT: What new opportunities or collaborations have emerged as a result of the rebrand?
Nicole: I am excited to announce that we acquired the Haunted History Trail of New York State at the end of 2024.This statewide trail features over 80 eerie, spine-chilling, and haunted locations offering year-round experiences for those fascinated by the paranormal. Originally launched 11 years ago by Kelly Rapone of the Genesee County Tourism Office, the program has been a collaboration among more than 30 New York State DMOs who help identify these haunted spots to include on the trail. As we are preparing to kick off the 2025 program, we’re looking for ways to expand the program’s reach and already considering expansion into new markets in the coming years.
LGT: How do you ensure TAP remains at the forefront of innovation in the travel industry?
Nicole: Innovation is one of our core values and we take it seriously. Our team attends a mix of trade shows and conferences every year. We seek education inside and outside of the travel industry and bring our learnings back to the organization. We also rely heavily on peer-to-peer networks and trade publications to help keep us ahead of the curve. At our recent all team retreat, we held several sessions on innovation including pairing off our team to create and present 15-minute Innovation Presentations with one lucky team winning $200 as fan favorite.
LGT: Your podcast, Destination on the Left, has built a strong reputation in the industry. What inspired you to start Destination on the Left, and how has it evolved over time?
Nicole: I started Destination on the Left in 2016 because I didn’t think that the leaders of the tourism industry were given enough voice within the business community. It started as an idea for an internet radio show that I had years earlier when I convinced a local business internet radio host to feature two DMO leaders on his show and he invited me on as co-host. After that experience, I looked into starting my own radio show but found it too costly. Once podcasting started to become popular, I realized it was the perfect channel for my idea.
LGT: How do you decide on the topics and guests for your podcast, and how do they align with TAP’s mission?
Nicole: The focus of the show is creativity and collaboration in the travel industry. I have a strong belief that the more we know about each other and how the entire ecosystem works, the better we can work together to move our industry forward. Therefore, I interview folks from all parts of the industry and try to showcase all segments from group travel to travel agents to destinations to museums and cultural attractions and more.
LGT: Has the podcast helped TAP connect with new audiences or partners? If so, can you share an example?
Nicole: I can tell that the show has gained traction when I started getting legitimate guest pitches from PR agencies and some of those pitches have brought me very interesting guests who I would have never known.
For example, one of my favorite interviews in 2024 was James Ferrara from Intele Travel. I learned a lot about how the home-based travel agency works to support their agents, what is important to them and how they do business. With our network of TAP Tour Operators, we market directly to travel agents and this interview provided insights for us as we plan our 2025marketing to travel buyers.
LGT: What lessons have you learned from the rebranding process that you’d share with other organizations considering a similar transformation?
Nicole: Invest in your brand, it is more than a logo or a trademark. It is the very foundation that your company is built upon. Hire a specialist in branding to help you with the process and make sure they have a thorough process that includes vision, purpose, brand promise, values and focus on your audiences. When you have a solid brand, operating a successful business becomes easier. I don’t mean easy in that it isn’t still hard work, but easier to know the direction you are going, easier to lead your team, easier to serve your customers and easier to perform at a higher level that leads to traction and growth.
Nicole Mahoney is the CEO of Travel Alliance Partnership
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