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Case Study

Azamara Scales HubSpot with Ongoing Retainer Support

Group 26
Cover photo representing Azamara cruise operations for HubSpot retainer

65
hrs

Retainer options scaled over time to meet evolving needs.

1,319

Closed-won deals worth $86.3M managed in HubSpot.

4
x

Pipeline growth from 345 deals in 2024 to 1,319 today.

RETAINER IN ACTION:

Continuous HubSpot Optimization for a Global Cruise Line

azamara-logo

The Client 

Azamara is a global cruise line with more than 600 employees and operations spanning both direct and trade channels. To manage the complexity of global campaigns, loyalty programs, and B2C/B2B sales, the company required a sustainable model for evolving its HubSpot environment. They engaged Aptitude 8 on a retainer-based partnership, which has flexed over time across different hour blocks to continuously optimize campaigns, govern subscriptions, and evolve their sales operations.

The Problem

  • Complex Subscriptions: Multiple marketing and loyalty subscriptions needed to be governed consistently.
  • Campaign Fragmentation: Single-email campaigns lacked structure, attribution, and ROI visibility.
  • Trade Partner Gaps: No opt-in mechanism for trade contacts on Azamara Connect.
  • Sales Process Issues: B2C pipeline included stale deals, unassigned owners, and lost revenue.
  • Capacity & Prioritization: Project scopes weren’t enough; ongoing optimization was required.
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    Limited Control

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    Limited Control

Photo representing Azamara marketing challenges with campaigns and subscriptions

The Solution

Retainer Engagement Model

  • Flexible retainer options starting with 65 hours/month.
  • Ongoing reviews of existing processes, identifying gaps and risks.
  • Weekly syncs and shared project tracking for prioritization.

B2C Sales Process Overhaul

  • Audited the B2C pipeline, uncovering stalled deals, inactive owners, and unassigned revenue.
  • Reported findings to ELT, prompting leadership to bring in BCG for deeper analysis.
  • Collaborated with BCG to design a true outbound sales process.
  • Azamara hired a dedicated sales manager; Aptitude 8 revamped HubSpot to support the new team.
  • Added new deal sources, trained reps, and built reporting for sales management oversight.

Campaign & Marketing Optimization

  • Transitioned from single-email blasts to multi-asset initiatives with UTMs, attribution, and dashboards.
  • Redesigned subscription workflows for compliance, loyalty, and trade contacts.
  • Deployed trade contact opt-in flows with CTAs and landing pages.

Training & Advisory

  • Delivered 10+ training sessions for sales, service, and marketing teams.
  • Ongoing consultation on GA4, Seaware, Sprout Social, and Snowflake integrations.
Photo representing Azamara HubSpot retainer solutions and ongoing support

The Outcome

With Aptitude 8 as a retainer partner, Azamara now operates on a governed, optimized, and scalable HubSpot environment across both marketing and sales.

  • 1,319 won deals worth $86.3M in revenue closed in HubSpot.
  • Pipeline grew from 345 deals / $4.6M in 2024 to today’s volume.
  • Stalled sales pipeline rebuilt into a functioning outbound process.
  • Subscriptions and opt-ins governed across marketing, loyalty, and trade.
  • Cross-team adoption achieved with ongoing training and enablement.
1319
Won Deals

$86.3M in closed-won revenue managed in HubSpot.

65hr
Flexible Retainer

Retainer options of 65 hours+ adapted as priorities shifted.

10+
Team Trainings

Covering ticketing, campaigns, and segmentation best practices.

The Tools

New Tech Stack

new tech stack

HOW WE SET YOU UP FOR SUCCESS

Next Steps

Through a retainer-based partnership, Azamara now evolves their HubSpot instance continuously, with priorities shifting each month based on new campaigns, compliance needs, and integrations, all without the delays of new SOWs. The engagement model provides predictable capacity with 250 hours per month and clear budget alignment, while ensuring ongoing optimization as campaigns, governance, and reporting are continually refined. It also offers flexibility, allowing tasks to be reprioritized monthly without resetting contracts, and enablement through continuous training that ensures teams use HubSpot effectively.





About Aptitude 8

Implement. Integrate. Optimize.

Aptitude 8 is a technical consulting firm that helps companies make their business process, and the tools they use to deliver it, a competitive advantage. In today's business environment, the experience your customers have when buying from you is just as important as what you're selling. We build it better.

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