Search Marketing in Airlines Colin Lewis

What is the airline customer engagement model?

Context: Buying airline flights Low interest purchase – semi-commoditised Savagely competitive Get transaction done in fastest possible time Work PC is source of the majority of online travel bookings Email is the driver UK and Ireland are driven by airlines with market power

Low interest purchase – semi-commoditised

Savagely competitive

Get transaction done in fastest possible time

Work PC is source of the majority of online travel bookings

Email is the driver

UK and Ireland are driven by airlines with market power

What’s my model of online marketing activities?

Acquire, convert, retain SEM Email Affiliate Banner Video Viral RSS Online PR Convert Retain and Grow Acquire Usability Site design Tracking code Copywriting, content Functionality Site security Good calls to action Site speed Offers and promotions 4 stage process Customer service Email Personalisation Site security Referrals Research, Test & Measure Analytics Site performance Online surveys Usability

SEM

Email

Affiliate

Banner

Video

Viral

RSS

Online PR

Usability

Site design

Tracking code

Copywriting, content

Functionality

Site security

Good calls to action

Site speed

Offers and promotions

4 stage process

Customer service

Email

Personalisation

Site security

Referrals

Research, Test & Measure

Analytics

Site performance

Online surveys

Usability

Touch strategy – post purchase retention Confirmation page HTML Itinerary email Sent With ancillary offers Flight Reminder [ Carhire, Hotel] Online check-in M-Ticket

The challenges of airline marketing

No spend, no results Advertising is the channel ‘ The consumer is NOT a moron’……but :-) CRM is a waste

No spend, no results

Advertising is the channel

‘ The consumer is NOT a moron’……but :-)

CRM is a waste

How do you stand out 1?

How do you stand out 2?

Learnings

What we have learned Continuous tailored presence Bump up ad presence during peak buying season and reduce in off peak Buying larger amount of inventory upfront: value and cherry pick Creative: use cliches Two ads to play on the webpage at the same time = higher response rate Monday to Thursday - reduce other days 4 times more expensive in IRL - BUT - CTR IRL - 0.49 v 0.28 in UK Learnings: display

Continuous tailored presence

Bump up ad presence during peak buying season and reduce in off peak

Buying larger amount of inventory upfront: value and cherry pick

Creative: use cliches

Two ads to play on the webpage at the same time = higher response rate

Monday to Thursday - reduce other days

4 times more expensive in IRL - BUT - CTR IRL - 0.49 v 0.28 in UK

How we make it work: email Segment Geographic targetting with location specific deals more effective than generic emails Personalise Best days to send Communications early in the work week or weekends have the highest high open and click rates; Mondays being the best, followed by Tuesday. Best times to send Midday or 10am Subject line 35 or fewer characters How often???? Learnings: email

Segment

Geographic targetting with location specific deals more effective than generic emails

Personalise

Best days to send

Communications early in the work week or weekends have the highest high open and click rates; Mondays being the best, followed by Tuesday.

Best times to send

Midday or 10am

Subject line

35 or fewer characters

How often????

Thoughts and takeaways Customers are ‘trained’ by somebody else – who is training your customers? What if the boss is technophobe? CHEAT Davechaffey.com, eConsultancy.com, slideshare.net, scribd.com, Laura ries blog, guy Kawasaki blog Use ‘Test, learn, refine’ model or as I prefer: ‘Ready, shoot, aim’ ‘ Do the Math’ Online has can be measured to the nth degree - requires numbers savvy staff Email database is the new real estate - always be building a database.

Customers are ‘trained’ by somebody else – who is training your customers?

What if the boss is technophobe? CHEAT

Davechaffey.com, eConsultancy.com, slideshare.net, scribd.com,

Laura ries blog, guy Kawasaki blog

Use ‘Test, learn, refine’ model or as I prefer: ‘Ready, shoot, aim’

‘ Do the Math’

Online has can be measured to the nth degree - requires numbers savvy staff

Email database is the new real estate - always be building a database.