Communication Strategy developed for the Spanish startup aBoatTime as the final project of IE Business School Executive Masters Class June 2016, Madrid, Spain. This project was developed by: Ana Carolina Addobbati; Karen Garcia; Maria Teresa Ferreiro; Roobkirat Kaur ; Ruth Constance Wansbrough

1. THE FULL SAILS
STRATEGY
aBoatTime

2. This is Alvaro.
He had a dream and
set his life on a new
course as an
entrepreneur.

4. Alvaro expressed an interest in
building brand awareness with a
low financial investment needed.

5. aBoatTime does not have a defined communication
strategy for its internal or external stakeholders. The
absence of strong branding and a clear Unique Selling
Proposition communicated to stakeholders, leaves room
for competitors to enter their market. aBT needs a
communication solution that takes into account its
limited financial and staffing constraints.
Problem Statement

6. The Full Sails Strategy
.
The Full Sails Strategy is based
on the belief that a well built
boat, with full wind in its sails
will propel forward towards its
destination. It captures the thrill
of cutting through choppy
waters and the joy of the wind in
your hair, as the team, works in
unison to reach the goal.

7. Digital environment is decisive for travellers decision of
purchase (Google).
Market overview
2014– Yacht charter market valued at EUR 36 bi
2020– Growth of 6,5%
Price oriented
No brand
differentiation
Red
Ocean

8. a strong identity to help with aware
aBT in the Market
Competitive advantage : Technology
Clients can rent a boat and finalize the process in a click
Make the market understand
the company’s differential.
Competitive leap
Create brand equity – the
secondary factor for the
purchase decision.

9. Findings
Culture
Book
Social
Media
Strategy
ResearchaBT RecommendationsObjective
s
Internal
External Values
StoryDefined
Comm.
Strategy
Primary
Secondary
Employees
Culture
Vision
Website
Social
Full Sails
Strategy
Key Messages
Application:
Website
Social Media
Culture
Measurement
& Timeline
USP
PROCESS

10. Interview with the
founder
• To capture the
mission and
vision from his
perspective.
• Passion for
sailing and
market
knowledge.
Interview with the
marketing/IT
Director
• To identify the
key drivers
guiding the
current market
strategy.
• Adapting IMC
language and
strategy and,
using nautical
language.
Potential customer
survey
• To better
understand the
sailing customers
and what they
value in the sailing
experience.
• Renting a boat for
sailing holiday.
Employee and
Management Survey
• To examine how
well employees
and management
understand the
mission/vision of
aBT and their
view of the
internal
corporate culture.
• Value vision and
mission; lack of
defined internal
communication
process.
Research Methodology – Primary Data

11. Customer-Contentanalysis
CustomerSurveys
SocialMediaAudit
Competitiveanalysis-Websites
To identify key
external
messages of aBT's
external and
indirect
competitors and
identify the
message they use
to communicate
business
needs.Trends in
communication;
communication
elements.
To assess aBT
customer views
on the customer
service and
available
content at aBT.
Generally
positive; Willing
to recommend
the platform.
To identify what
customers value
from their
boating
holiday/experie
nce with respect
to service
quality, product
quality, and the
overall sailing
experience.
Service quality,
product/boat
specific features
and website
access.
To conduct an
audit of all
existing social
media channels
to find the
challenges and
areas of
opportunity
Low level of
engagement; no
story telling or
efforts.
Secondary Data

12. Key Findings
&
Strategy:

13. The story is missing from all communication.
Recommendation:
Formalizing the corporate story and use it as an asset for
building brand identity.
Why?
A powerful story makes it possible for people “all
stakeholders” to connect emotionally with a brand.
Key Finding - Story

14. Leadership has a very clear view of the values,
mission/vision for aBT.
Recommendation:
Capitalize on the values and the essence of the mission and
vision already established.
Why?
The Leadership has strong values and vision is a great structure
on which to build a stronger brand identity.
Key Finding - Values

15. aBoatTime´s leadership has a clear view of the values vision
and mission but is not able to successfully share this.
Recommendation:
We propose to formally define the key messages and to
document them on the culture book.
Why?
A strong brand identity requires consistency with its messages.
Key Finding - Vision

16. The current aBoatTime USP does not resonate with
customers.
Recommendation:
We provided guidance for evolving the USP to be more
customer oriented and include attributes like ¨trust¨ and
¨reliability¨.
Why?
The chartering a boat is a high involvement decision. The communication
of the USP and brand values are elementary to grasp consumer´s attention
and influence the purchase decision.
Key Finding - USP

17. Internal culture is undefined.
Recommendation:
We propose to formally define the culture through the
development of a culture book.
Why?
A lack of a strong internal culture can lead to disengagement of
employees which leads to lower productivity, and potential higher
turnover.
Key Finding - Culture

18. Employees do not have a clear or unified understanding of
aBoatTime´s mission, vision and values.
Recommendation:
We propose to communicate key messages with employees
through a Corporate Culture book.
Why?
Employees are not being used to their full potential as brand
ambassadors.
Key Finding - Employees

19. A brand with an assertive message is important to grasp the
customer´s attention.
Recommendation:
Make the USP more apparent on the web.
Why?
The absence of communication of this advantage for the
consumer leads for a competition that may not remunerate such
differential and remains as price oriented.
Key Finding - Messaging is key online

20. Social media is not engaging because the content is
generically applied to all social media platforms.
Recommendation
To tailor messages to each social media platform including some
elements of the personality in the posts like tone and storytelling. Is
essential to increase participation as social media is a two way street.
Why
Social media strategy is underdeveloped. It is a low cost way to grow brand
awareness with a large audience and encourage engagement with the goal of
developing a loyal community of customers.
Key Finding - Social media

21. Pillar 1:
Full Sails Strategy
Building Brand
Personality
Theoretical Models
Values
Storytelling
Defining Key
Messages
Vision/Mission
USP
Elevator Pitch
Tag Line
Communicating
Key
Messages
Website
Social Media
Culture Book
Pillar 2: Pillar 3:
Character

22. “Effective brand strategy provides a central
unifying idea around which all behavior, actions,
and communications are aligned. It works across
products and services, and is effective over time.
The best brand strategies are so differentiated
and powerful that they deflect the competition.
They are easy to talk about, whether you are the
CEO or an employee.”
(Aileen Wheeler, Designing Brand Strategy)
Why?

23. Pillar 1:
Full Sails Strategy
Building Brand
Personality
Theoretical Models
Values
Storytelling
Character
Brand Story + Brand Personality
Framework of
Values

24. Defining Brand Personality - Values
Employees
as
Entrepreneurs
Everything
Is
Possible
Trial
&
Error
Team
WorkCelebration
&
Recognition
Highest
standards
Reliability

25. Personality
Culture
Self-Image
Capabilities
Relationships
Reflection
Capabilities:
-Excellent customer service
-Widest options for nautical
charters
-Most sophisticated online
software allowing for fast,
reliable booking service
-innovation
Relationships:
Trust
Easy process
Friendships
Experiences to
remember
Reflection:
Adventure
Accessible to everyone
Affordable
Inexpensive luxury
Unique experience on the sea
Highest industry standard for
customer service
Personality:
Passionate
Exciting
Reliable
Culture:
Everything is possible
Work hard/play hard
Commitment
Team spirit
Self-Image:
Hard-working;
responsible; innovative;
entrepreneurial
highest standards of
service & technology
Rallying
Cry

26. Full Sails Strategy
Defining Key
Messages
Vision/Mission
USP
Elevator Pitch
Tag Line
Pillar 2: Guiding
Vision
Mission
Messages (Elevator Pitch)
Messages (USP)
Messages (Tagline)

27. Adapted Vision:
To become the leader of the boat charter industry with
the highest reputation for trustworthiness and customer
service, offering the widest range of boats and
destinations.
Personality
Values
Vision
Mission
Adapted Mission:
To be the most sophisticated software, allowing for fast,
reliable booking service, by integrating fleets, tourist
operators and final customers with online and real time
transactionality.
Unique Sailing Proposition

28. Unique Sailing Proposition
"The only complete marketplace in the world able to connect, on a 100% online transactional basis, end
customers and mainstream tourism (tour operators and OTAs), to the fragmented sector of recreational boat
chartering. Thanks to our complete value chain, fleets can close bookings 24h/day and offer their boats to the
mainstream tourism away from the limited nautical sector. End customers can close bookings 24/day and
disscover a new vacational option, inexpensive and exotic. Last but not least, mainstream tourism
(touroperators and OTAs) can have access to a new category, the use of boats for sailing a few days and the
use of boats as an accommodation (sleeping in the boat without leaving the harbour)". (Álvaro, current USP)

29. Elevator pitch:
aBT is a company whose mission is to share how fantastic,
accessible and easy it is to vacation on a boat to explore
extraordinary destinations around the world. Anyone can rent a
boat with just a few clicks.
Personality
Values
Adapted
Vision
Adapted
Mission
USP
Tagline:
You don’t need to have a boat to live your passion for the sea.
aBoatTime has one for you in every ocean in the Globe.

30. Full Sails Strategy
Communicating
Key
Messages
Website
Social Media
Culture Book
Pillar 3:
Strong Team/Culture
Book
Digital Messages
(website/Social Media)

31. Culture Code Book
✓ Supportive tool to the Full Sails Strategy that tackles the lack of communication
strategy for the internal environment.
✓ Mission, Vision, USP and brand values detailed in attainable language.
✓ Examples of how the values might be lived inside the company.
✓ Guidance about language employed on the communication inside and to the
outside.
✓ Recommendations for internal policies.

32. Social Media StrategyObjectives:
✓ Leverage of brand awareness and visibility for the company
✓ Conversion rate
✓ Engagement of clients in the internal and/or external business environment
Recommendations
✓ Supportive tool to the Full Sails Strategy that tackles the lack of engagement
✓ Listening
✓ Interaction and participation of followers in the co-creation of contents
✓ Tailoring messages for each platform
✓ Diversification of contents
✓ Measure engagement with Kaushik’s framework
Conversation
Amplification
Applause
Economic Value

33. Phase 1 - May 2016
• Meeting with
the managers to
share the
report, Culture
Code Book and
Social Media
Strategy.
Phase 2 - July 2016
• To communicate
the company’s
goals
• Plan to convey the
company’s USP
Phase 3 – From
September 2016
• KPI assessments,
consolidation of
learnings (Monthly
since September
2016)
• Future resolutions
(Quarterly from
December 2016)
Full
implementation by
September, 2017
Charting the course

34. KPI Measurement
Web
Audience
Measuremen
t Metrics
Demographic
Assessment
Metrics
Website
Conversion
metrics
Social Media
metrics
Consumer
Satisfaction
Metrics
Internal
Communicati
on Metrics

35. María Teresa Ferreiro
Ana Carolina Addobbati
Karen García
“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up
people to collect wood and don't assign
them tasks and work, but rather teach
them to long for the endless immensity of
the sea.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupery (Le Petit Prince) from Netflix Culture Book