Air Transport
Article | July 6, 2022
Let’s be honest!
Customers support advertising. But they seek out information.
In a marketing world where advertising reigns, aviation customers want well-researched, proficiently crafted informative content that tells stories, explains products, and helps them make smart decisions.
Content: Builds Credibility and Influence with Information
When you make a decision, you seek out the most credible sources of information available on the internet or off the net. However, for many aviation consumers, content types like publications, blogs, whitepapers, and other high-quality are the most preferred to read.
A consistent flow of information maintains the credibility of your publication and communication with your clients, customers, or stakeholders. This can only be possible when you have a good content marketing strategy.
Good content marketing, as marketers say, is an all-hands-on-deck affair. Strategizing, content production, analysis, audits, and reviews play a vital role in creating great content marketing ideas. In addition, you need to coordinate with different departments to meticulously create a plan of action that hits the right audience at the right time with an accurate message.
But remember, even if you plan it in the right way, things can go wrong. And you might feel that nothing more can be done, even having perfect airline marketing strategies.
So, in such a moment of disparity, for your aviation marketing, it’s helpful to revisit some of the most amazing content marketing strategies successful stories out on the internet to get inspired and give a new perspective to your next content marketing ideas.
Content Marketing: Stories
Let us have a look at the excellent content marketing success stories. The following examples showcase the suitable approaches you can have for your next content marketing campaigns. So, take a look and learn to craft a better strategy.
JetBlue’s Campaign Towards Passenger Concerns
The airline industry has had its share of ups and downs in executing airline marketing strategies and airline advertisement plans since the pandemic outbreak in 2020.
Under such conditions, low-cost airline JetBlue showcased its brand stand above all these struggles. Their content marketing strategy that creates compelling, engaging, and informative content consistently helped convey the brand message to the audience and build brand image.
The Strategy
JetBlue’s content marketing ideas focus on humanizes its approaches. For example, the company launched a campaign that awarded passengers with rewards points.
The airline’s digital marketing strategy, at every level, has a unique way of providing information to its audience and offering solutions. This way, it offered the clients more reasons to engage with its brand. The brand used blogs and media coverage to engage with its clients. Here are the following content strategies it used:
Timely published airline articles attracted instant attention of visitors to the website. The information provided in the article was about the usage of technology and successful collaborations to ease the operations.
Filled the website with timeless articles that served information to overcome the pandemic challenges and provide value in real-time.
Always tried to go with the trends, latest news, and updates. As updates were in time, it maximized clicks and engagements.
The Outcome
Content published and strategies implemented successfully enabled JetBlue to acknowledge their audiences’ concerns. The information provided solved the persistent problems of the audience. This approach resulted in a significant hike in the percentage of website visitors, which eventually grew traffic.
Copa Airlines’ DotDigital
Copa Airlines, like other airlines, also wanted to streamline the operational processes allied with content marketing campaigns, emails to target the most of audiences, and stabilizing its market position. It was all because the manual process took up a long time and contributed to accuracy errors.
As part of its recovery plan, it also wanted to become more agile in its email and content marketing by synchronizing the gap between website visits and email triggers to focus actively on capitalizing on the demand.
The Strategy
Copa Airlines’ partnering with dotdigital, a marketing and engagement platform, successfully implemented the campaigns. It focused only on active audiences and accurately understand the purpose. By employing powerful content creatives to create and automate email copies with variations, it was able to restructure the process and added personalization that subjected audiences’ demands and preferences.
The Outcome
Copa enhanced its brand visibility, which boosted conversions by 2%. This result led to a 14% hike in revenue, thus improved its ROI.
With the addition of automation and personalization, Copa also experienced an 11% drop in unsubscribe numbers. This pointed towards the increased engagement of audiences with the new content marketing strategy.
AirAsia’s Media Business Expansion
AirAsia’s topmost concern towards its business expansion was content marketing, media, data, and adtech. The brand wants these functionalities to perform on the top in revenue growth and lift its performance in 2021 & beyond.
To grow its business, it focuses more on engagement and providing value to its audience. It seeks to build a more substantial base of audiences than before. Since early 2020, the brand accelerated its digital business by demonstrating product offerings through blogs, video, and chats. The content information provided through the content marketing strategy was more authentic, relevant, and delivered significant value to customers.
The Strategy
The brand runs campaigns using self-service adtech and content platforms. The company has a deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), through which it created RedCarpet that focuses on smart campaigns with the help of content creation capabilities.
The Outcome
The critical part of the RedCarpet initiative is it created multiple partnerships signed for the upcoming quarter of 2021. It also introduced flexibility in tech offerings to the customer through various content generation on its website and social media channels. But, most importantly, the brand took a step ahead to enhance content services as a publisher. This is a new investment straightaway to become the pandemic warrior in the airline industry.
The brand envisions surged engagement among customers and potential audiences once travel restrictions are lifted. Thus, AirAsia’s database will have more users in the coming years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the need to educate audiences in the airline industry becoming necessary?
Today consumers are becoming smart. They are saturated with businesses offering the same repeated product or service. So, being educated help them to make informed decisions. And creates loyalty towards the brand along with a long-term relationship.
How can content marketing help to address target audiences in the airline industry?
Content marketing can help in addressing the queries of the client at various levels of the process. This strengthens a positive outlook towards the brand and probably motivates them to become part of the brand.
How to use content marketing to increase brand image in the airline industry?
Follow these steps to increase your brand image using content marketing:
Create a brand that tells a story about offerings to the audience
Research on the unexplored side of your industry which is still untouched and thus attract eyeballs to drive your brand
Think of expanding content created out of your research
Create evergreen content pieces
Create a live website and include the easiest ways for visitors to approach
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Business Aviation
Article | December 28, 2021
NASA is known for developing and launching spacecraft that have a significant environmental impact. However, the space agency is fully on board with the net-zero movement. NASA supports the White House's Aviation Climate Action Plan. It is helping fund several aviation projects that aim to reduce the aviation industry’s damage to the environment.
NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Program
NASA focuses on technologies for single-aisle aircraft, which are the powerhouses of many airline fleets and account for nearly half of global aviation emissions. NASA's Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) project aims to reduce carbon emissions and keep the US competitive in the design of single-aisle commercial airliners, which are in high demand.
"Since its creation, NASA has worked with industry to develop and implement innovative aeronautics technology and has shared it with the world," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Now, with this ambitious new project, we're again joining with US industry to usher in a new era of cutting-edge improvements that will make the global aviation industry cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable."
NASA Wants to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Commercial Aircraft
The program’s goal is to build, test, and fly a large-scale demonstrator. NASA hopes to find a business partner for a Funded Space Act Agreement with its Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, by the beginning of 2023.
The agreement would draw on private-industry knowledge and experience, with an awardee developing a suggested technical plan and committing considerable cash to the project. Under this agreement, NASA would not purchase an aircraft or any other hardware for its missions. The mission of NASA is to develop new and innovative technologies and capabilities.
NASA will collect data on the ground and in the air. Agency and industry teams can use it to test the airframe configuration and related technologies.
Moving Away From Space
NASA's technologies are typically cutting-edge. However, as with many high-end items, the benefits and applications frequently filter down to the masses. NASA's specialized technology and research frequently has civil aviation applications. It's interesting to see how NASA seems to be moving away from space and going after planes that fly closer to Earth.
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Business Aviation
Article | January 28, 2022
The aviation industry has allowed people to connect the world in unimaginable ways. Due to this, it has contributed massively to social and economic development globally.
However, the aviation sector produces nearly 1.8% of annual carbon emissions. It is almost half of the total growth in carbon dioxide emissions in the last twenty years due to the expansion of flights, increasing routes, and airline sizes.
In the loop, the commercial aviation sector has also been affected by climate change. The change is due to increased noise levels, air pollution, and waste production.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the industry recorded 2.8% of global CO2 emissions in 2019. But now, the industry has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050 through a focus on a critical low-carbon strategy, says IATA. By looking at this futuristic development, airline businesses are becoming more and more optimistic.
The Action Plan
The aviation industry has taken steps to reduce rising carbon emissions. The industry had framed targets that included carbon-neutral growth before the pandemic. But the pandemic compelled the industry to make some critical decisions. One of them is to fasten the action plan for low-carbon development.
McKinsey recently studied the industry’s emissions. According to the report, the industry's aviation emissions would be reduced by 18 to 35 percent by 2030. However, as the aviation industry’s growth is recorded from Asia, including India, China, and Southeast Asia, decarbonization can only work if airlines from these nations actively participate in the development.
“For aviation, zero-carbon is a bold, audacious commitment. But it is also necessary.”
-IATA Director General Willie Walsh
Airlines and other businesses are under pressure to make rapid progress towards lower emissions. It is because breakthrough technology like hydrogen-powered planes has started manufacturing.
For example, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Inc., and United Airlines Holding Inc. have already made net-zero commitments by introducing hydrogen-powered planes. Similarly, JetBlue Airways Corp has set a target of 2040 to introduce low-carbon planes in no time.
So, by looking at above comitments, how will aviation progress in terms of low-carbon development? What are those fundamental ways that’ll guide the industry to see a sustainable future in real life?
4 Ways Aviation will Look Forward to Reducing Carbon Emissions
Green Fuel
Aviation considers green fuel as one of the quickest paths to low carbon development. Green fuel can be a game-changer in lessening carbon emission impacts. But, furthermore, it can lead to drastic climate change. Green fuel, also known as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), is made from renewable sources such as plants or waste.
As per IATA, SAF can cut carbon emissions by nearly 80%.
But specific concerns like cost and availability are equally essential to think about. For example, the United States and other countries consider subsidies to decrease prices and increase supplies. They are practicing this due to limited availability. Also, some airlines are blending small amounts into the fuel they buy for their aircraft.
Other concerns, such as planes running properly on pure SAF, are also highlighted. In addition, flight engines based on petroleum fuel rely on their oily qualities to lubricate parts and function appropriately. So, it's unclear if green fuels offer that amount of strength in their engines to fly a flight.
Despite so many heated concerns (that are valid), the industry still looks good as Boeing (BA.N) studies the above issue. It has even committed to ensuring its planes are certified for 100% SAF by 2030.
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Lower Carbon Technologies
Technological improvements to lower carbon emissions include retrofitting existing aircraft, adopting the latest fuel-efficient aircraft, retiring old aircraft, and others.
Several ongoing electric or hybrid-electric aircraft technology projects are in the pipeline. They are being identified to enter the industry between 2022-2030. In contrast, some of them are already in service.
Developments in Infrastructure
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has created plans to reduce fuel burn and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The plans have been forwarded to optimize communication, navigation, surveillance (CNS), and air transport management (ATM) regarding zero-carbon development.
Apart from this, airlines are also working to align emission cuts with investments. Consumption of fuel usually covers 20-30% of operational costs. It is one of the highest costs of an airline business. So now airlines are considering adopting fuel-efficient flying and airport operations.
Collaborations
Today, aviation needs more stakeholders for a sustainable future. They can only increase the efficiencies and development of SAF.
Stakeholders from technology providers, oil companies, and energy production could drive demand and help bridge the cost gap. For instance, airlines commit to buying SAF at a particular price or at a different price than traditional fuel jets. These factors could eliminate market risks for fuel suppliers.
Next, airlines can work with B2B customers willing to pay for the decarbonization initiative. For example, airlines could use loyalty-program rewards as incentives for every customer to choose airlines that use SAF. Collaborations like these can help the industry accelerate its low carbon emission initiatives.
These Top Airlines Commit to Using New Technologies
Aviation industry leaders aim for 30% of the aircraft to operate with the help of new technologies by 2030. They strongly support the introduction of hydrogen and electric-powered planes to the market in order to reduce the industry's carbon footprint.
So, let’s see the airlines and their commitment to creating a sustainable aviation future.
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand’s initiatives such as True Target Zero accelerate the adoption of zero-emission aircraft worldwide. Air New Zealand is delighted to work with other industry leaders working towards net-zero goals.
“Air New Zealand pledges to put low carbon solutions in place for all our smaller domestic and regional flights in the future. However, we know that the drive to decarbonize the aviation industry is impossible for one airline to tackle alone. Rather it’s a joint venture, and it's all about joining hands together.”
-David Morgan, Chief Operational Integrity & Safety Officer, Air New Zealand
Mokulele Airlines and Southern Airways
Mokulele Airlines, the largest intra-state carrier in America, has already worked for many years as a maven to bring electrification to its air transportation system.
“We are satisfied to join the World Economic Forum in seeking a global public commitment to promoting sustainable air travel.”
-Stan Little, Chairman & CEO, Mokulele Airlines and Southern Airways
Braathens Regional Airlines
The airline has the ambition to make its flights fossil-free by 2030. The airline has included electric planes, and with its partnership with True Zero Aviation, it is taking steps to accelerate towards actual low carbon emissions.
Can Aviation Make a Difference in the New Path of Development?
There are a lot of positive aviation stories from all over the globe. However, aviation also has some barriers to the new path of low-carbon development. Nevertheless, aviation can undoubtedly make a difference by introducing technologies, implementing result-driven strategies, implementing the right tools, and many more.
But from the customers' perspective, choosing to fly less can be another good reason to reduce an individual’s carbon pollution. The reduction can be up to 50% each year. So even avoiding long-distance flight travel could make a significant difference to aviation.
Business travelers could adopt or choose to use virtual meeting technology. These could be other crucial factors limiting the carbon footprint in the atmosphere.
Whatever you choose to opt for, it is high time to contribute to a more sustainable aviation sector for the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can airlines reduce their carbon footprint?
Airlines can introduce more efficient aircraft. Efficiency in technological aspects, reduce flight delays, and increase the use of sustainable lower-carbon or alternative fuels. Also, investment plays a vital role here. They can invest in emissions initiatives and promote low-carbon travel.
How can an airline achieve its carbon-neutral goals?
An airline can explore hybrid and electric aircraft technology to reach carbon-neutral goals, reduce carbon emissions using SAF, and embrace fewer flight routes (distance).
Do aircraft harm the atmosphere?
Aircraft create very polluting elements and are highly challenging means of transport. Indeed, air traffic represents less than 2%-3% of the global CO2 emissions, yet it transmits direct CO2 emissions than cars on roads.
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Business Aviation
Article | October 13, 2021
Skift research shows that 90% of airline marketers have dropped their marketing budgets due to the pandemic.The pandemic brought massive changes in marketing. Due to this, CMOs navigated through restricted availability of resources and shifted airline companies’ guidelines for months.
CMOs find increasingly difficult to rely on conventional financial and managerial aspects like typical cost setting—the way profitability was being achieved, fuel consumption, accounting decision making, investments, manufacturing and more. Due to these challenges, airline brands are bound to sternly reevaluate their current and future marketing process to maintain a steady flow of income and increase ROI.
So, it’s quite possible that your marketing tactics also may have suffered due to the pandemic. Right? And now you must think, “How much should your budget be for marketing?”
It’s an important question. It’s because most aviation businesses do not have a considerable aviation marketing budget. The answer to your concern lies here, “spend the least amount that achieves your business objectives.”
A lot has transformed since the outbreak of the pandemic. Yet, there are novel opportunities in aviation marketing activities. So, let's take a closer look at some of the opportunities that might help control your aviation marketing budget.
Opportunity No.1: Invest in Paid Advertisements; they are cheap!
Paid advertisements are becoming cheaper. These are in higher demand when it comes to aviation marketing.
It makes sense because the way digital advertisements are making money is going to benefit marketers. First, the paid ads drive the cost per click (CPC), so investing here can increase the ROI. Second, as the pandemic forced companies to focus on all-digital processes, as it prompts the audience to spend more time online. Resultantly, traffic on the web is up, and there are lots of ads. It means ads are cheaper.
Even conversion rates are increasing now. It’s because the ads online are evolving at the same rate as it was before the pandemic. Therefore, you must take advantage of paid ads to start with controlling your aviation marketing costs.
Opportunity No. 2: Determine your Annual Customer Value
The key to having controlled aviation marketing costs is to have an average customer revenue. If you haven’t calculated yet, then you should begin with it. Begin tracking the effectiveness of your sales and marketing efforts. Once you begin with it, you will calculate how much money is spent on every customer or a new customer.
The other important aspect to consider is how wisely you spend the dollars in a limited budget. And that’s where a marketing plan comes into action.
A well-improvised marketing plan may include proper tactics, tools, and platforms. But to implement all these things effectively requires an adequate budget. However, how to use them requires a thorough analysis and experts’ experience. Usually, marketers make a mistake by spending too much on a single marketing tactic. And this results in a considerable loss.
So, to control your budget, be intelligent to concentrate on a selected marketing tool and platform. And then spend dollars on it. Tapping on this approach, you will create a cost-effective marketing plan, which will give better marketing results.
Besides, your customers might equally feel satisfied by getting worthwhile results. Well, in reality, it will be easy for you to determine the annual value of money spent on each customer.
Opportunity No. 3: Review Investment Plans
When looking at the aviation marketing budget, it’s advisable to review investment plans carefully. The investment plan is crucial when you need to control your aviation marketing. Having an in-depth knowledge of it can lead you to save big. Also, it might bring opportunities further for your airline business.
For example, in December 2019, JetBlue announced a marketing structural cost program. It aimed at producing $250-$300 million by 2020 through cost savings. According to the company’s 2020 annual report, the program emphasizes these points:
Technical marketing operations
Planning, automation, and executing efficient activities online .(Like on a website, social media platforms, online campaigns, and more)
• Decreasing distribution costs
• Tax reformation
All these aspects demonstrate opportunities to propel business growth.
We are extremely excited about the potential for increased business demand with the costs and tax cut.
- Glen Hauenstein, President of Delta Airlines.
So, consider if you can reduce, delay and/or eliminate non-essential marketing tasks or not. Then, find opportunities to help you do a transition from costly, inefficient technological aspects to more cost-efficient technology, thus, driving more valuable results.
The bottom line is that you must understand where it makes sense to cut costs and where to make the proper investments because it's about bolstering your airline business. With the help of this, you can create value for customers, partners, and investors in no time.
Opportunity No. 4: Encourage Innovative Digital Engagement
Some of the top airlines like Delta Airlines and its marketing teams use innovative engagement methods through digitalization. Yes! After being hit by the deadly pandemic, Delta lost $60 million in cash each day. Delta CEO Ed Bastian revealed that Delta airlines reduced 80% of its operation.
“Delta will weather the storm by sticking to our shared values of honesty, persistence, and service to our customers and our communities. We encourage digitalization to the core. And that has helped our customers easy to connect us.”
- Delta CEO Ed Bastian
With this approach, Delta further forecasts its revenue to rise by 90% by the end of 2021.
So, you can see how investing in digital methods can help revenue rise without going out of budget or crossing the budget line.
When you introduce automation, AR, VR in your aviation marketing efforts, it will drive value from existing customers and engage potential customers. For example, you can create innovative videos for social media, visual online campaigns, presentations, and more.
Finally, remember to “Have Patience and Carry On”
It is critical to managing finance, especially in global disasters like coronavirus. However, today's marketing budget may seem exhausting when aviation businesses compete each day. But it is helpful at the end of the day!
Controlling your aviation marketing costs will lead you to increase your ROI. And this way, you will get valuable prospects, which is even more critical in the current scenario. Moving ahead with not-so-hard marketing budget control, you will require powerful leadership, top competency with courage and empathy, and the correct data, of course. So, having all these aspects and proactive measures in place, you will be able to outshine again.
So, which one of the opportunities are you going to implement first?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do airline businesses do marketing?
Marketing is the best practice to build trust among airline customers. The marketers offer rewards to customers so that they become loyal to an airline brand. They also run campaign activities, provide rich informational content, produce videos to educate and motivate customers. This is how engagement increases along with loyal numbers of customers.
What are the leading airline expenses?
The leading airline expenses are as follows:
The employment process expenses. These expenses are the most critical operational cost of an airline (33.5%).
Fuel expenses (19.6%).
Sales and marketing expenses. They are approximately 15.7% on the rise.
How do airlines control the marketing budget?
There are several ways the airline controls its marketing budget. A few of them are:
By conducting fuel-saving strategies
Operation procedure simplification
Introducing automation
Technology implementation
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