The Globe and Mail

The challenge is to furnish Executive Airlines with a creative media concept targetted at frequent business travellers that will assist in building its image as that of a highly personal, service-oriented airline with emphasis placed on the needs of the business traveller.

Since Executive Airlines will be offering service between Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver, these areas also need to be specifically targetted.

Moreover, added-value ideas need to be implemented to increase awareness during the pre-launch and launch period designated as the fall of 1993.

The Globe and Mail will provide Executive Airlines with a unique concept and strategic plan that will ensure that this challenge is met.

The Globe and Mail would like to propose to Executive Airlines the following plan, outlined in three phases.

This program is designed to build anticipation, awareness and image among frequent business travellers.

This proposal is based on a budget of $385,000.

Phase One

For a period of four weeks before the launch of Executive Airlines, an extensive advertising campaign will run in The Globe and Mail.

This campaign will include the use of The Globe and Mail’s ‘Own The Globe for a Month’ small space program.

This consists of using space in the paper that is not filled when the paper is composed.

The ad space available can vary from an earlug-sized ad to a one-quarter page. This space would be available throughout the paper, in all sections.

This program would allow Executive Airlines to dominate the paper for a period of one month, thus building anticipation towards the actual launch.

Cost: $60,000.

Phase Two

A free-standing 12-page supplement on Executive Airlines titled: ‘Business is Up! – doing business in the air’ will be produced by The Globe.

The supplement, printed on color stock newsprint, in keeping with Executive Airlines’ corporate colors, will illustrate Executive Airlines’ exclusivity in allowing businesspeople to keep in touch while in the air.

This report will focus on business travel and Executive Airlines’ ability to lead the industry into a new era of service.

Through quality editorial and interesting ad creative within the supplement, Executive Airlines will build awareness with its target market of frequent business travellers.

The editorial might include the following stories:

- Business travel, now and in the future

- Services unique to Executive Airlines

- History, ownership and executive profile of Executive Airlines

- Design and engineering of the aircraft and the ‘work space’.

The advertising creative concepts must include:

- a centre-spread gateway

- a coupon within the section to request copy of corporate brochure or video

- a series of ads building from the first page to create a ‘wish list’ for the business traveller.

This could be created to build the perfect ‘headquarters in the air.’

For example, the first ad might use the line ‘I need a phone,’ the second ad ‘I need a fax,’ and so on, until the final ad shows the traveller sitting in an Executive Airlines seat, surrounded by all their desired services and announcing that indeed, ‘Business is Up.’

For added exposure on the launch date to home-delivery subscribers, The Globe and Mail will insert the paper into rainbags with Executive Airlines’ message on the bag, announcing a new era of business travel by air.

Executive Airlines could include in the message a 1-800 number, allowing readers to request more information on the airline and its services.

This would increase the impact that Executive Airlines would have on readers the day of the supplement.

Cost $185,000.

Phase Three

The Globe and Mail will assist Executive Airlines in setting up several on-site tours of the planes and the services available.

These informal sessions would be held in the four cities Executive Airlines will be offering service: Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.

This could include inviting the top 100 Globe readers who are identified as frequent business travellers, 100 of the top chief executive officers, plus corporate business travel planners, to attend a luncheon on the planes and then be offered the chance to ‘work’ on the plane for an hour to try out the services.

Upon leaving, individuals will receive a copy of the supplement and a coupon for a discount on their first Executive Airlines flight.

Executive Airlines may sponsor a Globe fax summary report on the latest business issues and stock information to be given to travellers as they board the plane.

This capsule summary of the day’s business news in Canada would again build awareness of Executive Airlines as the premier business travel carrier.

Cost: $120,000.

Added value

An overrun of 100,000 copies of the special report, to be distributed to Executive Airlines, with a letter from the publisher of The Globe congratulating the company on its initiative.

The distribution may include:

- corporate business travel planners

- residences in pre-determined and targetted postal code areas

- executive assistants at the top Report on Business 1,000 companies

- possible distribution to select American Express corporate cardholders.

Value: $80,000

Total cost of program: $365,000. Total value of program: $445,000.

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper.