The Gaylord Group
We have assumed that:
– All service-related features offered by Executive Airlines have been researched and focus groups have been conducted to define the needs of the business traveller.
– A 12-month marketing calendar begins with a pre-launch phase in May and continues with the launch in September.
– The directional theme of ‘Business is Up’ is not an ownable position. We recommend an operational theme of ‘Your Office in the Air.’
– Over and above the service attributes, there is a competitive need for a consumer loyalty program.
Strategic alliances should be developed to enhance image and provide tangible added-value benefits.
The primary target audience has been identified as business travellers.
A secondary target is defined as decision-influencers.
This secondary target is divided into two groups: purchasers (secretaries/personal assistants) and information providers (the press/travel trade.)
Our overall objective is to switch consumers of Canadian competitors and convert them into loyal Executive Airlines users.
All marketing programs will emphasize response over image.
As awareness builds, the focus moves through trial towards loyalty-building mechanics, with the campaign focus evolving over three phases (see chart):
primary focus phase timing
– Awareness Pre-Launch May to September
– Trial Launch September to February
– Loyalty Post-Launch March onwards
Phase One: Pre-launch
Public relations
A comprehensive campaign will be developed and run throughout the year to maintain ‘top-of-mind’ awareness for Executive Airlines.
Topics will be selected based on seasonal relevancy and key learning from consumer research.
Press and trade events
As an integral part of the public relations campaign, press and trade events will be staged.
Both the press and the travel trade will be invited to attend gala events at airport hangars, with the chance to explore and experience Executive Airlines’ fleet first hand.
Image advertising
A teaser campaign will be developed to stimulate curiosity and build interest using print and tv. Placement focus will centre around business-oriented programming.
Direct mail
A teaser direct mail campaign will be developed to pique interest and awareness. This mailing will be targetted to business lists, which include segmentation selections based on industry and propensity to travel.
Phase Two: Launch
Response Advertising
Response-driven vehicles such as print, tv and a second phase of direct mail will be used to provide consumers with the chance to interact with Executive Airlines and its representatives and ultimately try its services.Responses will be added to a database for immediate and longer-term follow-up.
An extensive telemarketing campaign will support the in-bound responses and informational outbound telemarketing calls will reinforce the Executive Airlines offering.
Event marketing
Three high-profile events are considered crucial to the success of the airline launch.
– Business executives
Senior management with Fortune 500 companies will be offered free attendance at a conference on customer service featuring a prominent keynote speaker (for example, management guru Tom Peters.)
After the conference, executives will also sample the benefits of Executive Airlines when their meal is served in a room transformed into an airplane interior with all Executive Airlines services included.
– Decision-influencers
Lists would be acquired identifying secretaries/personal assistants and travel agents of key business travellers.
They would be invited to sample the Executive Airlines experience with one-day shopping excursions to Montreal or Toronto.
After their first reservation on Executive Airlines, a thank-you mailing plus a gift would be sent to each one. Subsequent follow-up could be scheduled, budget permitting.
– General
A portable interactive Executive Airlines seat display will be featured in strategic locations and hotels in key business districts of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.
Point-of-purchase
materials
Partnerships will be established with related business services, for example, five-star hotels, restaurants and limousine companies at which informational take-one brochures will be placed to provide business travellers with details of service offerings and to provide a contact and response mechanism.
Phase Three: Post-launch
Response advertising will continue.
To provide a loyalty management program that is tangible and innovative, Executive Airlines will leverage the Smart Card technology in Canada.
The Smart Card uses the magnetic strip on the back of a credit card to ‘onload’ and ‘download’ points.
Points are accrued by booking with Executive Airlines and are redeemable against products bought at partner locations.
Partners will be selected whose image can enhance Executive Airlines’ ‘cut above’ position and whose products relate directly to the target market (for example: Harry Rosen; Holt Renfrew; Bowring; Liptons.)
In addition, take-ones will be displayed in partner locations to gain access to their consumer bases.
Summary
Overall, our approach has been to maximize the impact of the launch period. Emphasis has been placed on response versus image.
As the program develops, emphasis will shift to encompass Executive Airlines’ benefits for business travellers and extended benefits of its customer loyalty program.
The budget allocation is 65% for pre-launch and launch, with 35% for the post-launch loyalty program.
The Gaylord Group is a Toronto-based full service marketing and communications company.
