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Ryanair ‘Pop-up Shop’ | While most carriers are increasingly using digital media to promote their brands and campaigns, providing people with real life experiences has maintained a valuable role in customer engagement. This year, Ryanair, whose presence has been notably absent on the social web, took to a 'pop-up shop' to highlight the carrier's signature low fares in an interactive way.
Delta ‘Sky360 @ Chelsea FC’ | Delta in recent years has launched a large number of innovative brand campaigns, using traditional media, social media and experiential platforms. In 2010, the airline launched its Sky360 lounges to let customers sample the Delta product in a non-aviation setting, eventually establishing the lounges across the US in locations such as home venues of sports teams that Delta sponsors.
In Manchester's city center, near Piccadilly Station, where heavy foot-trafc is everpresent, Ryanair rented out store space for four weeks. The premise of the shop is to invite customers in to “browse Ryanair’s lowest online fares in-store, book flights on Ryanair.com and talk to dedicated Ryanair staff.” If a customer fnds a fare cheaper than the one offered by Ryanair, the airline pledges to “pay double the difference to anyone who manages the feat.” Additionally, the store serves as a platform for a promotion whereby a customer wins a free flight to a Ryanair destination everyday throughout the duration of the campaign.
Following the airline's announcement to sponsor British football club Chelsea, September saw the opening of the frst ever Sky360 lounge outside the US, at Chelsea's home stadium in London. The Stamford Bridge lounge will host VIP guests of ofcial Delta partners VIP guests on matchdays. In the Sky360 lounge, the airline aims to provide a Delta-branded experience through features such as airline-style tickets inviting attendees to 'check-in' for matches and an LED-lit runway leading guests to a dedicated entrance to watch football games. The 108 square metre Sky360 lounge includes a dining area and full service bar, is located in the attached Millennium & Copthorne Hotel at Chelsea Football Club, and is accessible for hotel guests and visitors on nonmatchdays.
The Ryanair shopfront design also features the airline's familiar low-cost and often brashperceived branding, with a picture of Michael O'Leary inviting passersby into the shop. Though the designed experience concept isn't new to brands, it's notable that an LCC such as Ryanair has taken to such a promotion, which offers customers a chance to interact and engage with the airline outside of the traditional setting. Moreover, it also opens a channel for direct and live sales through the campaign.
Delta's partnership with Chelsea FC, which follows similar partnerships with the Atlanta Braves and the Minnesota Twins American baseball teams, is an ongoing brand positioning effort by the airline to align with entities that encapsulate a passionate customer base. The new lounge at Chelsea FC, which will be open daily between 7am and 10pm, is expected to receive 250,000 visitors each year.
4 | Airline Marketing Benchmark Report | October 2012
