See Why Air New Zealand’s Marketing Strategy Soars
We live in a world where airline ads tend to crash and burn…
They showcase a lot of cheese, slow-mo airport scenes and painfully attractive models wearing robotic and unfaltering smiles. It’s overly polished – and it’s been overly done before.
Air New Zealand’s ads, however, never disappoint. Their more recent ads have gone sky high, even nabbing them some prestigious industry awards and garnering some serious public support. Something very few airlines can achieve….
We know people like puppies. We know people like pizza. But it turns out people also really like Air New Zealand. Here’s why their support base is only growing.
If you watched that one of a kind in flight safety instructional video but didn’t enjoy it, you’re probably not nerds like us. But if you did, you probably noticed just how different it is compared to its counterparts. You don’t get voted as the best airline in the sky with a lack-lustre marketing strategy or lame content, and that’s why Air NZ’s works so well!
They focus on the ‘experience’ and not the ‘product’
Flying with the airline is almost like walking through Aotearoa itself. The people you meet are friendly and genuinely warm. You get this same quality of “no airs” in the air, with the whole flight curated to be a unique experience for every traveller. Nothing about the journey is average. You may receive a rose on Valentine’s day…
…or even get to talk to their android customer service personality, Sophie, a digital human that customers can get travel assistance from.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to Air NZ’s foray into innovation and AI. Their passionate investment in creating a beyond satisfactory journey for their customers has made them a vanguard brand that’s leaving others scrambling to keep up. Their marketing efforts document the process, creating a loyal fan-base of followers who love what they do, and spread that love far and wide on their own social pages.
They know their target market well
With a recent campaign launch driven towards engaging with international travellers, Air New Zealand didn’t just make a generic ad and pawn it off to everyone in their database. No, they undertook vigorous research in order to curate unique content for each of their target markets.
They also realised that a lot of Christchurch’s incoming traffic was from Singapore. In response, they quickly created video marketing that shaped a special connection between the two nations and intrigued Singaporeans to visit New Zealand themselves.
With thoughtful targeting, they were able to reach their ideal demographic from the area, resulting in 40,192 Singaporeans visiting New Zealand in 2018 alone!
Another group of interest included Australians and Americans using New Zealand as their mid travel buffer spot when travelling in either direction.
How do you make content that two completely disparate cultures can both identify with and enjoy? Air NZ did their homework and they’ve mashed Aussie and American humour in an ad that balanced the two perfectly.
Their “Dave the Goose” story is 100% entertaining and thoroughly engaging no matter which side of the pond you sit. It is without a doubt, the conclusion of thorough study and careful planning. The result? Probably the best airlines ad in the last 10 years.
They stay true to their roots
Despite an ability to identify with the cultures and behaviours of their target markets, Air New Zealand keeps their content 100% Kiwi, introducing their unique style to the world as well as tapping into the culture of others.
All of their videos showcase unique slang, local idiosyncrasies and Kiwi humour, exuding a sense of their natural warmth and appeal that makes New Zealand such an amazing place to visit and its people so amiable. Nothing is watered down, and nothing is lost.
Every bit of content is thoroughly thought-out and amazingly executed, making this a high- profile brand that completely stands out in the travel world.
Key Takeaways:
Air New Zealand isn’t just doing well “for an airline brand”, they’re doing bloody well as a brand in general, comparative even to the most high-profile companies and heavy hitters out there. They’re taking their position in the marketing world very seriously, leveraging their public popularity and cultural uniqueness to create appealing work that intrigues and inspires.
Not only are they staying true to their roots but they’re showing the world that they understand everyone else too; exposing a willingness to do whatever it takes to make a real human connection, a sentiment many airline brands seem to have lost.
If there’s anything we can learn from Air NZ’s marketing strategy, it’s that creativity and humour go hand in hand. At the risk of sounding like a spirit guide, you need to be willing to take a calculated risk when it comes to your content while preserving the essence of who you truly are. Don’t lose sight of that… *dry retches*
Also, be sure to place as much emphasis on the customer journey as you do on securing the sale. Getting that cash in your wallet isn’t the end of your efforts but just the beginning, so make sure you have plenty of signposts to remind you to enhance the customer’s journey along the way. This will ensure future sales and successes.
With so much to take in and with such an innovative brand like Air NZ providing great work on the reg’, you won’t be short of inspiration to help your own brand reach the skies. Chur bro.
