http://www.yourclubworld.ba.com/
In the world of consumer and product marketing we all know the customer is the driver behind a products ultimate success or failure. The power of both word of mouth, good or bad, and customer insights are key to ensure a brand and product succeeds in the marketplace. British Airways understood that they needed to connect emotionally with their target audience when launching their new new Club World product in creating the “Club” feel. The interactive site brings customer insights to the user and aims on winning over the premium customer in the ever competitive airline industry, where premium fare paying customers are still key revenue drivers to the bottom line.
What better way to spread the word on luxury travel and comfort then by having your own customers speak to the product and why they like. Sure, the scenes have been staged, but they are believable nonetheless because it creates an emotional experience for the user. Each customer talks about what features they like in the new Club World cabin and which ones make the new product relevant to their needs and wants during business travel. Each scene is actually filmed on board the aircraft while in-flight, thus adding to realism of the experience.
And no, they don’t use models, which gives the entire experience a
human face with a dose of reality, I enjoyed the lack of make up. Well
done BA! A truly exceptional experience in highlighting customer
insights and the power they can hold for a product and brand.
Now I just wish I could afford the $7500 return airfare to London from Toronto!
On a side note, the TV spots on this page are great; finally BA and
their London-based agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) have brought back
the familiar ‘Lakme’ by Leo Delibes tune – when I heard the spots play
I knew this was a BA spot – the power of music and brand recognition -
can have a powerful impact, whether in the offline or online space.
Patrick Postrehovsky
Comments
Connections
I’m missing the emotional connection here.
As I watched the videos, I was struck with the fact BA passengers seem to dress and write the same. How “real” are these passengers? They certainly aren’t expressing any personality. Seems to me a missed opportunity with video.
Especially when video offers a powerful way to bring humanity to the Web.
(The 6 Billion Others site you profiled in March is a wonderful example.)
While nicely executed, this site featuring “real passengers” totally lacks personality and fails to make an emotional connection with this traveler.
It’s not terribly interesting or surprising to me that for half the price of a new car, BA delivers a few hours of pleasant air transit. For that money, they’d better.
I used to fly business class fairly frequently on BA, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines. Guess what? I liked it – especially since my company was paying the bill.
What I’d like to hear about is an airline that delivers good travel experiences – or even ones that don’t suck – for the rest of us.