2014 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

The brief from the client was straightforward but challenging: recruit 18,000 new and active Emirates Airlines Skywards members in 3 weeks. The key word was ‘active’. It wouldn’t require much to add 18,000 people to a free frequent flyer program. A little thinking was necessary however to find active, enthusiastic members who would contribute consistently to the program. Especially given current industry norms. The number of times a member flies is in decline. 5 years ago 80% of people who signed up flew. Today, it’s 50%. We had to fish were the right fish were swimming.

Creative Execution

Airline loyalty programs are about more and better travel. What better way than to bring forth this promise than through a trip of a lifetime? Meet Me There not only delivered this trip but did it in the way that really mattered: with friends. Because the best adventures are those that are shared. Both the virability and shareability of the Facebook application platform allowed us to reach as wide a network as possible of like-minded travellers. This was the first time an airline loyalty program used a social media platform to turn the virtual into a reality.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

We looked for those who love to travel and those who had shown an interest in Emirates Airlines. At the time of the briefing, the Emirates Airlines Facebook page had 1.4 million followers. We reached out to them. We created a Facebook competition, Meet Me There, that invited each follower to win the trip of a lifetime to one dream destination with 5 friends. All they had to do was sign up for an Emirates Skywards account and invite 5 friends to ‘Meet Me There’. To be eligible to win, all 5 friends must have Emirates Skywards membership.

Results

• We acquired 18,586 new Emirates Skywards members. At about $2 per new member, that gives us a total Emirates Skywards value of $40,514. • The number of likes on the Emirates Skywards Facebook page increased by 270,000. After factoring organic growth into the total number, at 1,000 fans per day, we can assume that the competition garnered a total of 244,000 direct likes. With a cost of $0.33 per fan acquisition, this would give us a fan value of $80,520. • The value of new members achieved from application: New Members $40,514 + FB $80,520 = $121,034