The Engagement Imperative Matt Horobin Director of Brand Engagement, Dubai Airports 13.09.17
Engagement defined Engagement is only worthwhile if it holds meaningful purpose such as: Building brand equity Unlocking commercial revenues Enabling a better experience
The mobile mandate Both Airports & Airlines should be present in the end to end passenger journey, so long as they meet the needs of their shared customer as well as their own: Pre-Travel: Destination inspiration; trip planning & preparation Mid-travel: Operational optimisation; commercial maximisation & experiential enhancement Post-travel: Dialogue & relationship building
The demands of the connected traveller And today s passenger expects the same the length of their journey: Pre-Travel: Dipping in & out of research (both on and offline) with smooth, consistent handovers. Mid-travel: Seeks smart travel tips & tools; expects personalised options; self-service fluent; ready to spend. Post-travel: Feedback-ready; expects rewards
The app opportunity in theory Typically, mobile applications are the default solution: Places our brand in the pocket of our core consumer Enable dynamic push prompts Offer-up offline functionality Underpins wider engagement opportunities (Geofences, Location-based services etc.)
The app opportunity in practice However, apps are a big ask for all concerned: A significant time and financial commitment to build and manage An additional asset to activate and promote long-term A user hurdle to download, demanding data and mobile real estate And rarely is their reach / penetration that powerful
The app opportunity in practice Top 15 Airlines worldwide Top 15 Airports worldwide App Downloads (Google play) Best practice TK: 210 download/1.000 pax 1-5m TK US U2 LH AA UA FR WN DL Average after accounting for multiple trips: 90-100 downloads/1.000 pax Average after accounting for multiple trips 8-9 downloads/1.000 pax Best practice AMS: 14 download/1.000 pax AF NH IST AMS 500K-1m DFW FRA CDG DXB LAX 100-500K 0-100K No App Data: EK CA CZ MU 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 Pax m Source: m&e consulting 2015. Confidential HKG LHR ORD CGK HND CAN 0 30 60 PEK90 ATL 120 150 180 Pax m
The importance of value Those apps that are successful feature truly value-adding features first adding value to the user and then to the business: Utility (beyond google) Experiential enhancement (Importance of customisation) Financial value Entertainment Improved relevance
Invaluable app functionality Utility example: Delta bag tracking
Invaluable app functionality Utility example: DFW food pre-ordering
Invaluable app functionality Entertainment example: Delta Studio
Invaluable app functionality Entertainment example: Virgin America / Spotify collaboration
Invaluable app functionality Some of the most powerful air travel app functionality sits today outside of airline and airport brands Perhaps successful engagement lies in associated collaboration and integrations. Examples include: Seataroo / Seatfrog: Last-minute, dynamic upgrades Expensify: Business travel tool Sygic Travel: Travel planning tool & itinerary builder
Avoid gimmicks PR-led features that drive downloads are compelling but demand caution Whilst they build brand they dilute engagement and potentially turn-off users
Context is King A vital dimension of mobile engagement is context: Ensures improved passenger relevance Unlocks far greater organisational value; Operational & Commercial And Location Services only heightens this opportunity Context must guide even filter all functionality and content
Other apps of value An internal, airport community app offers significant value in optimal information sharing.
The inside track app Potentially powerful frequent flyer opportunity in packaging up passengercentric version of internal ops app: Heroes suitable / sharable functionality of the community app Represents a premium privileged access experience Offset cost of passenger app development vs. operational optimisation
The engagement enabler The importance of complementary Wi-Fi Link it to data acquisition but equally this can be more seamlessly into broader service delivery / subscriptions Crucially this enables end-toend journey engagement
App alternatives Progressive Web App: DXB example
App alternatives Webapp with beacon integration: Houston example
App alternatives Email example: Heathrow
The insight opportunity Falling out the back of all of this engagement is invaluable data: Anonymous: Defining behaviours, trends and overall dynamics Personal: Indicating preferences and informing CRM Importance of single customer view
Beyond mobile: the Omnichannel opportunity Key distinction between Omni-channel & Multichannel. The former: Enables most streamlined solution and experience Allows for rapid prototyping and go-live across all channels at once Very high fixed cost; lower operating cost
The engagement responsibility In choosing to engage, you must opt-in to dialogue too Multi-channel, integrated call-centre requirement Consider all the channels your customer uses (FB, WA etc.) Commit to the sort of response times your customer is accustomed to
Some key guiding principles Understand reach but calculate cost per engagement Prioritise most valuable functionality / features to ensure stickiness - Think customer first, commerce second Explore functional and emotional gaps - Innovate accordingly Consider content strategy - Value of video Importance of contextualisation Power of personalisation
The value of third parties Passengers will certainly turn to the brands and experiences they feel most comfortable with Aviation industry should be wary of many of these but also collaborative where possible they serve as short-cuts to value - whether utility (google), entertainment, costeffectiveness etc.
The digital democracy In the world of digital, the user has the upper-hand Anyone can engage them and they can engage with anyone airline, airport or their preferred third party so long as they bring value Think less about whether you should engage as a business and more about why they should engage with you as a user
Thank you dubaiairports.ae Dubai Airports P.O. Box 2525, Dubai, UAE T +971 4 224 5555