Background

Emirates is a worldwide airline well-known for its outstanding service and global coverage. With a huge number of passengers, the airline needed to keep customers interested in their flights, deals and other experiences. Emirates relied on Media Feathers, a digital marketing company, to help improve the marketing of its newsletter. 

Media Feathers took on the task of creating newsletters that felt authentic, beautiful and produced results. This case study illustrates the ways Media Feathers helped Emirates connect with its customers via clever marketing strategies for newsletters.

The Challenge

Customers received a lot of emails, and Emirates messages were often missed in the sea of emails. Emirates required messages that were distinctive, appealed to different kinds of travelers and enticed people to travel.

Here are the major problems:

• Low open rates, which means that a lot of emails were not read.
• There aren’t enough clicks on the links to book flights or other special deals.
• Content that is generic doesn’t make a difference to different clients, such as frequent travellers or those who are budget conscious.
• A sporadic schedule for sending out emails This confused customers.

The Approach

Media Feathers started by digging into the Emirates customers want from their travel experiences. Our team examined the data from previous newsletters, feedback from customers, and trends in travel. We also looked at the top-performing newsletters from other brands to find out what works. The idea was to create Emirates newsletters more personal, simple to read and filled with compelling reasons to take an airline ticket.

The following is the way Media Feathers tackled the project:

1. Our team split Emirates the email list into various types of travelers such as family travelers, business travellers and bargain-seekers. So the groups received information that was tailored to their needs such as luxury flights for business travelers or tips for travel with kids’ families.
2. Media Feathers tested brief, punchy subject lines that caught the attention of readers such as “Fly to Paris for Less!” or “Your Next Trip Starts Here.”We stayed clear of boring words and focused on what could draw people to the email.
3. Our team developed clear, vibrant layouts featuring large images of places with clear booking buttons and short, concise words that are easy for users to read. We made sure that emails were great on mobiles as the majority of people are on the move and checking email.
4. By using Emirates customer information, Media Feathers included details like the person’s name, the city of their home, as well as previous travel destinations. For instance an email might read, “Hey Sarah, ready to fly from Lahore to London again?”
5. Our team examined different times and days to find out when users were more inclined to check their email. We settled on a routine schedule, for example, each Tuesday morning, to ensure customers knew when they could be expecting information.

The Work Media Feathers Did

Media Feathers handled every part of the newsletter production process for Emirates. This is what we did:

• Our team created a monthly schedule for Newsletter topics such as seasonal offers and new routes or Skywards rewards for loyalty programs. We also included fun things such as travel tips and guidebooks for destinations, to keep the readers engaged.
• Wrote brief, easy-to-read text that sounded like an exchange and not a sales pitch. Designing visuals with Emirates gold and red colors, with photos of cities, beaches, as well as cozy cabins on planes.
• Test emails were sent to small groups of people to determine what subjects or designs drew more attention and clicks. The results were used to enhance the newsletters that we send out.
• Utilized tools to determine opening rates and click rates and bookings on every email. Reports were shared with Emirates to demonstrate what was successful and what could be improved.

The team also ensured that the emails complied with GDPR rules to allow customers to easily opt out or change their preferences. This ensured that Emirates’ emails were safe and legal.

The Results

After six months of collaboration in partnership with Media Feathers, Emirates saw significant improvements in their newsletter’s marketing. The numbers told a simple story, and the customers responded better than before. This is what happened:

• The click-through rate for booking and offer links increased showed that people were attracted by the offers.
• Emirates tracked an increase in bookings of flights directly via newsletter links, particularly for sales with a limited time.
• Surveys found that clients appreciated the personal touches and also found the emails to be more valuable. Many of them said that the travel tips and offers inspired them to travel with Emirates again.

The results were a result of Media Feathers’ focus on getting to know the target audience in order to test ideas, as well as making sure that the content is always fresh. The newsletters began to feel like an intimate message from Emirates rather than simply another email.