Update: The campaign has been featured on Facebook Studio and also shortlisted for the Shorty Awards!
Airlines these days are chasing the elusive return on social media. And while the number of “likes” or “followers” and video views are all the rage, it’s ultimately the return on investment (ROI) that matters the most. About a year ago, AAdvantage ran possibly the most viral Facebook campaign for an airline – fans grew almost 100X in just 54 hours. But ROI numbers were not necessarily as impressive.
Now, COPA Airlines from Panama has numbers to prove a 50X ROI from their recent Facebook app – an effort for which Diego Quesada Grimaldo, their eCommerce Director, was nominated for the SimpliFlying Heroes Award last month!

Pasaporte America to promote destinations
To promote its network in the Americas, COPA recently held a Passport America sweepstakes, asking the public to tell the airline which 10 destinations they’d like to visit first if they were the winner. Participants could explore each of COPA Airlines’ 59 destinations on the map, and then select their favourite 10. One person won a trip for two to all of COPA’s 59 destinations.

The Facebook-centric campaign (app no …

We attended the Passenger Terminal Expo and Conference in Copenhagen March 29-31, where 3500+ industry attendees gathered to listen and debate topics across the full range of airport issues. We focused especially on presentations that dealt with and impacted the Passenger’s Travel Experience.

Our expectation was that we’d learn how the airports were implementing strategies centered on the passenger (customer). In many cases, the presentations and subsequent discussions dealt with the airport’s discrete strategy rather than a customer engagement strategy. In essence, many presenters left us with the impression it was about the airports versus their passengers – suggesting that airports need to consider their strategic direction.

By this we mean that the passenger is obligated to engage with each separate part of their travel journey, usually on terms defined by the airline or airport. That means the customer must master each of the airline, airport, hotel, car rental, ground transportation, etc. websites or interfaces in deference to their own unique needs.

All that said, we were particularly impressed with the presentation from John Holland-Kaye, Commercial Director, BAA Airports and his view …

This year, I’ve been fortunate to interact with key executives from COPA Airlines – one of the most consistently profitable airlines in the world. And in all the conversations, I sensed a distinct focus on the customer, which makes this airline so successful.
COPA’s keys to success
Here, I’ve included two interviews that shed light upon their keys to success – from a branding and e-marketing perspective. In summary, here’s what I’ve learnt from COPA:

Don’t fight the price war – it’s a bottomless pit
Focus – on the customer, on the product, and not only on competition
The brand is the asset – never compromise on it
Always keep metrics in mind, even when it comes to branding

Interview with the Director of eBusiness – Frank Kardonski
The first interview is with Frank Kardonski, the Director of eBusiness at COPA. He sheds a lot of light into how a well-thought out online strategy complements the strong brand fundamentals of the airline, making it one of the most profitable in the world. Here’s what he had to say:

The new COPA.com – makes it attractive to a widespread customer base. Customized portals for regional markets, like Brazil, Colombia or Panama. Auto-IP recognition (2:30)
eServices – Online check-in 36 hours prior …