Re-inventing B2B Marketing for Aviation – How Engine Alliance changed the paradigm

Background

The Engine Alliance (EA) manufactures the GP7200 engine for the world’s largest passenger aircraft:  the Airbus A380. EA’s marketing for the engine had followed the industry template: by stating just the specifications, with little room for creativity.  They typically advertised in industry publications and events, and also communicated via the official website and social platforms. The marketing communication was predominantly one-way, with little interaction on social media.

Goals

After meeting SimpliFlying at an Emirates A380 event, Engine Alliance (EA) approached us to re-think engine marketing. We took up this project to redefine how B2B marketing is done in the aviation industry. The goal was to make it exciting, yet precise, keeping EA’s brand ethos in mind. The primary challenge was maintaining the perception that the GP7200 is the “most innovative engine option” for the A380. Additional challenges were well-entrenched competition, and building brand awareness for the GP7200 engine with key target audiences.

Solutions

As media, industry personalities, executives, and enthusiasts descended upon the Paris Air Show, the world’s first ever-tweeting engine (@TalkingEngine) welcomed them with a witty, irresistibly human-like personality. Besides tweeting and posting pictures on Instagram, which reinforced brand values, the Talking Engine also invited journalists and senior executives to EA’s exclusive “Social Lounge”, where they could relax with complimentary refreshments, Wi-Fi, and portable power for their devices.

The EA Social Hub was designed to be a one-stop immersive repository of all things related to the Engine Alliance at the air show, including latest news, press releases and social feeds. Five consultants working across time zones executed SimpliFlying’s “Magnetic Marketing” strategy.  Live-tweeting during EA’s press conference also helped journalists, many of whom closely followed and retweeted @TalkingEngine tweets. With an unconventional marketing strategy, noted by the press and the industry, the EA brand stood out with a distinct persona.

SimpliFlying generated daily reports to keep The Engine Alliance team apprised of the developments, leading to real-time improvisation and improvement. Apart from providing exclusive access for photographers on a Qatar Airways A380, SimpliFlying also facilitated meetings with Airbus and Boeing executives, giving the EA brand priceless attention. Our work was featured in detail in the Airline Business July 2015 issue.

Here’s a video that details these initiatives.

Below is a presentation that deep dives into exactly how SimpliFlying and EA partnered to re-define engine marketing over the last 18 months.

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