SimpliFlying Awards 2018
September 5 – London
In conjunction with 
SimpliFlying Awards honour airlines that push the frontier of innovative marketing. In this longest-running awards dedicated to recognizing the best in airline social and digital marketing, over 50 top airlines have participated including Cathay Pacific, KLM, American Airlines, and Air New Zealand.
2018 WINNERS
Best Use of Influencers: WestJet
Highly Commended: Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways
Best Airline in Driving Revenue: WestJet
Highly Commended: Aeromexico, flyadeal
Best Airline in Social Care: Etihad Airways
Highly Commended: Avianca, Volaris
Best Airline in Launches: Cebu Pacific
Highly Commended: flyadeal, Lufthansa
Best Small Airline: WOW air
Best Overall Airline: WestJet
Hall of Fame: WestJet
Read more about the results here.
2018 CATEGORIES
[mpc_accordion preset=”mpc_preset_4″ auto_indent=”” opened=”2″ title_font_preset=”mpc_preset_2″ title_font_color=”#333333″ title_font_size=”16″ title_font_transform=”uppercase” title_font_align=”left” title_background_color=”#ffffff” title_border_divider=”true” title_border_css=”border-top:0px;border-right:0px;border-bottom:3px;border-left:0px;border-color:#eeeeee;border-style:solid;border-radius:0px;” title_padding_divider=”true” title_padding_css=”padding-top:7px;padding-right:10px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:10px;” title_margin_divider=”true” title_margin_css=”margin-top:10px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;” hover_title_color=”#df5461″ hover_title_background_color=”#ffffff” content_font_preset=”mpc_preset_13″ content_font_color=”#888888″ content_font_align=”left” content_background_color=”#ffffff” content_border_divider=”true” content_border_css=”border-top:0px;border-right:0px;border-bottom:0px;border-left:3px;border-color:#eeeeee;border-style:solid;border-radius:0px;” content_padding_divider=”true” content_padding_css=”padding-top:30px;padding-right:30px;padding-bottom:30px;padding-left:30px;” content_margin_divider=”true” content_margin_css=”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;” border_css=”border-radius:0px;” margin_divider=”true” margin_css=”margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;” mpc_icon__transition=”slide-down” mpc_icon__icon=”fa fa-trophy” mpc_icon__icon_color=”#333333″ mpc_icon__icon_size=”20″ mpc_icon__padding_css=”padding:10px;” mpc_icon__hover_icon_color=”#df5461″][mpc_accordion_tab title=”BEST AIRLINE IN DRIVING REVENUE”]Airlines that are able to drive sales through innovative and targeted campaigns on social media and other digital channels.
Airlines that do exceptionally well in responding to and engaging with customers on social media to create valuable and meaning relationships.
Airlines that leverage social media and digital well to launch a new route, destination, plane or airline product.
Airlines that are able to extensively and creatively leverage mobile to engage or market to connected travellers on-the-go.
Airlines that are able to leverage influencer marketing on social media to create meaningful interactions with relevant audiences.
Airlines that cannot afford to hire Lionel Messi but still manage to do a fantastic job in social and digital marketing.
Airlines that have creatively and effectively integrated social media and/or other digital technologies into overall marketing and business strategy (across branding, customer service, driving revenue and loyalty etc).
Airlines that have done an exceptional job in handling disruptions on social media in a timely and compassionate manner.
N.B. This category is judged by SimpliFlying, therefore no submissions are required.
“WestJet was honoured to win the 2017 SimpliFlying Award for Best Airline in Social Media. Each year we challenge ourselves to improve all aspects of our social media to ensure we are bringing true value to our guests and supporting our overall business goals. Having our industry peers recognize those efforts as best-in-the-world was a significant source of pride for everyone involved in supporting social media at WestJet. The award helped us continue to push ahead with initiatives that will have a positive impact on our digital guest experience in the future.”
Greg Hounslow, Emerging Media Manager, WestJet
IMPORTANT DATES
Updated as of April 23, 2018. The deadline for each below is until 2359 (Eastern Time).
- May 30, 2018: Deadline for public nominations.
- June 4, 2018: Five finalists will be shortlisted for each category and invited to submit a detailed deck. The judging panel will be assessing each airline on how it demonstrates innovativeness, engagement and business impact.
- Jun 29, 2018: Submission deadline for finalists.
- Aug 8, 2018: The top 3 for each category will be announced and invited to the SimpliFlying Awards ceremony and Airline Marketing Innovation Lab to be held in London on Sep 4-5, 2018 hosted at Aviation Festival.
- Sep 4, 2018: Finalists are invited to join the exclusive Airline Marketing Innovation Lab in London.
- Sep 5, 2018: The 8th SimpliFlying Awards 2018 ceremony at the Business Design Centre in London.
JUDGING PANEL 2018
Marcelo Franco
Marcelo Franco is the Global Chief Marketing Officer of Easy Taxi, one of the pioneering apps of ride-hailing in Latin America. Prior to that, he was the Brand and Communication Director of LATAM where he was overseeing re-branding processes during the merger of two major Latin American airlines, LAN and TAM.
Michelle Lee
Michelle Lee brings 15+ years of marketing experience across the aviation, consumer goods and service industries in international markets. She has held various senior marketing roles at Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia, Qatar Airways and Aer Lingus prior to moving on to MetLife as Chief Marketing Officer for Middle East Africa & Eastern Southern Europe in 2017.
Max Kingsley-Jones
Max Kingsley-Jones is the Executive Director Content for FlightGlobal, a leading aviation information group. He has 20+ years of experience in the aviation industry having previously worked at Flight Airline Business, Flight International and other.
Ricardo Rivera
Ricardo Rivera has gained his expertise in aviation marketing while working at Volaris, one of the world’s most profitable airlines. As the Head of Marketing, he was responsible for the airline’s integrated marketing strategy to increase revenue across countries. Starting January 2018, Ricardo is the Director of Marketing and Innovation at Best Buy in Mexico.
Barbara Pezzi
Barbara Pezzi has 20+ years experience in the hospitality industry. She is the Former Director of Search and Marketing Optimisation at Fairmont Raffles Hotels International where she was overseeing organic and paid search and digital analytics. Now she shares her knowledge as a freelance digital consultant and teaches digital analytics for Squared Online.
“Winning the SimpliFlying Award for Best Social Customer Service was a proud moment for the American Airlines team. The award was recognition that hard work, efficient response, and commitment to delighting customers was paying off. The award paved the way to grow the team, expand to 24/7 response, while maintaining our primary focus to deliver the best social customer service.”
Jonathan Pierce, Director Social Media Communications, American Airlines
FAQ
Which airlines can apply for the SimpliFlying Awards?
Airlines active on social and digital channels in the period starting June 2017 are eligible for joining SimpliFlying Awards 2018. Submissions must reflect campaigns or initiatives from June 2017 onwards.
Can an airline be nominated for more than one category?
Yes, an airline can be nominated for more than one category (see under “Important Dates” for deadline).
Is there a fee to participate?
No, there is no fee to participating in SimpliFlying Awards 2018.
Is preference given to SimpliFlying clients?
No preference is given to whether an airline is a SimpliFlying client or not. It all depends on the merit of the nomination and results achieved through social media and digital efforts.
What are the awards processes like?
To be in the running for this awards, your airline first needs to be nominated via public nomination.
For each award category, five airlines will then be shortlisted and invited to submit a detailed deck to the jury.
Based on the collective scores of the jury, the top 3 for each category will be announced and invited to the awards ceremony in London on September 5, 2018. The finalists are also invited to join the exclusive Airline Marketing Innovation Lab the day before.
How will the jury be scoring the entries?
Each judge will be looking at how the airlines demonstrate innovativeness, engagement and business impact of social media.
Do I need to be present in London to join in this awards?
If your airline emerges as one of the Top 3 for a category, we strongly recommend that you send a representative to collect the plaque at the awards ceremony in London on September 5. The Airline Marketing Innovation Lab will also be happening the day before in London on September 4.
I have other questions. Who should I reach out to?
For further enquiries about SimpliFlying awards, you can email our team at awards@simpliflying.com
Highlights from 2016 SimpliFlying Awards
and Airline Marketing Innovations Lab
