Insight
Research in four Arab markets (UAE, KSA, Qatar and Lebanon) showed that whilst Emirates enjoyed good awareness levels, it lacked consideration and conversion due to a perception of unattainable luxury, which is how they had positioned themselves whilst communicating their premium class offerings.
When Havas Media Middle East investigated further, they found that when all incremental airline travel costs are added up (Extra Baggage, Seat Selection, Inflight Entertainment, Connection expenses etc.), Emirates offers excellent value for money that can deliver great experiences to its customers across all travel classes.
Whilst the agency's core objective was to showcase Emirates’ many products to as wide an audience as possible across MENA, their main challenge was engaging with such a varied region. In a region full of turmoil and differences, Havas needed to find a media channel and platform that would meaningfully connect to and unite the hearts and minds of all. Their campaign had to cross borders, languages and generations, whilst maximising reach and engagement within their budget.
This was made even more challenging when considering how many different products Emirates offers, so Havas narrowed down their approach to answer three core media tasks:
• How could they communicate the entire Emirates product range across the different classes without confusing the audience with multiple messages?
• How could they best meaningfully engage mainstream travellers across MENA and raise consideration and usage of Emirates?
• How could they achieve all the above within the budget limitations they had?
Strategy
Unifying a region occupied with unrest is no easy task, as is bringing hope to those who don’t think it’s there. But since 2012, through a shared love for music, a program that connects hearts and borders has made it seem possible, and Emirates wanted to increase these odds. This program was Arab Idol 2014 - but this would be no ordinary program integration.
With Emirates everyone's journey is important. It’s more than a luxury airline: it’s a brand that connects people and brings dreams to life. Havas' idea for Emirates’ unique brand-integration with the region’s biggest show was to put the contestants first, and not Emirates. Just as their journeys to stardom began, Havas were there to make it even bigger.
By organically integrating into Arab Idol’s storyline and searching for Emirates’ Stars of Tomorrow, the agency could highlight business offerings and emotionally connect to the region in a new meaningful way.
The unique media landscape that the Arab World offers gave Havas the opportunity to reach out to the wide and varied audience. The integration with Arab Idol meant that by employing just a handful of media channels Havas could meaningfully make their desired geographic footprint and communicate in a common regional language. Moreover, the agency knew that TV would offer the highest penetration in almost every GCC and LEVANT market that Emirates catered to in order to drive a deeper, more relevant dialogue with the audiences via content that they would intrinsically and emotionally connect to.
The flexible, reality-nature of the show meant that Havas were able to showcase all of Emirates' offerings via the contestant’s journey. So just as the contestants began their journey to stardom with Emirates, so did their audience – a journey of emotion and connection in those they were supporting along the way.
Execution
Havas' approach to integrating Emirates content into Arab Idol was to organically connect to the contestants’ journeys, to be there not only for their highs and lows, but particularly the ‘next-stage’ progressions which saw those lucky few heading towards the final.
The storyline gave Havas five of these major highlights on TV and a further two on digital, whilst specific creative assets where developed to fall within the program’s generic framework and work seamlessly with all the special content being produced.
It all began when nervous hopefuls auditioned for the chance of getting an ‘Emirates Golden Ticket’ - their only ‘boarding-pass’ to Beirut’s ‘boot-camp’ stage. Shown 165 times in just two episodes, it was an instant emotional hit with the audience.
As the judges flew to auditions across the region and to Europe (showcasing Emirates’ extensive route networks) users followed the contestants’ journeys via exclusive online content and the specially created game ‘Emirates Tune Journey,’ where by answering audition-based questions prizes could be won.
For the final 20, a Dubai trip provided some well deserved pre live-show relaxation, highlighting business offerings from Arabian Adventures and Emirates stores to premium-class services.
In the studio, contestants relaxed in an A380 Business Lounge, and users streamed their songs throughout with the agency's Emirates Anghami App. The excitement continued online with branded MBC pages, social media and competitions.
With six contestants left, an Emirates Holiday to Mauritius became the backdrop for their ‘voter profile’ and, for the winner, first-class tickets to the Seychelles were offered to end their dream journey to stardom.
Results
• Top Buzz Rankings: Travel & Airlines UAE: No. 1**
• UAE Top 10 Buzz Rankings 2014: No.2 **
• Top Buzz Rankings: Airlines KSA: No.1 **
• 19,148 sessions from Arab Idol pages to Emirates.com, 86.1% new users
• Integrated every Emirates USP across all business units - airline, travel and tourism
• Peak GRP/spot of 96.7 in KSA (estimated 30), 28.4 for UAE (estimated 18) – based on Arab Idol 2013 achievements
• Entire program: 18,100GRPs in KSA, 3,165GRPs in UAE
• Reach: 65%+ in KSA, 25% in UAE* - KPI to achieve 60% Reach is KSA and 20% Reach in UAE
• 2,560 Twitter mentions by 1,529 users (c. 177M impressions)
• Reach: 3.2 million Facebook users
• 7.2M page views with over 41.5M impressions on ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ section
• Emirates’ Tune Journey: 622 participants who played the game over 8,633 times
Emirates had never done a TV-brand integration like this but, based on the execution, with connection to the audience across MENA and the fantastic results, Season 4 isn't far away.
* IPSOS Statex
** YouGov Research in KSA and UAE (Jan-Dec 2014)