2013 Silver Best use of eCRM

Client easyJet

How did the campaign make a difference? easyJet's eCRM ambition is to make every step of each customer's journey as personal and unique as their trips. Marrying data with creativity, emails talk to them in their language with imagery that reflects their passions and lifestyle. Open rates are more than double travel sector benchmarks. Emailed customers are 20% more valuable and book 11% more frequently than non-email customers.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? The strategy asked travellers two questions: "Where do you want to go?" and "How can we help getting there a little better?" By joining the conversation at the planning stage, emails inspired travellers, spanning across 14 European markets, asking them where they really want to go. Once flights were booked, they made getting there a little better; helping enhance the experience and assist with practicalities. As customers entered the eight-week countdown, emails provided essential information, when it was needed. All advice was tailored, pulling in destination content, tips and offers, such as suggesting relevant hotels, holding live prices, based on destination and trip duration. Essential check-in information, best routes to and from the airport and last-minute tips were all provided in a timely way to ensure a stress-free trip. After each trip, emails welcome them home and ask for feedback.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? This campaign talked to people like people, not numbers in a database, not consumers and not customers on a journey but as real, individual people. Marketing speak was replaced with real insights and the most relevant inspiration and information. Imagery reflected the specific journey. There was the right balance between functional and emotional content, and punchy, clear, straightforward language conveyed essential information, with icons rather than photography to ensure information wasn't mistaken for marketing. Personalised, effort-free communications made travellers feel that their needs were really understood with relevant inspiration when they needed a nudge.

Results Last month the campaign added over 400,000 customers. 470 million emails are sent annually, of which 75 million are triggered emails, creating various engagement levels, the highest being 51% click rate on the online check-in email (12 times higher than the industry average).