Taking a brand in a new direction isn’t always straightforward – especially when you’re hoping to talk to a new customer base. In fact, it’s almost like starting from scratch.
So, when Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) wanted to start communicating with customers on the ground, not just the airlines hitting their tarmac, they realised they needed some help (and came to us).
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WEBSITE VIEWERS
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ORGANIC TRAFFIC
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WEB TRAFFIC
A brand transformation
When DSA approached us, it was with the hopes of changing from a business-facing brand to a customer-facing brand. That meant a huge shift in communication strategy, re-jigging everything from the current tone of voice to where and how they actually advertised.
Fortunately, these are the kind of projects we love. So, with our talented team of brand strategists at the helm, we got straight to work on uncovering everything we needed to know in order to build an effective brand proposition.
And what does that mean? Well, we looked at and reviewed things like current attitudes towards tourism, competitors and even spoke to local residents nearby. The result? A new brand strategy that would help DSA break through the noise.
Developing the vision
With a new proposition in the pipeline, it was time to start thinking about the rebrand; essentially, overhauling things like tone of voice, image guidelines and a new colour palette. And what came back was an easy, relaxed and friendly identity that was ready to be rolled out to staff (and then the masses).
From airport signage to communications, the new branding was embedded into the business; a brand that would truly resonate with the new audience and deliver real-time results.
Reaching new audiences
The work doesn’t end at the re-brand, though, and this is where the fun really begins – getting a business seen and heard. But, first, we needed to find out where the audience was.
Despite some GDPR issues, which meant records were quite limited, we dug into every piece of data we could get our hands on to create an interactive visualisation of what was happening behind the scenes, so DSA could grasp a real understanding about their audience’s habits and needs.
This was key to helping them gain insight into where their spending was making the most impact, by better understanding things like purchasing habits, marketing opportunities and ROI (plus much, much more).
This accumulation of data then informed the next phase of the project – the creative direction and campaigns.
Taking it to the people
With the new brand ready to go, it was time for the creative team to do what they do best; bring all that hard work to life.
And, in this particular case, video was a key part of the strategy, both online and via TV. Armed with our new data and an aim of reaching potential new DSA holidaymakers, ready to take to the skies, a TV ad concept was created; ‘Holiday Heroes’.
This ad was all about showcasing a variety of package holidays from DSA, shot in the getaway dreamland of Ibiza (think city breaks, beaches and poolside retreats). With tailored messaging, and supported digital marketing activity, the ad launched on Sky Adsmart, with things like PPC and conversions monitored throughout.
By the end? We’d smashed our ad impressions target by 460%, while web engagement exceeded our goals by 290%. A categorical success, to say the least.
A positive future
Today, DSA has been voted the Best UK Airport by Which? three years in a row, and has since added new routes and destinations for its growing customer base.
Investment is continually being put into terminals, infrastructure and accessibility to provide the best experience for customers and staff, with the new brand future-proofing the business for years to come.
