The Emirates COVID Take-Off
The 2020 Coronavirus Global pandemic has spared no one. No matter if you are a celebrity, sportsperson, the economy, Wall Street, businesses, or the government, we all have to battle a common vicious enemy — SARS-CoV-2. The Airline industry was one of the severely hit. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) estimates an approx. US 370 to 392 billion potential loss of gross passenger operating revenues of airlines globally.
The airline that has stood out to me in these last difficult few months is Emirates — the flag carrier airline of the United Arab Emirates. Emirates is more than just an airline that takes you from point A to point B. It is a global lifestyle brand that promises an unparalleled experience with innovative technology and excellent customer service. It positions itself as an enabler of global connectivity for luxury and economy travel. These brand values are visible in their strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In April 2020, Emirates released the Do You Remember video on its social media platforms. The video was created by using stock footage and adding elements of their brand to create engagement at a time when its entire fleet was grounded and global travel was nil. It touched on the topics of social distancing, life before we stopped traveling, and how Emirates will there be for travelers when the world reconnects. The video had an array of different people from all walks of life, but all experiencing the same emotions and frustrations brought upon us through the pandemic. It emphasized that no matter who we are, we all are in a time of crisis but we will come out of it victorious. And when we are back to making connections, Emirates will be there to facilitate the travel that we have been deprived of for a good part of 2020.
All the negative and depressing news can take a toll on mental health. The Emirates ad brought happiness and emboldened spirits to look ahead optimistically. Here we were reading about all the layoffs and business losses, but a company going through the worst of the crisis made an effort to instill confidence not only in its target audience but everyone across the globe! The Emirates Do You Remember ad garnered more than 1 million views on its social media platforms. Additionally, it earned the attention of travel consultants and bloggers like Ben Schlapigg of One Mile at a Time and travel and tourism experts like Alberto Correra and Matthew Klint (Live and Lets Fly blog).
As things started to resume, Emirates was a pioneer in being active in its social media presence and engagement. Emirates prides itself on being a truly global brand and ensured that as flights resumed to different countries, it was captured in their marketing strategy. Starting July, Emirates was the first airline to offer free COVID insurance. Travelers were seeking flexibility and security in their travel, Emirates, true to its branding, provided assurance, safety, and global connectivity to its passengers. The insurance offered by Emirates was acknowledged as a great piece of Brand Marketing by Robert Klara of Adweek. Avi Dan of Avidan Strategies also wrote about the Emirates COVID insurance in Forbes Magazine.
Emirates has shown exceptional resilience and creativity in these back-breaking months of the global pandemic. I applaud their empathy for their customers and risk-taking attitude. We can see Emirates is consistently appealing to its global audience and taking risks to stand out in the market. I look forward to seeing more brilliant marketing executions from the Emirates team.
