Localize sales efforts
and expand your customer base.

A smart technique that won the loyalty
of an independent sales force.

Challenge

Like many businesses, Air Tahiti Nui (ATN) depends in part on a sales force it doesn't control- in this case, thousands of independent travel agents who book flights for business and leisure travelers.The Internet represented an affordable vehicle for staying in touch with those agents and ensuring they - and their customers - remain loyal.

Requirements:

• Give individual agents the flexibility to customize direct marketing communications as appropriate for their clients while adhering to ATN's branding and messaging corporate guidelines.
• Make the solution user-friendly so marketing professionals could implement campaigns without assistance from technology personnel.

Solution

Using Message Builders, a customized enterprise solution from EmailOpen, ATN used a flyer template that could be personalized, printed and distributed or emailed directly to clients.

Specifics:

• The core of the marketing communications piece - copy and layout - was locked. This ensured it would be in full compliance with ATN's standards - i.e. "on brand and on message.
• Travel agents could easily incorporate localized, client-specific messaging, such as special promotions, individualized rates and offers and the travel agents' own names, photos and contact information.
• Email or print capability gave each agent the additional flexibility of reaching his or her own clients using means that made most sense for that specific client relationship.
• Travel agents implemented the program using easy-to-understand built-in guidelines and help functionality. Technical support was not required.
• ATN could use EmailOpen's reporting tools to measure use, including detailed information on how often campaigns were opened by customers.
  

Results

After the first mailing, Air Tahiti Nui (ATN) saw a dramatic increase in the number of Internet bookings.

• Increased Sales Force Loyalty: The EmailOpen solution gave ATN an extremely cost-effective means of building sales force loyalty and promoting the ATN brand to a wider audience of business and leisure travelers. ATN built goodwill among travel agents, who, at no cost to themselves, received a flexible, professionally designed sales piece to put in front of their clients.
• Wider Audience Reach: ATN was able to piggyback on the agents' mailing list to reach a wider audience with appropriately branded marketing communications materials - without the cost of implementing and managing the effort themselves.
• Rapid ROI: The program achieved rapid ROI and is currently being expanded to include additional distribution networks.