Dive Brief:
- Alaska Airlines teamed up with surf forecasting site Surfline and creative agency Mekanism to create a sales promotion that uses data from waves to determine prices for flights to Hawaii, according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
- For the "Swell Deals" promotion, Surfline will source data from sites that monitor wave conditions by the minute around the Hawaiian Islands to determine the offer. A reading of 0-10 ft. will generate a 10% discount, 11-15 ft. swells translate to 15% off, 16-20 ft. leads to 20% off and 21+ ft. swells will bring a 30% discount. The promotion runs from Nov. 4-8, with prices applicable to travel from Nov. 4-20.
- Digital and social ads supporting the promotion will be dynamically updated and Alaska's landing page will feature the live Surfline forecast along with the corresponding discount.
Dive Insight:
Using real-time data in an ad that ties into the consumer's desire is a catchy way to attract eyeballs and encourage last-minute flights before the busy holiday season. Alaska Airlines says the "Swell Deals" promotion is just the start of how it plans to use data tracking going forward to highlight key information around favorite travel destinations and give customers another reason to get on a flight. In addition to wave heights, this data tracking approach could apply to fresh powder on ski slopes, among other things, per the airlines.
Alaska Airlines' flights to Hawaii are likely packed over Thanksgiving and Christmas, but there are plenty of empty seats to fill in early November, when consumers might be enticed by the visceral draw of an ocean wave. By pushing good surf conditions in real time, the airline has the opportunity to appeal to a consumer's desire to take advantage of positive conditions.
"Flyers today have access to so much more information and in turn, are making decisions based on that data," said Natalie Bowman, Alaska Airlines' managing director of brand and marketing communications, in a statement. "With the start of surf season in Hawaii, we saw an opportunity to further support our flyers' passions by using the power of data to offer better deals as surf conditions improve."
The brand has a history of playful and quirky customer-focused ad campaigns. Earlier this year, the airline released the "Fly smart. Land happy" campaign, which played up the airline's ability to deliver on expectations, as the airline industry has been known for cutting corners on customer service and has been charging for experiences that people used to take for granted on planes.
