Singapore Airlines landed on the second spot on International Brand Equity’s list of The 16 Best Airline Brands in the World (2024). It’s no surprise that its top rivals, Qatar Airways and Emirates, have taken the first and third spots on the list too.
Marketed as a luxury airline brand, let’s take a look at the airline marketing strategy that Singapore Airlines used to reposition itself on top. We’ve come up with four strategies that can help the brand face its strongest competitors.
Focus Singapore Airlines Unique Selling Point
What truly sets Singapore Airlines apart from its rivals is its undeniable commitment to service excellence, operational strategies, and brand identity. When you think of a comfortable and luxurious flying experience, you think of SIA. It has built a strong reputation for high-quality service and has even won numerous awards from Condé Nast Traveler and Skytrax.
It would be good for the airline to reimagine its steadfast dedication to its identity, which includes the following factors:
Service Excellence
Image Credit: Singapore Air
SIA has been a leader for exceptional service quality. Passengers have long commended the airline’s cabin crew for their undeniable professionalism, friendliness, and attentiveness.
The brand has built the iconic “Singapore Girl” persona, which has been seen as a beacon of Asian hospitality encompassing one’s elegance, warmth, and care.
Cabin Comfort
Image Credit: Singapore Air
Because of its relentless pursuit to provide the best experience, passengers of the airline have always been left in awe of the airline’s cabin comfort.
The airline has dedicated itself to promoting a high-degree of luxury, by providing spacious seats in its business class and suite cabins. Not only that, these seats are fully convertible into a flatbed. These passengers have also enjoyed exclusive amenities from the airline.
In-flight Entertainment
Image Credit: Singapore Air
Passengers get to enjoy a plethora of movies, TV shows, games, and music to listen to on-board their flights. Of course, this is all thanks to Singapore Airlines’ KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system.
Gourmet Dining
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Not to mention, the airline has made waves for its high-quality in-flight dining that provides an experience in itself to the passengers. They have partnered with renowned chefs and restaurants to provide a range of meal options that are able to cater to various dietary requirements and the most distinguished palate.
Innovation and Technology
Image Credit: Singapore Air
Singapore Airlines has been at the forefront when it comes to innovation and adopting technology in its operations. To date, Singapore Airlines’ fleet has a total of 149 passenger aircrafts and 12 cargo planes.
The airline has also been the first to fly the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner plane, which has been designed for the most tranquil experience for its passengers and also manages to improve fuel efficiency.
Loyalty Programme
Image Credit: Singapore Air
Ever since 1999, Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer Loyalty Programme has taken the experience of its passengers to new heights as they offer attractive benefits for frequent flyers.
Additionally, SIA has an exclusive PPS Club that rewards passenger loyalty with special treats, upgrades, and redemptions for goods and services. Through its offers, the KrisFlyer programme has been able to cultivate a loyal international base that goes beyond Singapore’s borders.
Regional Expertise
Image Credit: Singapore Air
Together with its regional partner, Scoot, Singapore Airlines flies to over 120 destinations around the world. But what sets it apart from its rivals is that it has a deep regional knowledge, which makes it the leading airline for flights in and out of Asia.
Airport Experience
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The home base of Singapore Airlines is at the world-renowned Changi Airport, which has consistently received the award for the best airport in the world. The airport has managed to win the recognition for a total of 98 times from DestinAsian, Skytrax, Business Traveller Middle East, and several other bodies.
On its own, Changi Airport is an experience worth exploring. The airport is home to numerous premium lounges and world-class amenities that make it truly stand out.
These factors have long helped position Singapore Airlines as a leading luxury airline in Asia. The airline can use these aspects as a marketing strategy for passengers who desire this unbreakable edge that the airline offers.
Highlight Human Emotion Through Reviews and UGC
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Today’s shoppers are smarter than ever. Gone are the days when they’ll trust a brand’s marketing efforts and advertisements. Instead, they turn to user-generated content, such as reviews and videos, to see how well these brands perform.
To reposition Singapore Airlines as a leader in its industry, the use of customer reviews and user-generated content can play a huge role. Every recommendation helps establish the brand as a trustworthy company as it provides unbiased customer reviews.
Here’s how customer reviews can be used for Singapore Airlines’ marketing strategy:
Search Ads
One thing to know about search engines is that they no longer rank based on how well you can optimise your listing. Instead, they factor in what other people say about you.
Singapore Airlines’ strategy can include a PPC campaign where it will make the most out of the available Google Ads assets (extensions) like Google Seller Ratings and Rich Snippets.
Just like in the example photo, Singapore Airlines’ number of stars, rating, and number of reviews appear when someone looks for “singapore airlines reviews.” With this, the airline is already able to position itself as a trustworthy brand without opening the site.
Social Channels
Image from: TrustPilot
Previous passengers have also turned to social channels to share their experience with SIA. Social channels, such as social media and review sites, have become a tremendous resource for finding feedback from other customers.
In the example above, we can clearly see how passengers enjoyed the amenities that Singapore Airlines offered them. With people now turning to these channels to learn what other people say, they learn how well the brand treats its passengers.
Studies have shown that 1 out of 4 users follow the brands they might buy from. By showcasing the feedback received on social channels, Singapore Airlines can convert potential customers into buyers.
Image Credit: InstaPage
Marketers have long recognised that email is a good channel for ROI. This study shows that every $1 spent produces a $44 revenue. With such important numbers, it’s about time to embrace email marketing as a strategy.
In the photo, Tawkify was able to share its customer feedback in its email marketing. Doing this allows their readers to have an idea what to expect if they were customers too.
User-Generated Content
Image Credit: TikTok/@laxtoluxury
Lastly, brands like Singapore Airlines can leverage on user-generated content posted on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok. Through these short clips or photos, users are able to share snippets of their own experience using the brand’s products or services.
In this case, @laxtoluxury was able to share her experience onboard a Singapore Airlines flight, where she highlighted some of the brand’s unique selling points (in-flight entertainment, cabin comfort, gourmet dining). Viewers who get to see how SIA made the most out of this customer’s flight through the amenities it offers.
Use Data Analytics to Understand Customers
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Data analytics is a powerful tool that businesses can leverage to understand their customers. In a digital-centric world, this essential tool helps them collect and analyse data about their customers so they can better serve them.
Through data analysis, businesses are able to understand the way their customers behave, what they want, and what they need. Using this information, they can create customer-centric strategies so they can boost customer satisfaction and retention.
They can also use these to create highly-personalised customer experiences based on what each customer needs. As a result, they are able to get increased ROI and potential business from these customers who are ready to make a purchase with the brand.
How Do Businesses Use Data to Support Their Marketing Strategies?
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There are six ways businesses can use data analysis to improve their customer experience:
Create a Customer Profile and Purchasing Journey
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Businesses can segment customers based on demographics, past choices, and unique preferences. Through the data obtained, marketing strategists are able to create detailed customer journey maps that can help them know what, how, and when to target these customers.
This data also provides strategists the opportunities where they can improve their campaigns and optimise at every touchpoint in the customer’s journey.
In the case of Singapore Airlines, the marketing team can collect data on their past and future passengers. They can analyse the information that these segmented customers look for when making a query. Are they looking for a discount on a particular flight? Are they looking for business class seats for the upcoming holidays?
These can help marketers push out promotions at the right time so their targeted personas would convert to a sale.
Analyse Trends
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Data analytics can also be used by businesses to study the behaviour of their customers based on set patterns. They can also analyse the data to keep track of how the customer engages on the website, social media channels, or the mobile app.
The results from this can also tell the strategists which channels get the most engagement from customers, and which ones require improvement.
Singapore Airlines can track the activity on their mobile app and see what flights and dates potential passengers are searching for.
Improve Customer Interactions
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Data analytics can also help understand and improve customer interactions. Marketers get to understand how each customer experience is different and what each customer goes through in their purchasing journey.
If they encounter a glitch in the website of Singapore Airlines, marketers will be able to determine the problem and address it right away. As a result, future website visitors will no longer have to encounter the same issue.
Another way data is analysed to improve customer interaction is through customer service. Businesses, like Singapore Airlines, have large customer service teams to handle the needs of their customers. Through the data they collect from these, they can make changes whenever necessary.
Use for Competitive Analysis
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Although Singapore Airlines is not a startup business, the strategists of the brand can use data analytics to gain a competitive edge over their rivals, like Qatar Airways and Emirates.
They can analyse the previous trends of their competitors and see which ones have worked for them. In the process, they also get to learn from the mistakes of their competitors and employ tactics that can guarantee better results.
Leverage on Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations
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As an established luxury brand, Singapore Airlines is in the position to make strategic partnerships and collaborations with other brands. Through this effort, it will allow them to get these benefits:
- Gain New Prospects: Building strategic partnerships with other brands will allow Singapore Airlines to gain exposure to new markets and audiences that they have not yet tapped into.
- Development of the Brand: Partnering with another brand with an established reputation can help Singapore Airlines boost its own name, especially in markets where it is not yet in.
- Share Knowledge: By forming a strategic partnership with another brand, Singapore Airlines can learn new things from them. At the same time, they can share their own strategies to help propel their partner forward.
How to Build a Strategic Partnership
- See if the values are aligned: Before forging a partnership with a brand, it would be good to set clear goals and see if the values of the two companies are aligned. Knowing these things can prevent future misunderstandings, especially if the two brands have opposing values.
- Establish clear expectations: What do the two brands stand to gain from the partnership? How will each one perform in this partnership? Establishing clear expectations can help avoid issues in the future and can strengthen the partnership.
- Identify metrics: Once a strategic business partner has been carefully selected, the next step is to identify the potential metrics to measure whether the partnership is a success.
- Create an agreement: Make things official by creating an agreement. This document serves as a way to measure how well both brands understand their responsibilities and roles in the partnership.
This would be a great strategy for Singapore Airlines to use, especially if they are launching a flight on a new route. They can partner with a strong and credible brand in that country, particularly in the hospitality and travel industry.
Other possible partners that SIA can tap into include F1, which attracts the kind of flyers that SIA also focuses on. The Star Alliance network can also be a great source for strategic partners, since they share the same tourism goals.
Benefits of a Digital Airline Marketing Strategy
The airline industry has gained a lot from digital strategies. When implemented properly, a digital airline marketing strategy can help brands gain these benefits:
- Better connections with their audience: Before the onset of social media, players in the airline industry had to go through hoops to relay a message to their passengers. As technology has evolved, airlines have also used these tools and social media channels to connect with their customers. This has allowed them to engage with their customers directly and send them exclusive offers for their future travels.
- Targeted advertising: Prior to digital marketing strategies, airlines used billboards and TV ads to engage with their customers. These channels often missed their target as they had no control over whom they were sending their message to. With digital marketing, they have turned this to their advantage as they reach the right audience with their ads.
- Real-time data and analytics: A digital strategy has also given marketers a way to keep track of how well their campaigns are performing. They can also make instant adjustments so they can be aligned with their target audience.
Final Thoughts
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Digital marketing has largely influenced the way we live. And as it continues to grow, we can only expect such practices to evolve over time. Brands like Singapore Airlines need to continually keep up with those changes so they can match against their competitors.
MediaOne is a leading digital marketing agency in Singapore that can propel your brand to new heights. How? Give us a call and let’s come up with your airline marketing strategy that stays on top of today’s trends.
