Google and Facebook continue to help their airline partners by releasing all manner of travel-related products. In fact, they are being so helpful, it’s not hard to see a future where airline brands can stop wasting money on branding altogether! According to IAB estimates, and Pivotal analyst Brian Wieser, 99% of revenue growth in digital advertising in the US this year will go to Google and Facebook. Airlines are finding it increasingly difficult to directly engage the customer beyond the helpful oversight of Google and Facebook. The problem for airlines is that the brand depends on direct engagement with the customer. After all, the airline is the one that ultimately delivers the experience to the consumer. Most airlines require an email address to book tickets and therefore have an extensive email database of customers. Each engagement can be tied back to that email address. It’s been 40 years since the first email, and still 89% of marketers say email is their most effective channel for lead generation, with 54% saying it is the most effective overall. Read original article |