Award-winning North American airline

THE CHALLENGE

Due to the fiercely competitive nature of the aviation industry, the airline needed a comprehensive media intelligence solution that would enable them to aggregate their coverage from across content sources (both traditional and social), monitor industry and competitor coverage, and analyze their share of voice—in real-time. Additionally, the airline required flexible reporting for high-volume periods of coverage, such as during a crisis or upon the launch of special campaigns/initiatives around their loyalty program.

Thus, the airline was looking for a true partner who was able to provide turnkey solutions when necessary and always ensure the delivery of up-to-date coverage and news, no matter where it came from.

THE SOLUTION

Considering the airline’s unique media environment and the high volume of coverage it regularly receives, Agility devised a two-pronged solution. First, to help the airline stay on top of coverage, gain decision-critical media insights, and align the outcomes of PR and communications activities with business goals, Agility delivers three kinds of custom reports:

• Curated media briefs: Delivered via email twice daily, these executive-ready briefings cover the airline’s top news across traditional and social channels, as well as competitor news and trending industry topics. Being in the consumer-driven business, it is critical for the airline to know what the media perceptions and uptake of the developing stories are and how they can best strategize their response. In this regard, the twice daily briefs serve a critical function in managing media outreach and media conversations.
• Quarterly and annual reporting: The quarterly reports include metrics such as top stories, sentiment, share of voice, and brand benchmarking, as well as analysis on specific topics such as the coverage the airline receives for its ESG practices compared to its competitors, and relationships with key customers. Agility presents these quarterly reports in person or virtually to the airline’s communications team allowing for deeper understanding of the insights and questions regarding metrics and methodology.The reports expand upon the media briefings by covering the full breadth of the airline’s performance over time, including how the airline’s communications activities and earned media impacted awareness, reputation, and engagement metrics. The reports also compare the airline’s performance across these metrics to that of their domestic and international competitors.

• Special reporting on an as-needed basis: During times of crisis, Agility’s special reports provide the airline real-time media insights and guidance on how to prioritize their response. With the launch of new campaigns or initiatives surrounding the airline’s loyalty program, Agility delivers insights on earned media and social performance in a previously agreed upon format.

Second, the airline has access to the top-rated Agility platform for monitoring and outreach purposes. Since Agility curates the airline’s print content through individual subscriptions, the airline can view their aggregated coverage in the monitoring module. The airline uses the media database and integrated distribution tool to build targeted lists of media contacts and send email pitches.

THE OUTCOME

The airline and their dedicated Agility team work in complete synergy. “They have always been very appreciative of our approach, our flexibility, and our responsiveness,” says Lisa Walthers, account manager, Enterprise.

Partnering with Agility has allowed the airline to gain critical insights into their industry and what their competitors are doing so they can make informed business decisions. The integrated approach to PR and communications thanks to the Agility platform has resulted in cost savings and greater efficiency as a team. With the “game-changing” custom reporting, the airline can see the full scope of their nuanced media environment, the impact of their PR and communications activities, and the path of their story from traditional media to social media and vice versa. Agility’s unique approach to human curation and manually qualifying sentiment ensures the airline’s team has an accurate and constant awareness of how they are being perceived and represented in the media.

“The longevity of this partnership is a direct result of the high quality of content and deliverables we provide them coupled with the outstanding support from the entire customer facing team,” adds Erica Watson, Director, Account Management. With Agility’s expertise and platform, the airline now has the in-depth tracking and insights it needs to further drive key business decisions.