Lufthansa builds a connect with entrepreneurs
The German airline's 'Runway to Success' programme goes beyond mass-media advertising, building long-term relationships with its target audience
Ibrave. Other operators were loud with their advertising.
Schlaubitz claims the 2014 campaign continues to resonate to this day and may see new versions in the future.
As far as the ‘Runway to Success’ programme goes, the initiative now has turned into a full-fledged multimedia outreach that brings together investors, mentors, partners and corporates committed to helping start-ups unlock their potential. The platform has been a catalyst for firms such as Chaayos, Sattviko, Heads up for Tails among others start-ups to grow.
Besides this, Lufthansa is also focusing on increased digital engagement with its customers in India. “Traveler experience is at the heart of everything we do. We have understood that the digital space is where travellers’ needs can be best met thus recommitting ourselves to digitisation,” Schlaubitz said.
Lufthansa’s investment in innovation, also an important area for it, involves working on systems and processes to match customers’ needs for personalised travel. Few of the innovations being developed by Lufthansa includes SMILE, a customised travel experience based on bigdata analytics, virtual reality and augmented reality. There are also chatbots, digital baggage tags, a self-directed compensation solution that works easily online and enhanced FlyNet services that allows passengers live ground-to-air teleconferencing.
Schlaubitz says there are more initiatives in the pipeline aimed at weaving the Lufthansa brand into the Indian ethos. This, he says, will be in the area of marketing communication, on-ground events aimed at bringing its target groups together and onair customer experience. Lufthansa’s Indianess journey is on in full swing.