Finnair Ads Use New “Swipeable Gallery” to Allure Tablet-toting Travelers
Google’s new swipeable tablet ad formats use special templates that make it easy for advertisers to easily deploy highly interactive videos and ad galleries across mobile (and other) platforms. Formats are aimed at helping companies better engage (and sell to) today’s skyrocketing number of tablet users, 65% of whom Google says spend at least one hour per day using the devices.
The Chongqing Connection
In its recent foray into swipeable tablet advertising, boutique Nordic airline, Finnair, sought to entice travelers with its new Chongqing, China route launch. Their challenge was promoting a virtually unknown destination, to highly particular customers, on a limited marketing budget. The upside for Finnair? Chongqing is actually a very desirable destination, and Finnair is the first to operate non-stop flights between that city and Europe.
Campaign Goals
Knowing its prospects well, Finnair’s first goal was to create a highly visual, educational and interactive user experience. It also sought to drive visitors to check fares and/or purchase tickets on the company website, and register for a special contest.
Solution & Results
Finnair chose Google’s swipeable gallery to tempt prospective passengers with a compelling range of browseable Chongqing imagery, including: modern cityscapes, ancient architecture and sculptures, sumptuous local cuisine and stunning nature photos. Results revealed that:
- Nearly 5% of all impressions led to some user interaction
- 12% of those interacting clicked to view fares on the company’s website
- 60% of all interactions resulted in a conversion (registering to enter the contest)
Finnair marketing manager, Emmi Teräs’s conclusion about advertising on tablets? “No other tool enables you to engage with targeted users with so much ‘wow’ factor…”
What You Can Take Away
- Small screens equal huge potential. Mobile Internet users will exceed desktop Internet users by 2014. So start “thinking mobile” and integrate tablet- and smartphone-friendly content into your mix ASAP.
- People want novelty. Identify something you have, do or offer that rivals don’t. If you’re the “first, best or only,” build a campaign that touts and proves the claim.
- Knowing customers counts. Finnair understood travelers’ high standards and delivered a campaign (and destination) that successfully satisfied both.
Learn how to get a swipeable tablet campaign off the ground by reading Google’s complete Finnair case study.
