BMI AIRLINES : digital
(w/ Prospect, 2008 - 2012)
Problem: BMI Airlines was London Heathrow’s second largest airline. It built a strong business with short/medium haul routes and added a selection of long haul routes to establish itself as a leading choice for the business traveller. The challenge was to overcome historical perceptions of BMI as a regional airline, and move the brand into position as a leading business airline with a global reach.
Solution: The solution defined the digital brand in all its aspects, from bookings to overall experience. The relationship began with an intelligent rework of the website IA and the home page. A tie-in with Flickr gave the site a connection to user-generated content, an industry first. Twenty videos were created to turn a static sales brochure into a dynamic online story, supported by the creation of the backing music and BMI sound signature. The scheme for the site's simple navigation structure enabled customers to quickly find the information most important to them.
This philosophy was employed in the design of the mobile site, the mobile app and the check-in kiosk. In each case, the booking, managing and check-in functions defined a new paradigm for digital interactions with airlines.
Impact: Crucially, BMI's brand refresh, site redesign and mobile presence resulted in a 20% increase in conversions. Customers praised the dramatic improvement in ease of use and the access to valuable content. The site was crowned as Best Website in 2009 and 2010 from Travelmole.