Engine Alliance
A small 50-50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney (RTX), Engine Alliance is responsible for the quietest, most reliable, most efficient engines for the Airbus A380. From 2011 to 2016 I recruited and developed team of talented vendors to elevate us to the level of our bigger peers. We implemented unconventional trade show and digital strategies which dramatically increased engagement at 80% lower cost. Along the way I managed up to 12 vendors to execute major international trade shows as part of $1.5 million annual budget.
Highlights
Creative marketing
I sought out renowned airline marketing firm SimpliFlying to launch an unconventional digital and air show hospitality campaign, which achieved dramatic results versus to our competitors and a marked increase in interest from our customers, at a fraction of historical costs.
20th anniversary
With budget constraints and our 20th anniversary approaching, I worked with Stephanie Abrams and KO-MAR Productions to produce a retrospective video featuring Engine Alliance leaders from GE Aerospace in Cincinnati, Ohio and Pratt & Whitney in Hartford, Connecticut.
Detailed Results
2015 Dubai Airshow big data campaign
Branding and marketing
After launching a new visual identity and digital campaign with up to 20x more cost-effective advertising, sustained 5x industry average engagement and 35% traffic growth, we wanted to do more. I sought out SimpliFlying, renowned for its work with more than 75 airlines and airports around the world. We launched an unconventional digital and hospitality campaign that delivered dramatic results at a mere 20% of historical costs.
At the 2015 Paris Air Show we increased exhibit footfall and media briefing attendance, achieved twice the reach of competitor Rolls-Royce and earned 6x average engagement. Sharpening our focus at the 2015 Dubai Airshow, amongst customers we drove an 8x growth in impressions, a 2.8x industry average email open rate and a 13.6x industry average click through rate (CTR). Customers and peers alike commented on how surprised they were to see such innovation coming from Engine Alliance.
2016 Farnborough International Airshow
Events and exhibits
How do you celebrate a 20th anniversary on a limited budget? We first brought back years of company leaders to produce a retrospective video which earned 6x the rate of viewership of our previous best-performing piece. We also modified our previously planned exhibit to include a reception space, delivering a chalet-quality hospitality suite inside the exhibit hall with no increase in budget. The 20th anniversary champagne reception was a success, attended by dozens of our customers, members, partners and suppliers.
Air France A380
Crisis communications
After an Emirates A380 experienced a small fire at the gate in Manchester, UK on Christmas Eve, we decided to improve our crisis procedures based on recommendations from IATA, themselves influenced by an incident with our competitor's engines on a Qantas A380. When an incident happened to us, this time with an Air France A380, we went straight to the playbook and knew exactly what to do. In the days that followed, I coordinated the response with heads of communications and media relations at Air France, Airbus, GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney, while working through the business and technical teams, and getting required approvals from the U.S. NTSB and BEA of France.