The Situation

Richmond travelers were not sufficiently supporting the Region's low cost carriers, AirTran and JetBlue. With the announcement of the acquisition of AirTran and Southwest, it became more important than ever that travelers supported these low-fare airlines to keep competition in the market and send the message to Southwest that Richmond would be a successful market.

The Project

Hipple&Co. developed the Save Low Fares campaign- an integrated, multi-faceted strategic communications campaign to raise awareness and encourage travelers to fly on AirTran and JetBlue.

The Campaign

Advertising:

• Logo design
• Website, savelowfares.com
• Online banner ads
• Print advertising
• 30 second tv spot
• Radio
• Billboard
• Facebook and Twitter

Media Relations and other:

• Multiple articles and op-eds in the area's largest local publications
• Interviews for campaign representatives on the various news channels and radio stations
• Save Low Fares Day- an event at the Richmond International Airport
• Speaking engagements with local businesses and organizations

The Results

• In February 2011, AirTran's passenger load was up 17% YOY.
• From December to February 2011, AirTran and JetBlue's load factors on their primary business routes- Atlanta and Boston, respectively- matched or surpassed legacy airline competitors' for the same destinations. The first time a shift like this has occurred in the past five years.