Case Study: kulula.

com, Anyone can fly, 2001

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Objectives
I n t he ye ar 2 001 , Br i t ish A ir w a ys w a n ted t o e n ter a l ow c os t air l ine in t o the S o u th A fr ic a n m ar k e t . T he p r op osed C o ma ir L i te w as to b e the f ir s t n o- fr il ls , low f ar e air li ne w hic h w o ul d o f fe r t r a v e l o ppo r tun ities to thos e pr e vious ly u nab le to a fford th e h ig h pr ices o f c urre n t a ir l ines . O ur ob jec tive w as to la unch the figh ter br and and ge t pe op le to c ho ose Co mair L i te b y bo oking o nlin e .

Challenge
T he odds we re s tacke d ag ains t us ; the marke t w as domina te d b y a s ubs id ise d , we ll k now n an d trus ted n a ti ona l c ar r ie r South A fr ic a n A i r w a ys ; the as s oc ia t io n w i t h an es t ab lis hed ai r l in e w as a d is a d van t ag e , an d the S o uth A fr ic a n m ar k e t w as no t an id ea l c and id a te fo r a low - c os t a ir l ine .

Insight
Pr ior to the lau nch mos t a ir l ines p ositio ned th ems elves as lu xur y o r dre am- like tr a ve l op tio ns . R ec l in in g c h ai r s s er v ice d b y e leg an t a nd s w i f t hos t es s es c lass ic a l l y fl ew thr oug h the a ir on th e w a y t o s tu nn ing ho l ida y loc at i ons . Be l ls , w h is t les a nd a s er ious t r us t- me a t ti t ud e w e r e s ta nda r d w i th c o nsu mers h a vi ng to fo r k ou t lar g e a mou n ts o f mon e y t o tr a ve l by a ir . T hes e f ac to r s l ed to a ir tr a ve l be in g h igh l y i nacc es s i bl e fo r mos t d ue to perc e i ve d h igh c os ts , co mp lica ted book in g mech an ics a nd th e idea o f a ir trave l was on ly mea nt for th e success fu l b usiness m ar k e t or h ig her inc om e e ar ne r s .

Solution
T he overa l l s o lu t io n w as t o c r ea te bra nd a f fi n i t y r a t her t h an s im ply r u nn in g ad v er t isi ng a nd p romo tions to acqu ir e b ums in se a ts . We ne ede d a mo re h olis tic a ppr oach to the br and and the b us i nes . Fro m n am ing t h e bra nd t o pa in t ing t h e p lan e , m or r is jon es a pp li ed an al l ve r tis in g ap pro ac h r ather than a tr ad itiona l a d ver tis in g on e . T he f ir s t c h al le ng e w as t o r e- e va lu a te th e n am e C o ma ir Li t e . Th e na me lac k e d r e le va nce , m a in ta in ed t h e as s oc ia t io n w i t h B r i tis h A ir w a ys and c o mm un ica te d a w a t er e d-d ow n ve r s i on o f an e x is t ing bra nd n am e ; w h ich s t eer ed th e bran d to a c hea p , c or ner c u t t in g an d, b y im pl ica t io n , a les s sa fe pe rcep tio n tha n b ig ger more tr us ted air lines . So th e se arc h for a new na me be gan Ku lu la w as a per fec t c h oic e as i t s l i te r a l me an ing eas il y i n is iZu lu c on ve ys th e bra nd ess ence . It a ppe al ed to new mar k e ts , i t pr om is ed r e al d i f fe r enc e t o e xis t in g o nes , a nd b es t o f a l l , m e t a l l t he p rac tica l co ncer ns . Th e na me was als o fo llow ed b y .co m wh ich mad e it eas ier for peo ple to r eme mb er wh ere to go to bo ok . F ur th er m ore , and in l in e w i t h the i ns igh t , ai r l i ne a d ver t is ing c on ven t io ns c ou ld no t r e f l ec t th e bra nd ess ence o f s im pl e va lu e . Th is led us to a pos i t ion in g o f A n yon e c a n F l y an d a r ut h les s l y s i mp le c r ea t i ve r ou t e em erg ed . I f an yo ne c ou ld f l y , t h en i t mus t m ean t ha t ord in ar y p eop le c ou ld beco me su per hero es ( in ad land a t leas t) . T he id ea th ere fore , was to show as man y typ es o f or dina r y Sou th
la roche, 54 the valley rd, cnr jan smuts ave, westcliff, 2193 po box 2018, parklands, 2121 tel +27 11 486 1284 fax +27 11 486 1295 www.morrisjones.co.za Directors: Nina Morris, Angel Jones, Kurt Reed and Ben van der Ross Reg. no. 2000/027549/07

A f r ic ans as w e c ou ld , d r es s e d as t h e s up er he r oes the y co uld now b eco me w i th k ulula .com. For once , t h e c us to me r r ea l l y w as t he h er o. Cr ea ting a n ew ca te gor y o f no- fr ills , low cos t a ir l ines me an t th e bra nd co uld e xtend in to less fa milia r a r eas ; s uc h as the c ab in c r ew s w e lco me an d s a fe t y s p eech es . Th is r el a xed o u tl ook o n t r a v e l r e i n for c e d a c c e s s i b i l i ty a n d va lue b u t k e p t t h e e xp e r ie n c e e n g a g in g a n d , m o s t o f a l l , fun .

Work

Results

a million tickets were

sold in the first calendar year of operation

Close to half

T h is launch c ampa ign s howe d impress i ve sa les fig ures . C los e t o ha l f a m il l io n tic k e ts w e r e s o ld in the firs t cale nda r ye ar o f o per a ti on . k u lu la .c om w as pro f i ta bl e fro m th e da y i t s ta r t ed f l y i ng . 2 000 r es er v a tio ns w er e m ad e on t he f ir s t d a y o f o per a ti on . H igh lo ad fac tors a lso e nsur ed pr ofitab ility w i th loa d fac tors c o n ti nua l l y r a ng in g betw e en 7 5 % a nd 8 5 % pe r mo n th . T h is e xc eed ed th e indus tr y a vera ge o f 6 0 % b y b etwe en 1 5-25 %. T hes e load fac tors rema ine d cons is te n tly a bo ve a vera ge wh ile ca pac ity grew o ver thre e times gre a ter . F o llowing th is in 2 004, th e ag ency was award ed a Silver Ap e x Awar d in the la unch ca tego r y.

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C o p yr igh t M or r is jon es 2011

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