Etihad Airways Generates 4X More per Booking with Snapchat

Following one of the most challenging years in the history of the airline industry, Etihad Airways recognized the need to begin addressing travelers once more to kickstart its recovery efforts. To do so, it sought to reposition its brand in order to address some of the primary concerns towards the return to air travel: health, hygiene, and safety. The challenge? How to run an educational campaign targeting savvy and high-value travelers in the US, India, and key Middle Eastern and European markets on these sensitive topics, but in an inspirational and efficient way to drive bookings.

Partnering with Crossmedia and Snapchat, the strategy developed identified Story Ads as the key format for Etihad to tell its health, hygiene, and safety narrative. Positioning the brand as a storyteller adjacent to premium publishers in Discover, Story Ads provided the perfect medium to educate and inspire in an editorial way, driving opt-in engagement into the content. Targeting Snapchat’s high-value traveler segments and optimizing towards flight searches and bookings on the website, the campaign drove incredible performance!

Snapchat was able deliver concrete commercial results for the airline at a critical time in its recovery efforts. On the mid-funnel, the Story Ads generated a 266% higher completion rate versus other channels, indicating that Snapchat’s traveler audience was very receptive to the messaging.¹ Through thoughtful audience segmentation and compelling USPs displayed in the creative, Snapchatters drove an 87% higher flight search rate versus other channels1. Moreover, travelers on Snapchat proved to be incredibly valuable as well, demonstrated by the 318% higher average revenue per booking versus other channels.¹ Last but certainly not least, the campaign achieved extreme efficiency as well by the 232% increase in ROAS versus other channels1 and 3X lower cost per sale versus other channels, a key win for the campaign at a time when return on investment is more important than ever.²