If you think marketing telecommunications services on the ground was difficult, imagine selling broadband services for the skies. This was precisely the situation for Inmarsat in 2016 as it launched a new inflight broadband product, GX Aviation, to global airline buyers. But only 7% of the audience had heard of Inmarsat.
Inmarsat faced a brand challenge. And Inmarsat was, like many large tech organisations that used intermediaries for its sales channel, unaccustomed to investing in its brand as a marketing asset and point of interaction with customers.
Inmarsat, a new entrant to the aviation connectivity market, had to transform its proposition and profile to compete effectively, engage customers, and stand out in a tech-heavy sector.
We developed a new identity, Inmarsat Aviation, and a positioning, ‘Bring it On’, that challenged the market and reframed the product. Integrated with ultra-targeted digital activation, we used specialist trade shows as our major platform – maximising engagement with hard-to-reach decision-makers. Thought leadership content and partnerships, combined with high-touch media relations management, put Inmarsat’s name firmly at the centre of the industry conversation.
In the first six months alone, targeted digital and experiential activity engaged 60% of target market accounts. Brand awareness jumped to 67% within industry – placing us jointly alongside the leading competitor. Marketing now provided a platform to support sales – with a significant pipeline attributable to our activity in 2017 alone.
