Sometimes simple really is the best way to think.
It almost seems like we need a Delorean here we're going so far back in time, but let's go back to 2009. The world is in the GFC, Financial Markets are shedding BILLIONs daily and Click Zoo walks into Webjet for our first day working with the team.
Talk about timing!
2009 Webjet isn't the Webjet you know now. Back then it was still an emerging company, fighting tooth and nail for market share against giants like Expedia, Best Flights and Flight Centre.
How the hell were we going to help Webjet grow?
Simple - Let the Customer decide!
The GFC did THREE things that were in our opinion the making of Webjet.
Firstly, the US dollar TANKED! At one point the Aussie dollar was buying OVER a dollar US. What a time to load up on Consumer Goods it was.
Second, Kevin Rudd, Australia's PM, opened the country's wallet and gave every working adult $950. Most spent it on a new Plasma TV, some used it for a free holiday!
The Third, was to leverage the flexibility of the Webjet business model that at the time, made its money from a mix of advertising revenue, flight booking fees and small percentage airline commissions.
The result? Focus the strategy down HARD on destinations that are now cheap to get to AND affordable on the ground. Focus on driving revenue from the advertising and in particular the booking fee and focus less on the airline commission (which was dropping anyway!)
With our guidance, Webjet stopped promoting destinations like Europe, the UK, China etc and focussed where the volume was: Australia, Bali, Thailand, New Zealand and America (at the time!). Destinations that you could afford to get to if you happened to have a spare $950 in your pocket.
Why did it work?
Simply because we appealed to MORE customers because they wanted the destinations we promoted whilst other agencies chased the high dollar value per booking. A $200 weekend trip to Sydney made almost the same amount of money as a booking to Europe for Webjet, but these domestic trips sold at almost 8x the volume, so to Click Zoo it was a no-brainer!
What's most impressive? That strategy STILL works to this day!
Lessons from Webjet.
The lessons Click Zoo learned during that time still guide us today and continue to benefit our customers.
a) Simple is often the best. Don't over complicate.
b) Your decisions have to be made for whats best for THE CUSTOMER, not for the business. If you're doing what the customer wants, your business will succeed
c) Volume and Automation go hand in hand. You can't scale profitability without these two working together.
d) During periods of uncertainty (GFC, COVID etc), it's the businesses that CONTINUE to promote themselves who win big when things correct.
With over 20 years of experience across all digital marketing channels, Click Zoo has a proven track record of driving the right digital strategy for small businesses like yours. With experience managing ALL facets of digital marketing, our no nonsense approach to building your business is DEFINITELY worth a casual chat.
Let's see what we can achieve for you!
