Skift Take
Having a bit of fun and not getting in the way of customers making their own fun is a very on-brand content recipe for Ryanair. It probably won't matter to most the world, which is what makes Jacobs’ low-brow content strategy so very high concept.
Kenny Jacobs, CMO of Ryanair describes the future of content marketing as alchemy combining, digital, destination, interactive, customer-generated media.
During our conversation with Jacobs for Skift’s special CMO series, Ryanair’s spontaneous and creative marketing chief shared his views on developing a comprehensive (and frugal) content marketing strategy.
He shared unique—sometimes off the wall—strategies for content creation and delivery in a democratized air travel market which generate a conversation with and for the everyday traveller.
“There's something interesting about Ryanair and content. You know, we are an everyday brand. We are a very democratic brand. If you take Condé Nast Traveller magazine—which is a great magazine, and I love it and read it myself—but it is not for everyday people. People who read Condé Nast are people who go on holiday to the Maldives. If you go on holiday to the Maldives, you're not an average European citizen,” Jacobs says.
“Everyday people want to write their own destination guides on places: like Lanzarote for families, or a weekend in Manchester for sports fans. Basic things. It's never going to make the Condé Nast magazine, but it's probably going to be read by many more people,” he adds.
Host the Party
In Jacobs’ view, airline marketing content should facilitate and inspire an engaged customer conversation about travel, not get in the way of that conversation with pushed editorial.
“We're the ones providing the room and the drinks but we're not the ones doing the writing. That's how I see the model evolving,” he says.
“In terms of how you make it different and have your content be different ... having more user-generated content, turning content to mobile. That consumer with the mobile app in hand they want 90 second video content, 200 90-second video destination guides.
“[That’s what] I'd like to have on our mobile website and app already. So if you've just landed in Cologne for the first time you can quickly watch the 90-second video, with infographics from Ryanair, and that will keep you engaged with Ryanair while you're in Cologne.”
Not Canned, Fresh Brewed
Tho
