Influence Interactive’s Wrecking Ball Assessment audits and deconstructs the United Airlines ticket buying process. See how we rate the United digital brand experience and learn why we think their user-centric approach has them on top online.
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Influence Interactive Wrecking Ball - United Airlines
1. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Wrecking Ball Assessment
Released – January 2014
william.flaiz@influence-interactive.com | Office: 267-532-1295
www.influence-interactive.com
2. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Who is Influence Interactive…
We Solve Business Problems with Digital Solutions
We are a full service interactive solutions consulting firm that delivers big agency
results without the baggage. No silos or big overhead, just smart people and
experienced management.
Our approach to business, marketing, and creative strategy is data informed. We
believe in the power of measuring before building.
This allows us to solve business problems with digital solutions, with ideas
translated to the web, mobile, tablet, customer experience, and campaigns.
william.flaiz@influence-interactive.com | Office: 267-532-1295
www.influence-interactive.com
2
3. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Wrecking Ball?
• What
is
it?
– A
heuris.c
quan.ta.ve
and
qualita.ve
assessment
of
a
real-‐world
brand
experience
by
an
Influence
Interac.ve
team
member.
A
view
into
the
digital
and
analog
elements
of
a
brand
experience
through
the
eyes
of
real
customers
with
deep
marke.ng
backgrounds.
• Why?
– To
praise
brands
that
get
customer-‐centric
experiences
right
and
give
free
expert
consul.ng
to
brands
that
create
digital
wrecks.
We’re
expressing
our
sen.ment
in
a
construc.ve
manner
on
the
digital
world
we
live
in
today,
that
everyone
can
learn
from.
• How
does
it
work?
– We
conduct
an
external
assessment
of
a
digital
brand
experience
and
rate
it
based
on
level
of
brand
love.
We
look
at
5
primary
dimensions
in
conduc.ng
the
assessment
and
give
a
ra.ng
of
the
overall
experience.
3
4. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Guidelines for Rating the Brand Experience
The
primary
factors
we
use
when
reviewing
a
brand
experience:
Findability
User
Experience
Content
Connectedness
Behind
the
Scenes
Paid
Search
SEO
Local
Search
Social
Direct
Word
of
Mouth
Experience
Flow
Site
Func.onality
Cross
Device
&
Channel
History
with
the
Brand
Value
Exchange
Communica.on
Relevancy
Level
of
Detail
Authority
Freshness
Accuracy
Connec.on
Points
Back
Links
Social
Reach
Brand
Response
Technology
in
Place
Analy.cs
Business
Prac.ces
CRM
&
Marke.ng
Automa.on
Experience
Funnel
Market
Posi.on
1.
Findability
– Where
did
the
brand
experience
start
and
what
are
the
pathways
available
for
engagement
2.
User
Experience
– How
does
the
experience
flow
from
start
to
finish
across
digital
and
offline
channels
and
pathways
and
what
has
the
historical
experience
been
with
the
brand
both
on
and
offline
3.
Content
– How
does
the
brand,
media,
and/or
user
generated
content
guide
and
effect
the
overall
experience
4.
Connectedness
– How
cohesive
and
responsive
is
the
experience
across
the
brand
ecosystem
5.
Behind
the
Scenes
– A
non-‐intrusive
look
at
the
detectable
technology,
funnel
pathway,
analy.cs,
and
architecture
that
make
up
the
inner
workings
of
the
experience
4
5. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Wrecking Ball Assessment
Buying a Ticket to Boarding the Plane
5
6. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Introduction – United Airlines
I
have
created
and
led
teams
of
agency
professionals
in
crea.ve,
user
experience,
analy.cs,
and
CRM,
mostly
on
a
global
scale.
My
career
has
been
centered
around
developing
strategies
for
clients
that
help
them
best
connect
with
their
customers.
During
this
.me,
I
have
had
to
fly
a
lot,
over
300,000
miles
over
the
last
3
years
alone.
Ease
of
booking,
checking
in,
boarding
passes,
and
rewards
programs
are
important
to
me.
I
have
flown
quite
a
few
airlines
during
this
.me,
but
there
is
one
that
stands
out
for
providing
an
excep.onal
experience
from
.cket
purchase
through
boarding:
United
Airlines.
Now
they
don’t
always
provide
the
best
experience
on
the
plane
and
they
s.ll
lack
Wi-‐Fi
on
many
of
their
flights,
but
everything
prior
to
the
flight
is
excellent,
and
that
is
what
we
are
here
to
evaluate.
It
is
not
enough
anymore
for
an
airline
to
provide
travelers
the
ability
to
purchase
.ckets
online,
they
need
to
service
the
online
age
through
.cke.ng,
flight
delays,
paperless
boarding
passes,
and
rewards
programs
that
are
easy
to
access
and
understand,
and
most
importantly
are
centered
around
the
traveler.
6
7. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Start with Google
Started
searching
with
origin
&
des.na.on
in
query.
United
is
the
only
airline
in
the
paid
search
results
on
the
first
page.
Use
of
the
des.na.on
in
the
.tle
&
descrip.on
is
good
reinforcement
for
the
searcher.
Organic
Search
Results
#10
Virgin
America
(press
releases)
#16
Fron.er
Airlines
#36
Hawaiian
Airlines
#39
Air
France
(for
PDX
-‐>
Paris)
#41
United
Airlines
The
rest
of
the
results
are
dominated
by
aggregators
for
cheap
flights
and
travel.
Organic
search
is
a
missed
opportunity
for
all
of
the
airlines.
7
8. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Paid Search Landing Page
Indicator
of
where
I
am
in
the
purchase
process
and
what
steps
I
s.ll
need
to
complete-‐
good
user
experience.
Reinforcement
of
my
search
query-‐
good
user
experience.
Third
Click
Second
Click
Calendar
with
fares
allows
me
to
quickly
evaluate
prices
in
case
my
travel
dates
are
flexible.
Immediately
shows
me
the
lowest
price
fare
without
having
to
search,
and
I
can
quickly
enter
my
dates.
8
9. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Select Departing Flight
Again,
reinforcement
of
search
query-‐
good
user
experience.
Empty
space
is
a
missed
opportunity
for
a
beier
page
layout,
or
upsell
offers.
I
can
quickly
scan
the
best
fare
for
my
trip
before
scrolling
through
the
list
to
select
my
flight.
9
10. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Select Departing Flight
Good
use
of
space
in
layout-‐
I
can
quickly
see
the
fare
(and
know
if
it
is
the
lowest
or
not),
each
leg
of
the
journey,
layover
.me,
total
travel
.me,
aircral
type,
and
whether
or
not
snacks
are
available
for
purchase,
all
of
which
are
easy
to
quickly
scan
for
details
about
my
flight.
10
11. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Select Returning Flight
Clear
.tle
of
where
I
am
and
what
I
need
to
do-‐
good
user
guidance.
Informa.on
on
des.na.ons
and
.ming
for
my
trip,
posi.ve
reinforcement
for
the
user.
11
12. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Select Returning Flight
Layout
and
experience
are
the
same
as
selec.ng
a
depar.ng
flight
so
I
don’t
need
to
learn
something
new.
12
13. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Review Trip Itinerary
Poor
layout-‐
this
is
prime
real
estate.
Both
upsell
op.ons
are
non-‐intrusive
to
the
experience
and
are
clear
and
easy
to
understand.
13
14. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Review Trip Itinerary
Layout
and
informa.on
for
my
flights
is
the
same
as
when
I
chose
them,
therefore
not
making
me
learn
something
new
and
keeping
the
overall
experience
consistent.
14
15. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Review Trip Itinerary
Op.ons:
I
like
having
the
op.on
to
either
purchase
or
lock
in
my
fare
for
a
nominal
fee.
I
can
enter
my
rewards
program
informa.on
here.
This
seems
a
liile
out
of
place,
but
if
I
fill
it
in,
it
will
auto
populate
the
traveler
informa.on
for
me
on
the
next
screen.
Clearly
states
where
I
am
going
to
next
and
what
to
expect,
or
provides
me
the
op.on
to
go
“Back”
at
a
point
where
I
may
want
to
change
my
op.ons.
15
16. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Traveler Information
If
you
are
a
member
of
their
frequent
flyer
program,
and
you
have
logged
in,
this
informa.on
auto-‐populates
for
you.
16
17. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Traveler Information
Clearly
states
where
I
am
going
next
and
what
to
expect,
or
provides
me
the
op.on
to
go
“Back”
at
a
point
where
I
may
want
to
change
my
op.ons.
Many
websites
offer
a
chat
feature
these
days,
but
I
like
that
I
haven’t
been
bombarded
with
it
and
I
am
just
seeing
it
now.
I
paused
on
this
page
for
several
minutes
before
this
op.on
was
offered
to
me.
17
18. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Seat Map
Easy
to
understand
legend
for
the
color
coding
and
indicators,
also
the
loca.on
is
within
close
proximity
to
my
seat
choices
so
I
don’t
have
to
look
for
it.
This
tabbed
layout
indicates
to
me
that
I
will
be
able
to
choose
seats
for
each
leg
of
my
trip,
and
as
I
go
through
each
segment,
the
experience
remains
consistent.
I
can
quickly
tab
between
the
different
seat
classes
and
compare
features.
18
19. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Payment Information – Flight Review
One
more
opportunity
to
review
my
flights
before
purchasing,
in
the
same
format
and
informa.on
I
have
seen
before,
so
it’s
a
good
consistent
experience.
19
20. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Payment Information – The Upsell
The
upsell
again,
why
weren’t
these
op.ons
offered
to
me
earlier
when
I
was
reviewing
my
fare?
I
think
this
is
poor
.ming
for
these
as
I
have
reviewed
my
fares
and
I
am
ready
to
purchase,
but
now
I
need
to
figure
out
these
offers.
20
21. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Payment Information
Terms
and
condi.ons:
everyone
has
to
have
them,
but
United
keeps
them
short
and
easy
to
scan
and
understand,
also
providing
links
for
more
informa.on
on
each
of
them.
Clearly
states
what
the
traveler
can
do
and
doesn’t
complicate
maiers.
-‐
Pur
k
16
Clic
cket
ed
Ti
chas
21
22. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Email Communications
Receipt
&
I.nerary
Check-‐in
Reminder
Once
I
have
purchased
my
.cket,
I
am
provided
an
i.nerary
and
receipt
almost
immediately.
24
hours
prior
to
my
flight,
I
receive
a
reminder
that
I
can
check-‐in
for
the
flight,
“Check
in
Now”
call
to
ac.on.
Boarding
Pass
Once
I
check-‐in,
I
have
the
choice
of
having
my
boarding
pass
emailed
to
me
for
prin.ng.
Now
I
am
ready
to
go,
except
there
is
a
flight
delay.
An
email
from
United
makes
me
aware
of
this,
in
this
case,
hours
before
the
flight.
Flight
Delay
No.fica.on
22
23. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Mobile Experience
The experience with United
does not end with the website,
they also offer one of the best
mobile apps I have ever used.
Information is clearly available
and the pieces of information
that are important to me are
readily available on the
opening screen.
I have several airline apps on
my phone, but United has
listened to their travelers and
provide me with the
information I need easily.
Mobile
Boarding
Pass
Travel
informa.on,
seat
assignment,
weather,
etc.
Flight
Status
My
Reserva.ons
Once
logged
in,
easy
to
find
what
is
important
to
me
about
my
account.
Quickly
find
what
is
important
to
a
busy
traveler.
23
25. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
United – Customer-Centric
United
has
embraced
a
novel
idea-‐
design
your
processes
to
fit
how
your
customers
think,
integrate
your
channels,
and
deliver
needed
informa.on
when
the
customer
needs
it.
Because
their
digital
channels
work
so
well
together,
the
informa.on
is
synced
across
all
channels,
and
the
experience
up
to
boarding
is
pleasurable.
Now,
it
is
unfortunate
that
the
same
experience
doesn’t
carry
over
to
the
flight
itself,
there
United
could
learn
a
thing
(or
two
or
three)
from
Virgin
America.
25
26. United Airlines – Experience In Summary
Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
A
Customer-‐
United
Plane
Ticket
Purchase
Process
By
The
Numbers
41st
–
Natural
search
result,
the
Siberia
of
search
results.
2nd
–
Posi.on
in
the
paid
search
ads
which
led
to
my
click.
1
–
The
only
airline
present
in
the
search
results
on
the
first
page
to
buy
a
plane
.cket.
16
–
Number
of
clicks
it
took
to
purchase
a
round-‐trip
plane
.cket,
no
extraneous
clicks.
1
–
Number
of
taps
it
takes
me
to
find
the
informa.on
I
am
looking
for
on
the
United
mobile
app.
2
–
Number
of
.mes
United
tried
to
upsell
me.
350,000+
-‐
Number
of
miles
I
have
flown
with
United
in
my
life.me.
100s
–
The
number
of
people
I
have
told
they
should
fly
United
and
book
on
their
website
or
through
their
app.
0
–
The
number
of
.mes
I
wasn’t
sure
what
to
do
next
in
the
purchase
process.
Immeasurable
–
The
amount
of
revenue
I
drive
through
my
being
a
brand
advocate.
26
27. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Brand Experience Rating
Wrecking Ball Rating – Love United
Wrecking Ball
Rating System:
Love
Like
Leaving
Lost
The United Brand Rating:
Love
Based
on
all
of
my
flying
experience,
from
booking
to
entering
the
plane,
I
will
con.nue
to
use
United
as
my
preferred
airline,
and
recommend
them
to
friends
and
colleagues.
United
has
definitely
invested
.me
into
their
experience
of
bringing
customers
onboard
as
exhibited
by
a
flyer-‐centric
experience
on
the
web
and
mobile.
They
make
it
easy
for
the
novice,
and
provide
all
the
tools
a
frequent
flyer
relies
on
for
a
great
experience.
Findability
User Experience
Content
Post Purchase
Poor –
organic, lots of opportunity
Excellent overall –
user centered
Very Good –
appropriate content at the
appropriate time
Very Good –
connected systems
- Good job supplementing poor
organic results with paid search
- Purchase process is simple
and easy to use
- Post purchase ticket
communication is very good
- Mobile experience is very good
- Supplemental content is
available and not intrusive
- Consistent information across
platforms
- Web experience is tied into
email communications with a
logical flow of information
- Mobile experience is very
good, consistent with web
experience
27
28. Wrecking Ball: United Airlines
Closing Thoughts – Future of Air Travel
• What
should
United
do
next?
– United
needs
to
apply
their
customer-‐centric
thinking
to
their
in-‐airport
and
plane
experiences.
If
they
can
do
this,
they
cannot
lose.
If
they
don’t,
they
will
be
passed
by
other
airlines
such
as
Virgin
America
who
have
focused
on
the
in-‐airport
and
plane
experience,
and
geqng
the
digital
channels
inline
is
easier.
– United
needs
to
address
its
organic
search
deficiencies-‐
travel
is
a
crowded
and
compe..ve
industry
for
organic
search,
but
they
need
to
be
found
in
order
to
increase
sales.
• What
is
the
future
of
air
travel?
– Airlines
are
going
to
have
to
be
able
to
.e
together
all
of
their
touch
points
into
a
single
user-‐centric
experience.
Performing
well
in
just
one
aspect
of
the
flying
experience
is
not
going
to
be
enough,
the
pre-‐flight
and
in-‐flight
experiences
will
need
to
be
.ghtly
aligned
and
centered
around
the
traveler.
28