Testimonial

 Hello, this is the Orinas Customer Case Study Interview Team.

This time, we interviewed Mr. Takahashi and Mr. Shishido (hereafter referred to as "titles omitted") from the Business Strategy Division, Business Promotion Department of IBEX Airlines Co., Ltd. We supported them with a YouTube video initiative utilizing influencers, and we asked them frankly about the challenges they faced before starting the initiative, why they asked Orinas for help, and the effects they felt once the initiative actually began.

Official website: IBEX Airlines Co., Ltd.

Official SNS

• Instagram: @ibexairlines_official
• Twitter: @IBEX_promotion
• LINE: IBEX Airlines
• Facebook: ibexairlines

Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to leverage the strengths of an airline to help revitalize local economies

Orinas: Mr. Takahashi and Mr. Shishido, thank you for joining us today. First, could you please tell us about your company's business and the areas of your work that you are both involved in?

Takahashi: Yes. IBEX Airlines is an airline with its headquarters in Tokyo, but its base of operations is Sendai Airport in Miyagi Prefecture. Our pilots and cabin crew are also based at Sendai Airport. We operate a 70-seater CRJ700 jetliner. We are sometimes mistaken for an LCC, but we are a full-service carrier, offering complimentary services such as checked baggage and drinks to our customers. All seats on board are arranged in rows of two, so one of the unique features of a small aircraft is that all seats have windows with a view.

The two of us work in the Business Strategy Section of the Business Promotion Department. The main department is based in the Tokyo headquarters, but we have been stationed in Sendai since October 2022. As a company, we aim to increase our presence in Miyagi Prefecture, where our operations are based, and to develop our business in a way that is closer to the local community, so we are currently working on various projects from Sendai.

Shishido: My responsibilities include planning promotional initiatives, managing social media, and public relations.

Why is Sendai your main focus?

Takahashi: Sendai is a place where the Shinkansen is the most convenient way to get from Tokyo, and there are no scheduled airline routes connecting to Tokyo (Haneda). But it is precisely because of this location that we believe we have a role to play. By operating small aircraft with around 70 seats on regional airline routes that do not see the same demand as Tokyo routes, we aim to match supply and demand and promote inter-regional exchange.

Shishido: Last year, the company announced that it would further strengthen its efforts in Miyagi Prefecture. As part of this strengthening of efforts, we will increase the number of flights departing and arriving in Sendai from spring 2023.

Employees conducting interviews

Orinas: What challenges did you face in the digital marketing field?

Takahashi: To begin with, we had an issue in that we didn't have solid digital content to promote the attractions of our destinations. Even before we asked Orinas to help, we had been taking out web advertisements and other initiatives. However, the content was basically just something along the lines of, "How much does each route cost now? Please get on board." It ended up being nothing more than an announcement encouraging people to travel.

Amidst all this, the COVID-19 pandemic that began in February 2020 led to urges to stay home, creating a tough time for the industry. As international travel became more difficult, it also brought renewed attention to the appeal of domestic travel and tourism resources. While digital literacy was rapidly improving nationwide, we had almost no knowledge of digital marketing. Still, we were determined not to be left behind and sought ways to turn this crisis into an opportunity.

Shishido: The COVID-19 pandemic has been ongoing for several years, and it has impacted many industries, including ours. However, within the company, there was a desire to work on revitalizing local economies through tourism, which led us to focus on digital marketing.

Being able to offer a package of tourist destination introductions and transportation options is a strength unique to airlines. We asked Orinas to help us produce the video, as we wanted to pack in as much information as possible and communicate the appeal of the region in a visually appealing way.

Why did you choose Orinas?

Takahashi: We decided to contact you because you have a long track record of working with a variety of companies and it seemed like you had achieved a certain number of results.

Although my desire to work in the digital marketing field grew stronger, I was still a novice and had no idea how best to proceed. I decided to start by gathering information, and while searching the internet, I found your company's website. After looking at your track record, I contacted you, and Mr. Yokoyama carefully listened to our company's challenges. He then made appropriate suggestions, and I felt I could trust you with confidence, so I decided to hire you. In the digital marketing field, I didn't even know the correct approach, so I wanted someone to lead the way. Your appropriate answers were the deciding factor in my hiring you.

Orinas: Thank you very much. From our first meeting, I was very impressed by how seriously you approached your work.

"I want to travel using IBEX!" Successfully creating an opportunity

Orinas: We worked together on a campaign utilizing influencers, and now the video has been viewed over 200,000 times. We're relieved that we were able to achieve our initial KPI. Could you tell us what kind of reaction the video received?

Shishido: My honest impression is that I'm really glad I asked you to do it. This time, we asked YouTuber Strolling Android to make a video of him visiting Chiran and Ibusuki in Kagoshima. We've received a variety of comments, but many of them are warm ones. The two of us look at the comments almost every day and are delighted to see new comments and positive comments. We've also provided feedback within the company, and we've been able to discuss things like, "By collaborating, we can create a desire to visit the place, and when people do decide to go, our company's name will come to mind." I honestly had some concerns because I had no idea what kind of reaction a tie-up like this would get. But I'm really glad I tried it.

Takahashi: A large part of this trip's itinerary was produced by Walking Android, but we were happy to be able to raise awareness among viewers as a sort of sponsor. When I received a comment saying, "Thank you, IBEX, for providing us with a new option," I couldn't help but grin (laughs).

Orinas: I'm glad to hear that. In the first report, I summarized the comments and other information, but there were almost no negative comments, which I thought was very unusual. This is thanks to the support of Walking Android, who proposed the tie-up, but I think it's also due to the image of IBEX as a company and its employees. I'm glad that people in the company are also seeing it in a positive light.

Takahashi: Implementing this initiative gave us the opportunity to rediscover the good things about Kagoshima. We are pleased that by disseminating information through YouTube, we were able to generate even a small amount of traffic to the region and contribute, however small, to the revitalization of the region.

Although we both work for an airline, our jobs do not involve directly operating aircraft. Of course, as an airline, it is our responsibility to safely transport customers to their destinations. But in addition to that, we also felt that our work can even enrich people's hearts by creating opportunities for people to move around, as in this case, and by touching the hearts of many people. This was a personally rewarding aspect of our work.

Orinas: I'm glad to hear that. What do you two think about Orinas?

Takahashi: Even though we don't have the know-how, you provided us with appropriate proposals that were tailored to the challenges we faced. If we had planned this project on our own, we would have chosen a more standard route rather than Ibusuki or Chiran, and ended up with a run-of-the-mill tourist destination introduction video. If we had done that, it would have ended up being something that's already out there, and I don't think we would have received such a great response. I'm truly grateful that you took our project seriously and provided us with the right solution, and I'm glad we entrusted it to you.

Orinas: Thank you for your kind words. I hope we can continue working together in the future, so I look forward to working with you again.

Finally

Above all, we are pleased that our proposals and implemented measures have garnered a positive response and that we have been able to help IBEX. We are also very pleased to receive words of praise for Orinas' proposals and the results of our measures. We hope to continue to assist them in various promotions, including advertising measures, as well as utilizing influencers.

At Orinas, we don't just provide general services; we also have a support system in place where we communicate closely with clients and allow them to feel free to consult with us about any concerns they may have regarding social media. If you are a company that is having trouble with social media management, please feel free to contact us.