Introduction

Established in 1995, Sky Asia Tours is a fast growing travel company. Today, Sky Asia has created a name for itself among inbound tour operators in India with offices in India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Their services include leisure tours, unique experiences, and luxury travel.

Problem Statement

When Sky Asia opened its doors in 1995, most enquiries and sales took place on the phone or through walk-ins. However, since 2005, the company has seen a significant change in consumer behavior. Majority (more than 75%) of the sales inquiries were generated from various online sources.

The management realized that it needed to shift its focus from traditional marketing channels to digital marketing channels. In particular, they wanted to leverage email marketing, as it was the best way to start engaging with existing prospects and generate new leads in a cost- efficient manner. However, they did not have the in-house expertise to start email marketing.

They started looking for an email service provider (ESP) with expertise in email marketing, who would also understand their unique business model. They needed an end-to end service provider who could provide the required technology, enable tracking, create emails, and ensure a positive ROI.

Tasks:

Prepare a report explaining the following:

• Sky Asia wants to build an email database and use the same for customer acquisition. What are some of the best ways to build an email database? What are the worst ways?
• The company had included spam management as a part of the brief he had created for selecting the ESP vendor. What are some of the spam filters used by email providers such as Gmail?
• You are responsible for the success of Sky Asia email campaigns. What would you have focused on to ensure that the email campaigns of Sky Asia got a high operate?
• What is the role of a subject line in an email campaign? Also, what are the best practices that Sky Asia should follow around its subject line strategy?
• Create an email for first time subscribers to Sky Asia newsletter welcoming them.
• Create another email promoting one of Sky Asia’s upcoming tours to email subscribers.

ASSIGNMENT SOLUTION

Report: Leveraging Email Marketing for Sky Asia Tours

1. Building an Email Database:
   • Best Ways: Offer valuable content such as travel guides, destination insights, and exclusive offers in exchange for email subscriptions. Implement pop-up forms on the website and landing pages. Utilize social media platforms to encourage sign-ups through contests, giveaways, and lead magnets.
   • Worst Ways: Purchasing email lists, using deceptive tactics for opt-ins, and sending unsolicited emails without permission are detrimental to building a healthy email database. They can result in low engagement rates, spam complaints, and damage to the brand's reputation.
2. Spam Management:
   • Spam filters used by email providers like Gmail include content-based filters, sender reputation analysis, engagement-based filters (e.g., open rates, click-through rates), and domain authentication (e.g., SPF, DKIM, DMARC). It's crucial for the ESP to adhere to industry best practices and maintain high deliverability rates while avoiding spam triggers.
3. Focus on Email Campaign Success:
   • Personalization: Tailor email content based on subscriber preferences, past interactions, and behavior.
   • Segmentation: Divide the email list into relevant segments based on demographics, interests, and past engagement to deliver targeted and relevant content.
   • A/B Testing: Experiment with different elements such as subject lines, content, and call-to-action buttons to optimize performance.
   • Analytics and Tracking: Monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and unsubscribe rates to assess campaign effectiveness and make data-driven decisions for improvement.
4. Role of Subject Line:
   • The subject line plays a crucial role in capturing subscribers' attention and enticing them to open the email. It should be concise, relevant, and compelling.
   • Best Practices: Personalize subject lines with the subscriber's name, create a sense of urgency or curiosity, use action-oriented language, and avoid spammy or misleading tactics.
5. Email for First-Time Subscribers:
   • Subject: Welcome to Sky Asia Tours - Your Journey Begins Here!

Body: Dear (Subscriber's Name), Welcome to Sky Asia Tours! We're thrilled to have you join our community of travel enthusiasts. As a special welcome gift, here's a 10% discount on your first tour booking with us. Explore our exclusive destinations and start planning your next adventure today! Happy Travels,

The Sky Asia Team