THE FULL SAILS STRATEGYaBoatTime

This is Alvaro.

He had a dream and set his life on a new course as an entrepreneur.

Alvaro expressed an interest in building brand awareness with a low financial investment needed.

aBoatTime does not have a defined communication strategy for its internal or external stakeholders. The absence of strong branding and a clear Unique Selling Proposition communicated to stakeholders, leaves room for competitors to enter their market. aBT needs a communication solution that takes into account its limited financial and staffing constraints.

Problem Statement

The Full Sails Strategy.

The Full Sails Strategy is based on the belief that a well built boat, with full wind in its sails will propel forward towards its destination. It captures the thrill of cutting through choppy waters and the joy of the wind in your hair, as the team, works in

unison to reach the goal.

Digital environment is decisive for travellers decision of purchase (Google).

Market overview

2014 – Yacht charter market valued at EUR 36 bi

2020 – Growth of 6,5%

Price orientedNo brand

differentiationRed

Ocean

a strong identity to help with aware

aBT in the Market

Competitive advantage : Technology

Clients can rent a boat and finalize the process in a click

Make the market understand

the company’s differential.

Competitive leap

Create brand equity – the secondary factor for the purchase decision.

Findings

Culture Book

Social MediaStrategy

ResearchaBT RecommendationsObjectives

Internal

External Values

StoryDefinedComm.Strategy

Primary

Secondary

Employees

Culture

Vision

Website

Social

Full Sails Strategy

Key Messages

Application:WebsiteSocial MediaCulture

Measurement& Timeline

USP

PROCESS

Interview with the founder

• To capture the mission and vision from his perspective.

• Passion for sailing and market knowledge.

Interview with the marketing/IT

Director

• To identify the key drivers guiding the current market strategy.

• Adapting IMC language and strategy and, using nautical language.

Potential customer survey

• To better understand the sailing customers and what they value in the sailing experience.

• Renting a boat for sailing holiday.

Employee and Management Survey

• To examine how well employees and management understand the mission/vision of aBT and their view of the internal corporate culture.

• Value vision and mission; lack of defined internal communication process.

Research Methodology – Primary Data

Cust

omer

-Con

tent

ana

lysi

s

Cust

omer

Sur

veys

Soci

al M

edia

Aud

it

Com

peti

tive

ana

lysi

s - W

ebsi

tesTo identify key

external messages of aBT's external and indirect competitors and identify the message they use to communicate business needs.Trends in communication; communication elements.

To assess aBT customer views on the customer service and available content at aBT.

Generally positive; Willing to recommend the platform.

To identify what customers value from their boating holiday/experience with respect to service quality, product quality, and the overall sailing experience. Service quality, product/boat specific features and website access.

To conduct an audit of all existing social media channels to find the challenges and areas of opportunity

Low level of engagement; no story telling or efforts.

Secondary Data

Key Findings

&Strategy:

The story is missing from all communication.

Recommendation:

Formalizing the corporate story and use it as an asset for building brand identity.

Why?

A powerful story makes it possible for people “all stakeholders” to connect emotionally with a brand.

Key Finding - Story

Leadership has a very clear view of the values, mission/vision for aBT.

Recommendation:

Capitalize on the values and the essence of the mission and vision already established.

Why?

The Leadership has strong values and vision is a great structure on which to build a stronger brand identity.

Key Finding - Values

aBoatTime´s leadership has a clear view of the values vision and mission but is not able to successfully share this.

Recommendation:

We propose to formally define the key messages and to document them on the culture book.

Why?

A strong brand identity requires consistency with its messages.

Key Finding - Vision

The current aBoatTime USP does not resonate with customers.

Recommendation:

We provided guidance for evolving the USP to be more customer oriented and include attributes like ¨trust¨ and ¨reliability¨.

Why?

The chartering a boat is a high involvement decision. The communication of the USP and brand values are elementary to grasp consumer´s attention and influence the purchase decision.

Key Finding - USP

Internal culture is undefined.

Recommendation:

We propose to formally define the culture through the development of a culture book.

Why?

A lack of a strong internal culture can lead to disengagement of employees which leads to lower productivity, and potential higher turnover.

Key Finding - Culture

Employees do not have a clear or unified understanding of aBoatTime´s mission, vision and values.

Recommendation:

We propose to communicate key messages with employees through a Corporate Culture book.

Why?

Employees are not being used to their full potential as brand ambassadors.

Key Finding - Employees

A brand with an assertive message is important to grasp the customer´s attention.

Recommendation:

Make the USP more apparent on the web.

Why?

The absence of communication of this advantage for the consumer leads for a competition that may not remunerate such differential and remains as price oriented.

Key Finding - Messaging is key online

Social media is not engaging because the content is generically applied to all social media platforms.

Recommendation

To tailor messages to each social media platform including some elements of the personality in the posts like tone and storytelling. Is essential to increase participation as social media is a two way street.

Why

Social media strategy is underdeveloped. It is a low cost way to grow brand awareness with a large audience and encourage engagement with the goal of developing a loyal community of customers.

Key Finding - Social media

Pillar 1:

Full Sails StrategyBuilding Brand Personality

Theoretical Models

Values

Storytelling

Defining KeyMessages

Vision/Mission

USP

Elevator Pitch

Tag Line

Communicating KeyMessages

Website

Social Media

Culture Book

Pillar 2: Pillar 3:

Character

“Effective brand strategy provides a central unifying idea around which all behavior, actions, and communications are aligned. It works across products and services, and is effective over time. The best brand strategies are so differentiated and powerful that they deflect the competition. They are easy to talk about, whether you are the CEO or an employee.”

(Aileen Wheeler, Designing Brand Strategy)

Why?

Pillar 1:

Full Sails StrategyBuilding Brand Personality

Theoretical Models

Values

Storytelling

Character

Brand Story + Brand Personality

Framework of Values

Defining Brand Personality - ValuesEmployees

as Entrepreneurs

EverythingIs

Possible

Trial &

Error

TeamWorkCelebration

&Recognition

Highest standards

Reliability

Personality

Culture

Self-Image

Capabilities

Relationships

Reflection

Capabilities:-Excellent customer service-Widest options for nautical charters-Most sophisticated online software allowing for fast, reliable booking service-innovation

Relationships:TrustEasy processFriendshipsExperiences to remember

Reflection:AdventureAccessible to everyoneAffordableInexpensive luxury Unique experience on the seaHighest industry standard for customer service

Personality:Passionate Exciting Reliable

Culture:Everything is possibleWork hard/play hardCommitmentTeam spirit

Self-Image:Hard-working; responsible; innovative; entrepreneurialhighest standards of service & technology

Rallying Cry

Full Sails StrategyDefining KeyMessages

Vision/Mission

USP

Elevator Pitch

Tag Line

Pillar 2: Guiding Vision

Mission

Messages (Elevator Pitch)

Messages (USP)

Messages (Tagline)

Adapted Vision:To become the leader of the boat charter industry with the highest reputation for trustworthiness and customer service, offering the widest range of boats and destinations.

Personality

Values

Vision

Mission

Adapted Mission:To be the most sophisticated software, allowing for fast, reliable booking service, by integrating fleets, tourist operators and final customers with online and real time transactionality.

Unique Sailing Proposition

Unique Sailing Proposition"The only complete marketplace in the world able to connect, on a 100% online transactional basis, end customers and mainstream tourism (tour operators and OTAs), to the fragmented sector of recreational boat chartering. Thanks to our complete value chain, fleets can close bookings 24h/day and offer their boats to the mainstream tourism away from the limited nautical sector. End customers can close bookings 24/day and disscover a new vacational option, inexpensive and exotic. Last but not least, mainstream tourism (touroperators and OTAs) can have access to a new category, the use of boats for sailing a few days and the use of boats as an accommodation (sleeping in the boat without leaving the harbour)". (Álvaro, current USP)

Elevator pitch:aBT is a company whose mission is to share how fantastic, accessible and easy it is to vacation on a boat to explore extraordinary destinations around the world. Anyone can rent a boat with just a few clicks.

Personality

Values

Adapted Vision

Adapted Mission

USP

Tagline:You don’t need to have a boat to live your passion for the sea. aBoatTime has one for you in every ocean in the Globe.

Full Sails StrategyCommunicating KeyMessages

Website

Social Media

Culture Book

Pillar 3:

Strong Team/Culture Book

Digital Messages (website/Social Media)

Culture Code Book✓ Supportive tool to the Full Sails Strategy that tackles the lack of communication

strategy for the internal environment.

✓ Mission, Vision, USP and brand values detailed in attainable language.

✓ Examples of how the values might be lived inside the company.

✓ Guidance about language employed on the communication inside and to the outside.

✓ Recommendations for internal policies.

Social Media StrategyObjectives:✓ Leverage of brand awareness and visibility for the company ✓ Conversion rate✓ Engagement of clients in the internal and/or external business environment

Recommendations✓ Supportive tool to the Full Sails Strategy that tackles the lack of engagement✓ Listening✓ Interaction and participation of followers in the co-creation of contents✓ Tailoring messages for each platform✓ Diversification of contents✓ Measure engagement with Kaushik’s framework

ConversationAmplificationApplauseEconomic Value

Phase 1 - May 2016• Meeting with

the managers to share the report, Culture Code Book and Social Media Strategy.

Phase 2 - July 2016 • To communicate

the company’s goals

• Plan to convey the company’s USP

Phase 3 – From September 2016• KPI assessments,

consolidation of learnings (Monthly since September 2016)

• Future resolutions (Quarterly from December 2016)

Full implementation by

September, 2017

Charting the course

KPI Measurement

Web Audience

Measurement Metrics

Demographic Assessment

Metrics

Website Conversion

metrics

Social Media metrics

Consumer Satisfaction

Metrics

Internal Communicati

on Metrics

Thank you!

María Teresa FerreiroAna Carolina AddobbatiKaren GarcíaRoobkirat KaurConnie Wansbrough

“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery (Le Petit Prince) from Netflix Culture Book