The Moodies – Use of Instagram
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ARI – Global Instagram strategy and implementation
Aer Rianta International (ARI) created content for its global locations at the leading travel retailer’s headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. As part of its customer value proposition, ARI identified the need for a social media strategy that not only aligned with what served its target audiences and yearly marketing calendar, but which also allowed for seamless localisation and adaptability across regions.
ARI’s key performance indicators included brand awareness, building loyalty, engagement, driving sales and conversion. The company started with a yearly content creation budget of €30,000 (US$32,811). Its approach was focused on increasing awareness and followers through content creation, paid promotions and influencer collaborations.
To identify its target audiences, ARI conducted research and ran global workshops with its digital agencies and local marketing teams around the world. ARI identified brand personas that aligned with its target audiences’ inclinations and values. As part of its Instagram strategy, the retailer developed a global ‘Social Playbook’, which helped upskill local teams and enabled them to implement the strategy globally.
The content strategy focused on creating a comprehensive brand narrative that went beyond product, establishing an emotional connection with followers. ARI stood out on Instagram thanks to its feed posts, as well as interactive stories that were shot, produced and created in-house. The Dublin team delivered a ‘Global Content Calendar’ to all ARI locations monthly. The content was based on pillars that reflect the unique selling proposition that ARI offers in its duty free stores. Posts and stories were curated to convey the retailer’s distinct offerings, which include duty free exclusives, local products and value for spending.
Extended reach through Instagram: ARI has placed a big focus on its social media campaigns in recent years
ARI created educative content – from product recommendations for specific skin concerns to practical tips and tricks, delivering impactful content remained at the core of its strategy. Since Instagram is visual-centric, the retailer followed a three-tiered implementation approach: creating a compelling visual narrative through relatable moments; using a blend of relevant and trending hashtags to amplify reach and captions with a clear call to action; and leveraging polls, quizzes and Q&A sessions through stories to foster participation.
The retailer also collaborated with select influencers to promote brand awareness. ARI ran multiple competitions and giveaways across its different Instagram accounts. Its recent Portugal Lancaster giveaway competition led to an increase of 800 followers within a week. Over a period of six months, ARI’s engagement rate increased by +35.6% in locations that strictly followed the new strategy – Ireland, Montreal and Cyprus, for example. The blend of promotional and organic content contributed to +55% growth in website traffic and +81% increase in click & collect orders. ARI also developed a ‘Social Dashboard’ – a metric tool to track performance and record insights which is sent out to its locations weekly.
The social media strategy incorporates informative content such as travel tips, location itineraries and product reviews
Brand engagement and community management are also integral parts of the retailer’s social media strategy. Through a blend of strategic planning, creative execution and consistent evaluation, ARI successfully engaged its audience with in-house content. The posts and stories resonated with audiences and maintained a sense of authenticity, relatability and expression.
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