WestJet is transforming the TV airwaves into TV airways with its newest marketing venture.
In partnership with its media agency Media Experts, the airline has launched a 24-hour TV channel that can be seen by Rogers Cable customers in Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.
On-air through Feb. 2, the WestJet Channel (channel 206) provides 24-hour coverage of the brand. It features a mixture of behind-the-scenes footage such as ground crews loading its new Boeing 737 jet and pushing it back prior to taxiing, accompanied by montages of some of WestJet’s 55 destinations in 18 countries – including Grand Cayman, Bermuda and Puerto Plata.
George Huovinen, director of account planning at Media Experts, said the channel recognizes the fact that WestJet customers all experience the brand differently – some will lean forward and actively research the brand, while others are content to lean back and be educated.
Unlike a traditional TV-led campaign built around 30-second spots, the channel provides a way for people to discover and experience the WestJet brand on their own terms, without the feeling they’re being “talked to” said Huovinen.
“We understand the role that [30-second ads] play in the path to purchase, and we have our WestJet Vacations spot in TV and cinema to capture the attention of Canadians on our overall offering,” he said.
Branded TV channels are currently in vogue, thanks to Swiss Chalet’s award-winning Rotisserie Channel and a new on-demand channel recently created for P&G’s Febreze brand by Shaw Media that is being carried by several BDUs across the country.
WestJet’s director of marketing, David Soyka, said that the channel provides viewers the ability to experience a WestJet trip in full, from their luggage being loaded on the plane to arriving at the destination. “The allure of travel is not only in the experiences but also in the visual beauty of where you go,” he said. “The WestJet Channel focuses on providing a complete trip from the comfort of your couch.”
Targeting adults 25-54, the WestJet Channel is a combination of original and repurposed content provided by Corkscrew Media. Viewers are being driven to the channel by a combination of external sources including social media, online banners and TV spots running on Rogers-owned TV properties. A short video about the channel also appears on WestJet’s YouTube channel.
WestJet is also inviting users to participate in three Twitter contests during the campaign’s 13-week run. The first, running through Sunday, invites uses to tweet @WestJet with the hashtag #TweetTheBeach and name a beach they saw on the channel. Participants will be entered to win a trip for two with the airline.
