Starcom wins Q4 Yahoo!Xtra Digital Strategy Award

Yahoo!Xtra today announced Starcom and the Emirates campaign as the winner of the fourth quarter Digital Strategy Award. The judges commended Starcom for their simple yet logical digital approach that has succeeded in repositioning the Emirates brand in the NZ market.

Starcom partnered with Yahoo!Xtra to create a mini-site within their travel section with the aim of taking the Emirates story directly to the consumer. Using specially designed features on the Yahoo!Xtra Travel site, Emirates was able to showcase their product and services in an online environment where thousands of New Zealanders are seeking travel information.

“Rather than try and pull consumers into the Emirates website, Starcom’s digital strategy

took the messages and stories to them as a way to pull them into the Emirates world of

travel,” says DSA judge Helen Baxter, Managing Director of MohawkMedia. The mini-site content featured a 360 degree virtual tour of theEmirates first class cabin, videos which showcased the airline’s worldclass food, wine and entertainment and monthly destination themedarticles and images that ran in conjunction with their special fareactivity.

“The campaign’s digital strategy ultimately provided a brand experiencefor the consumer,” says Baxter. “As a result, they were able to attractusers and reach a high level of engagement. Starcom’s Emirates brandcampaign achieved over 36,000 Unique Browsers in the first threemonths, a 26% increase in brand awareness and a 14% increase in brand

favourability.

“Emirates has been extremely happy with the success so far from the mini-site,” says

Susan Benseman, Business Director of Starcom. “It’s a great example of collaboration

between Yahoo!Xtra, Starcom and Saatchi’s”.

Starcom joins MEC, Spark PHDIQ and joint team Gladeye and Zed Digital in the finals

for the 2010 Yahoo!Xtra Digital Strategy Award. The award ceremony will be held next

Thursday 3rd March at Snapdragon bar.

“All four winners have shown unique digital vision through their campaigns” says Laura

Maxwell-Hansen, General Manager of Yahoo!Xtra. “We are excited to unveil the overall

inaugural winner next week”

About the Digital Strategy Awards

Launched in April 2010, the awards focus on the key role media strategy plays in the

success of digital campaigns. All quarterly winners are eligible for the overall Y!X DSA annual prize of $10,000 of media on Y!X plus free entry into the CAANZ Media Awards Best Use of Digital category. Overall 2010 DSA winner will be announced Thursday 3rd March 2011.