An unexpected experience at Gate Six
One of my goals in life and business is to travel as much as possible, and over the past couple of years this has become an incredible reality for me. Back in April, I was invited by my lovely clients at Powerbase Physiotherapy to visit and work with them at their clinic in Luxembourg.
I think Luxembourg is a place we've all heard of, but never really considered visiting or learned much about — and if you know me, you'll know that I love a trip with mystery (hence me booking a secret destination trip with Journee last year!).
I had the most amazing time working and exploring whilst there, but one thing I didn't expect was my experience at the airport when I was coming back home…
I thought this was going to be the biggest surprise but little did I know, this was nothing…
As I got to my gate, I was instantly hit with panic and confusion. There was some sort of corporate party going on, so I must be in the wrong place. Comically trying to escape by rattling a locked door, admitting defeat and taking a seat, I saw people helping themselves to pastries, coffee, juice and… ✨crémant✨ (an incredible Luxembourgish sparkling wine). It's 8.30am and I don't know if I should be here, but who cares. I'm going for it.
It turned out that it was LuxAir's inaugural flight to Manchester — a new connection, as previously they only flew directly to London. Finally, us Northerners are going places. So yes, I was supposed to be here.
The party really got started then (not because I was drinking, don't worry) as we had speeches, a ribbon cutting, and my second favourite part — ✨merchandise.✨ LuxAir were really clever about this, considering Manchester's brand carefully and creating a campaign around it.
They were handing out football style scarves — with a choice of red, or blue. For those of you who aren't into the sport, Manchester City (blue) and Manchester United (red) are the forces that divide the city. You're either blue or red, and you accept the consequences of your decision. I took one of each for marketing purposes. And because I couldn't care less about football (my knowledge ends at Blackburn Rovers winning the premiership in 1995. Good old Alan Shearer).
They came up with some crafty copy for each scarf, linking to City and United, and created a stir all before 9am. The most interesting part in this however, is that there were only around 100 people in the room — but this message reached thousands.
Everyone was sharing the experience on social media, and my stories got a huge reaction — mostly thanks to the horrific picture they shared of me on social media. It will haunt me forever.
So—to my main point—we can learn a lot from this wild experience of mine.
Some of my followers are now considering a trip to Luxembourg, and I know that when they see the LuxAir flights on Skyscanner, they'll be more likely to book after watching my experience with them (they'll also be reminded of me, which is also brand positioning for myself).
The thousands of people who saw the shares of each person at that gate that morning now know they can fly there from Manchester. Their thoughts will connect with the stories told, the laughs had (albeit at my expense) and instantly trust within that brand is built.
SO, HOW CAN WE EMULATE THIS?
I know — most of us don't have planes, airports or budgets for 200 football scarves at our disposal. So how can we apply what we've learned about LuxAir to our businesses?
It's all about the stories. The ones we tell, and how others then go on to share them. LuxAir's success that day came from the fact they created something shareable that people wanted to spread the word about.
TAKE ACTION:
I'd love you to sit and develop some ways you can build the opportunity for shareable stories in your business.
If you offer an in-person experience, can you include something that people will want to take a picture of and share? For example, my yoga teachers find success in giving out oracle cards, setting up floral displays and elements the guests can interact with.
If you don't offer in-person contact, can you share stories that people resonate with and want to explore themselves? It can be really simple; last month I posted about a paint by numbers set I'd bought, and that encouraged so many people to share their thoughts and head to the shops for their own.
If you're seeking clarity in your brand and would love to be able to share your story effortlessly, I'm launching a new offering soon that will help you to build strong foundations and step into your brand authentically. You can sign up to the waitlist here.
If you'd like to work with me on a 1:1 basis, get in touch to book your call and we can discuss your project.
