Ryanair rolls out digital marketing strategy
Ryanair briefed (20-Sep-2013) shareholders at its AGM on 20-Sep-2013 on its plans to roll out a new website and digital marketing strategy which will include:
- Launching the @Ryanair Twitter page;
- Removing the Recaptcha security feature for individual passengers from 30-Oct-2013 (Recaptcha will remain in place for high volume bookers, screenscrapers, travel agents etc.);
- Ryanair's mobile app will from 01-Oct-2013 be downloadable free of charge (previously EUR3);
- Booking flow redesign to go live in Dec-2013;
- Passenger registration/retention service live for summer 2014, substantially reducing the time it takes to complete bookings.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said, "Our primary focus this winter will be to significantly invest in, and improve, the Ryanair.com website, our mobile platform and our interaction with passengers using social media. We are pleased to remove Recaptcha from November for individual passengers, although the security feature will remain in place for high volume or multiple IP addresses in order to deter larger travel agents, screenscrapers and others who flood our website seeking fare quotes, and diminish our website's accessibility for individual passengers". He continued, "This winter will also see a rolling programme of development to improve the Ryanair.com website, make it easier for passengers to navigate, quicker for them to locate our all-inclusive price quotes, identify availability of our lower fare promotions and book Ryanair's great fares for themselves and their families. These improvements will be accompanied by a new digital marketing strategy which will see Ryanair switch a significant proportion of its marketing budget from old to new media, with a particular focus on mobile and social media platforms." [more - original PR]