Infographic: 3 big musts for the airline industry

Today's airline industry is crowded and everyday the number of experienced consumers increase. More and more, these experienced customers are learning to ignore commercials and ads thrown out."Airline brands must constantly innovate to break through the adverting clutter in order to reach and engage their consumers. However, airline marketers need to step back to assess the state of play for the airline industry," said Isentia's business development director Adamson Alagan.(Read also: Airlines on social media - Who are the leaders in Southeast Asia?)According to the study, although Asia still holds a smaller wallet compared to its counterparts in the UK and USA, Asian markets are seeing trends of growing disposable income. Between 2013 and 2015, India's disposable income grew 10.2%, followed by Vietnam (7.5%), Philippines (4.4%) and Thailand (3.5%).For the airline industry, where the profitable target segment lies is with the young adults aged 18 to 29. This segment has greater financial freedom and desire for regularly unique travels.Nearly 23% of international travelers are young adults and 73% of this segment also rely on review sites to make travel choices, and make digital purchases mainly through Metasearch providers.Today we also see low-cost carriers that are moving into premium options are coming up as greater competitors to premium airlines.These low-cost carriers threaten the demand growth for flagship carrier flights. As lower oil prices provide premium airlines with the much needed relief on profitability, this financial flexibility should be invested into growing consumer loyalty and remain as a choice for consideration.Using relevant measurement toolsUsing the right measurement is vital.Isentia also claims that many airline players are focused on aged and "irrelevant metric" such as Skytrax. It recommended that airlines look at other metrics such as sentiment perception, buzz index and engagement index.Customers are increasingly relying on online reviews to make their decisions. The bigger the ticket cost, the more consideration.The study also cautions airlines against agencies' measurements of objectives and found that high buzz does not necessarily equate to actual growth in target audience. Constantly question the marketing agency on their metrics and methodologies to make sure the measurements are accurate and clean.Social media is a mustSocial media presence is also expected from airlines today.Airlines who do not invest in community management and social media as the key form of customer service, lose customer loyalty quickly through increased frustration.Isentia found that customers typically go to Facebook for customer service queries with airlines. 65% of consumers believe that social media is more effective than call centres and they expect a reply within 12 minutes. The report also found that social media, although looking simple, does not come cheap.A complete customer relationship journeyA complete customer relationship journey is important, and airlines need to look after their blind spots. These are typically platforms outside their control and lie in the earned media space.Isentia found that these platforms take up majority of airline's digital data sources.