Kiwi.com quietly launched into the
travel marketplace back in 2012, fresh faced with a great idea, innovative
proprietary technology to back it up and a product that disrupted the
traditional ways of booking flights by introducing virtual interlining to the
world. This brought a different perspective to planning travel and a whole host
of new choices for customers.
Today, with the pandemic well behind
it, Kiwi.com has quickly recovered and, just like its customers, has been
making up for lost time, achieving an all-time record daily booking count
earlier this year as travel resumed. Named by Forbes as
one of Europe’s most influential innovators four years ago, Oliver Dlouhý, co-founder and CEO of Kiwi.com, is not
complacent when it comes to the company’s focus and the importance of investing
in the customer experience as a strategic priority. The company had,
understandably, put a hold on its growth plans during 2020-21 and took the
opportunity to turn the microscope on itself while the world stopped traveling.
“We were very transactional, playing in
the shadows of third party search engines and our communication was like that
of any other travel company. We realized who we truly are and that's not just
any other travel company, we’re a tech company with a unique proposition, and
there are things we can do that others can’t. It’s our unique selling proposition
and how we bring value to our customers,” says Dlouhý.
“We work for the customers helping them
navigate the complexities of air travel, addressing where there is no uniform
position for multi carrier itineraries and are now investing in how that
translates into lifetime value for customers. I see Kiwi.com’s role as solving
travelers’ problems and bringing them what they need beyond the basics and that
includes non-ancillary value added services like our fintech solutions, such as
fare and price lock, or our Kiwi.com Guarantee served alongside predictable
customer support that tackles issues proactively.”
New brand identity reflects the company’s tech capabilities
This should ultimately mean a stronger
backbone for a business that is now moving ahead with its plans for growth and
increasing its direct to consumer approach. When asked about those plans,
Dlouhý says, “We are absolutely primed for a great 2023 with a strong year end
where we have seen 97% growth in passengers this quarter when comparing the
‘normal’ of 2019. However, it is the building of our brand identity to
better reflect the company we are today that has really brought the energy back
to the business after the pandemic, alongside the pride that comes from
investing in what is needed to bring a great experience to customers.”
Kiwi.com is of course known for being a
tech company first and foremost and state that their proprietary algorithm
gives them an enormous wealth of real-time data that they turn into knowledge
for customers, running a phenomenal two billion price checks and powering 100
million route searches every day. Their new brand identity, revealed this fall,
was born from the company’s desire to bring more clarity to consumers, show-off
what that technology can do and, more importantly, be clear on what value
holding “all the information” brings to those planning their travel.
“Our brand identity is now a much
better reflection of who we are as a company, we think differently and are
independent - our customers like that. We use that difference to bring choice
into the hands of the customer by providing options, or what we like to call
our travel hacks, that save money or find routes that can’t be found elsewhere,
and we should be shouting about that. Of course, this is all powered by our
search technology, which we now refer to as our Kiwi Code,” says Andrew
Parker-Blagg, Kiwi.com’s vice president of brand and communications.
For any company to build a brand
successfully it has to be so much more than a creative idea, it should be drawn
from the mission and purpose of the organization. Kiwi.com’s investment in
their brand identity is drawing on their tech prowess and what makes them
unique in the travel market and you can see why they are excited about it.
“Our global reach means travel
consumers around the world have a better understanding of what we have to
offer. Initially, our key focus is towards our local markets in Central Europe
where we are investing in brand campaigns to drive that direct to consumer
business. We have already seen the benefits of that approach with 70% of
customers in these combined markets now coming to us directly,” says
Parker-Blagg.
If it’s not for the customer first, nobody wins
It’s not just the end consumer that
Kiwi.com has been creating closer ties with though. The company has been
steadily building out their relationships with partners in various dimensions,
with partnerships in place both within and outside the travel ecosystem. These
include more than a hundred direct integrated airline partnerships and around
600 airlines via booking partners and global distribution systems. The
partnership with AirAsia was expanded and this year also saw the NDC tie-up
with Spirit, with its reach across the Americas complementing Kiwi.com’s
strength in the European market.
“The benefit of any partnership always
has to be felt three ways by bringing value for the customer, for our partner
and for us. If it's not for the customer first, nobody wins and that is why we
invest time, effort and our tech abilities in the right approach. Airline
attitudes are changing, they see the opportunities and recognize our investment
in the customer experience cares for their reputation just as much as our own,”
comments Golan Shaked, Chief Commercial Officer at Kiwi.com.
It is also in Europe that a different
perspective on partnerships is developing thanks to the data insights
Kiwi.com’s technology can bring. The company’s number of partner airports,
bringing passengers to and through some of the lesser known airports, with a
promise of a smoother transfer experience and a greater choice of route
options, is increasing, alongside newly established commercial relationships
with tourism boards looking to attract travelers back to their destinations.