Continental Airlines appoints Neolane to personalise campaigns

Neolane's software constructs detailed profiles of a company's customers and prospective customers, enabling the business to create and automate personalised campaigns.

Martin Braisby, Continental Airlines' marketing manager for the UK and Ireland, said: "Neolane provides us with a combined solution for building, maintaining and segmenting customer data, and creating automated, highly targeted and progressive marketing campaigns centrally and in-house.

"I am confident that implementing Neolane in our UK operations will be good for our customers and for the company."

Continental will start sending its targeted campaigns next month to frequent business and leisure flyers to the US. The push comes before the airline launches routes from London Heathrow to New York's Newark airport and Houston, on March 30.

A regional focus around the seven existing UK airports from which Continental already flies is also planned. Initial campaigns are to be email-based and will include a viral element, such as "refer-a-friend", aimed at increasing the prospect database.

Personalised content direct mail campaigns may follow.

Francois Laxalt, marketing director of Neolane in Europe, said. "Continental Airlines in the UK is following best practice by profiling customers and presenting each one with information and offers likely to be of interest, rather than conducting blanket campaigns.

"Using Neolane to automate and personalise their campaigns many companies in Europe and North America have significantly improved customer interaction and the success of their marketing activities."