AVIASALES BREND ANALYSIS

In this research we’ll analyze the digital ecosystem created by the brand and the communication strategies used to reach and gain the trust of users.

At the time of writing this research Aviasales offers not only ticket deals, but hotel and apartment bookings, other transportation options, travel guides, organization of personalized guide tours, seasonal price comparison and much more. The brand is considered to be one of the most prominent players on the Russian traveling market.

The brand is renowned for its successful PR strategies and recognizable visual style that allow it to stay a consistent and easily recognizable presence in the lives of its users and the media in general.

The second group consists of professionals, businessmen and company employees who regularly travel for work and are interested in quickly finding convenient and fast routes.

Now, by looking at specific «behaviors» of the brand in mass media, we’ll analyze which communication theories are used by Aviasales the most, what they contribute to the brand’s image and how they affect the people using the brand’s services and engaging with its media.

So the brand is relying heavily on promotion by opinion leaders, which can be considered a use of the two-step flow theory. By providing information about itself not only by the means of «raw» mass communication on the website, but by association with bloggers, Aviasales manages to reach a larger audience and influence those susceptible to suggestions (specifically suggestions of cooperating with the business)

At the same time the brand exploits the «global village» concept, spreading its presence over as many interconnected mediums as possible to create a consistent and prominent image. This tactic enables people to get used to the brand and to make its association with the travel industry the most noticeable. It strives to be the first that comes to mind when thinking about planning travel.

This showcases the brand’s willingness to use peripheral cues as described by the elaboration likelihood model and manifested through jokes, short-form content and other media associated with planning travel. Aviasales nudges its audience into the direction of remembering its existence though advertisement masked as comedy and useful facts.

Although mostly non-effective in terms of convincing users to immediately book a flight using the service, this strategy is mostly designed to keep the brand firmly in the collective memory of its audience while also avoiding strong negative reactions as described by the model. Lesser push equals lesser backlash and results in a more relaxed communication. For its central route of persuasive communication, the brand mostly uses opinion leaders, as stated above. Though, some other methods of straightforward advertising can be used to awoke a strong reaction.

An example of provocative advertising was a campaign in Russian airport restrooms, where the brand placed posters with ironic messages related to purchasing airline tickets and anticipating travel. This unusual placement was deliberate: the audience was placed in the immediate context of travel, and the ad itself stood out from the common airport advertising formats.

Aside from calling attention to the brand, this campaign also established how Aviasales is willing to show empathy and the spirit of mutuality towards its users. According to the dialogic theory, the feeling of understanding this advertisement evoked served to assure the travelers that the brand cares for their desires and worries, making it appear more friendly and approachable.

Aviasales' social media marketing is built on the principles of flexibility, speed, and constant experimentation with content. One of the SMM team’s key features is the minimal number of restrictions when creating posts. Unlike many companies, where each piece of marketing material undergoes several stages of approval, Aviasales gives their teams more freedom to make decisions faster.

This approach allows the brand to quickly respond to current events and trends, but at the same time requires a high level of responsibility and media literacy, as unconventional posts can pose certain reputational risks. At the same time the team adheres to certain boundaries: for example, topics related to plain crashes and other catastrophes remain an exception and are not used in humorous content.

By ignoring the risks that come with unanticipated consequences of open and personal public communication, the brand establishes itself as a constant source of need fulfilment (in accordance with uses and gratification theory). While also managing to endlessly generate return visits by providing new and fun content. Although not directly leading to the main website, those return visits are arguably as important, because they practically turn the brand into a source of entertainment.

One might argue that this focus on entertainment opens a path to setting pushing specific agendas: travel is depicted as a good thing, despite the added stress, and the service itself is depicted alleviating the stress. Bad news, as was stated above, are not showcased. The brand’s official social media accounts play a special role in the brand’s marketing. Aviasales often engages in dialogue with its users, leaving humorous comments under posts both on its own platforms and on the accounts of other brands and media outlets. This strategy makes communication less formal. It allows the brand to be perceived not as a faceless company strictly centered around business, but as a friendly and approachable participant in internet culture that speaks the same language as its audience.

The logo has a minimalistic design and can be easily adapted to various digital media: the simplicity of its form makes it recognizable even at a small size, which is especially relevant for mobile interfaces. The logo’s lack of decorative elements is also pleasing to the eye.

These design choices contribute to the overall intuitiveness of the brand’s website, app and advertisements

Aviasales' communications strategy is built on flexibility, multichannel capabilities, and deep integration into digital culture. The brand successfully leverages partnerships with bloggers, adaptive content for various social networks, and informal interactions in comments, making it relatable to an active online audience. Provocative offline campaigns and a minimalist blue identity enhance brand recognition. The company’s key principle is creative freedom for the team while maintaining ethical boundaries, allowing it to quickly respond to trends and remain relevant. As a result of this approach, Aviasales is perceived not only as a service for searching and finding cheap air tickets, but also as a fully-fledged participant in online culture and a reliable assistant.