‘I’m amazed by how many people it reached!’ Former cabin crew member reveals how she used MailOnline’s Ad Manager to promote her unique small business
Advertising Feature
When Jane Whittaker was made redundant from British Airways in 2020, she already had a plan to use the skills she and her colleagues had developed over many years in a new context.
From excellent communication and interpersonal abilities to a knack for problem solving, it struck her that the talents she recognised in her fellow cabin crew would be ideally suited to the world of luxury hospitality.
The 53-year-old, from Kimbolton, a town nine miles west of Huntingdon, brought her idea to life by incorporating corporate hospitality staffing agency High Flying Events Crew in August 2020.
Jane Whittaker set up her own corporate hospitality staffing agency after being made redundant from British Airways
‘All our High Flying Events Crew are current or former cabin crew. We’ve all had years of training with some of the world’s best airlines,’ she says.
‘We can look the part, create rapport and remain calm under pressure, while we don’t get flustered with A-listers.
Ad Manager: The results
Type of campaign used: Contextual
Displayed to users reading: Business, Food & Drink, and TV & Showbiz
High impact ad formats: Double MPU and Billboard
The campaign was seen by 1,052,983 people, and delivered 880 potential new customers to their website.
‘I was confident the idea would work because it was so unique, with nothing else like it on the market.’
Jane’s first ever commission was providing staff for an event at a racecourse in July 2021 – just after lockdown ended.
Her clients were delighted by the first class service they received and quickly began recommending High Flying Events Crew to similar venues.
‘Things became busier and busier each month and we got great feedback,’ she says.
‘In January everything stopped due to Omicron, and it was quiet in February as well. Fortunately, though, business picked up and we’re now flourishing.
‘As well as racecourses, we also work in luxury hotels and at weddings, exhibitions, conferences and TV and media events, always with a focus on high-value clients.’
Due to her unique approach of only recruiting serving and former cabin crew, Jane felt she needed to explain High Flying Events Crew to potential new customers.
With this in mind, she seized the chance to try MailOnline’s new advertising platform, Ad Manager, which was set up to help small and medium sized businesses like hers market to its huge network of 25million readers.
Jane says: ‘All our High Flying Events Crew are current or former cabin crew. We’ve all had years of training with some of the world’s best airlines’
The easy-to-use system is much more affordable than conventional newspaper advertising methods, and allows business owners to create their own campaign, set the budget and the target audience. Ads can be live in less than 24 hours.
‘Because we only work with current and former airline employees, we’re unlike any other staffing agency – so it’s important potential customers realise that,’ she says.
With Ad Manager, targeting a specific audience is easy, with hyper-local advertising for relevant customers.
Not only can you advertise to more people in your area than your local titles can reach – you can also target customers by postcode, interests, and life stage, ensuring you reach as many of MailOnline’s 25 million readers as you choose.
To focus on readers who were most likely to become clients, Jane chose to place the ads on stories about business, food and drink, and TV and showbiz.
‘The idea was to reach the kind of people who do events,’ she says.
‘For example, it was important to have our ads on MailOnline’s TV and Showbiz channel because a lot of events we staff are for broadcast media.
‘The ads themselves were brilliant – really well laid out and eye-catching. We did most of the design, with our own font and style, and they tweaked it to fit the site.’
Jane felt she needed to explain High Flying Events Crew to potential new customers. With this in mind, she seized the chance to try MailOnline’s new advertising platform, Ad Manager
In just two weeks, ads for High Flying Events Crew have been viewed more than a million times, with 800 clicks through to the company’s website.
‘I’m amazed by how many people it reached!’ Jane says.
While in the first few months Jane was happy to rely on word of mouth, with 250 staff now on the books she wants to advertise to a much larger audience across the whole country.
‘Getting our story out there helps build brand awareness,’ she says.
‘It’s very important to spread the word to high-end clients and eventually bring in more business.
‘The campaign has spread awareness to so many people, as you can see by the number of views!’
Here’s how you can advertise YOUR small business on MailOnline:
Behind the business
The outbreak of Covid was a grim time for anyone working in the airline industry, with lockdowns across the world leading to a collapse in leisure and business travel.
Airlines quickly began shedding staff, including Jane Whittaker’s employer, British Airways.
‘I was in cabin crew for BA for 27 years but was made redundant in 2020 because of the pandemic,’ she says.
‘When we left the company we thought we’d never see each other again and morale was really low.
‘Everyone’s mental health had taken a real hit so we had to pick ourselves up and brush ourselves off.’
Jane had long thought about how the personal and professional skills of experienced cabin crew like her would make a perfect fit for the world of corporate hospitality.
Jane’s company has now successfully completed 680 jobs since getting started in July last year
So, rather than sink into despondency, Jane spent lockdown setting up High Flying Events Crew.
Her first event in July 2021 prompted rave reviews and more bookings soon followed. It was clear her idea was proving a real hit, just like she’d imagined.
For Jane, the most rewarding aspect of her business has been the impact on her colleagues, who’ve been delighted to be able to put their talents to good use.
‘Covid was so hard for everyone and lots of us were struggling,’ she says.
‘This has been such a boost, with lots of my colleagues telling me how much it’s meant to them and helped their mental health.
‘We’re like one big family. I know everyone and definitely don’t feel like the boss.’
Setting up a small business is always a risk, but Jane couldn’t be happier about how things are going.
High Flying Events Crew has now successfully completed 680 jobs, and the company was recently nominated at the SME National Business Awards for best customer service in the UK.
Jane adds: ‘When I started my business I sold my car and invested my entire redundancy money – it was a massive risk and I could have ended up homeless.
‘But it’s all been worth it because now things are going fantastically and we’re growing quickly.’
Click here to find out how Ad Manager can help YOUR small business
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