Posts by Raymond Girard

Inflight entertainment doesn’t just keep customers entertained, it contributes considerably to overall satisfaction and builds loyalty. The following airlines – many of them Spafax clients – are recipients of Skytrax 2011 World Airline Awards for excellence in the overall passenger experience and we salute them!

The top 10 airlines (and the entertainment products we produce for them):

1. Qatar Airways (Oryx inflight entertainment guides)
2. Singapore Airlines (KrisWorld entertainment guides)
3. Asiana Airlines (audio and video entertainment)
4. Cathay Pacific
5. Thai Airways (audio and video entertainment)
6. Etihad Airways (audio and video entertainment)
7. Air New Zealand
8. Qantas Airways (video entertainment)
9. Turkish Airlines
10. Emirates (short feature entertainment, entertainment branding and promotions)

Emirates was also the recipient of the Best Inflight Entertainment award.

We’re also proud to work with the recipients of regional airline awards:

Air Canada (enRoute magazine, digital media and entertainment)
Lufthansa (a new entertainment client)
British Airways (audio and video entertainment)
Austrian Airways (a new entertainment client)
Finnair (audio and video entertainment)
Swiss (video entertainment)
Virgin America (video entertainment

Check out the awards at the Skytrax website: http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards_2011/ife2011.htm

I’m pleased to announce that Spafax publications and media produced for clients LAN Airlines, Air Canada, Bombardier Business Aviation and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts were awarded a record 19 awards for excellence in content marketing at the 2011 Magnum Opus Awards announced Monday.

Although these awards are all for different clients and represent a variety of formats from more “traditional” print publications like enRoute and IN magazines and online publications like enRoute Online, the thing they all have in common is Spafax’s unique approach to content marketing. As Spafax Content Director Arjun Basu likes to say – “At Spafax, we believe effective and engaging content marketing starts with quality editorial and creative. These awards are a testament to our approach, as well as to the vision of our clients.”

These awards set us apart in South America as well. Paula Fontaine, who heads Spafax Medios y Publicidad in Santiago, Chile, says that “the art of truly creating content for brands is in its infancy here but brands like LAN Airlines understand that well crafted stories and the media platforms they reside on help cement the relationship – the conversation – between them and their customers.”

Congratulations to all at Spafax who work diligently to create the magazines, sites, apps and myriad other platforms – and the content that goes into them.

Here’s the list:

2011 GRAND AWARD WINNERS

Print Magazine External Audience
Grand Winner
enRoute
Spafax

Special Recognition
enRoute
Spafax

2011 PRINT MAGAZINE WINNERS

Best Overall Editorial
Bronze
enRoute
Spafax

Honorable Mention
Food/LAN
Spafax

Best Interview or Profile
Gold
Moving Mountains
Experience
Spafax

Best Signed Editorial or Essay
Gold
In Your Dreams
Fairmont
Spafax

Honorable Mention
Our Literary America
IN
Spafax

Best CSR/Green Series or Article
Gold
Solidarity with the Galapagos
IN
Spafax

Honorable Mention
Choosing Responsibly
Experience
Spafax

Best Overall Design 4+ color
Gold
enRoute
Spafax

Best Feature Design
Gold
Suite 528
IN
Spafax

Bronze
Bicentennial
IN
Spafax

Best Use of Illustration Single Feature
Gold
Four Modern Classics Open Their Doors
Fairmont
Spafax

Best Use of Photography Single Feature
Gold
High Tea
Fairmont
Spafax

Silver
A Matter of Taste
IN
Spafax

Bronze
Suite 528
IN
Spafax

Honorable Mention
Iquique at Your Feet
IN
Spafax

2011 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION OR WEB SITE WINNERS

Best How-to Article
Gold
The Considerate Traveler
enRoute
Spafax

Best Publication Companion Web Site Design

Honorable Mention
www.enroute.aircanada.com
enRoute
Spafax

Way back in 2009 Niall McBain and the Spafax Board identified the need for a blog. From that request, Sparksheet was born as the online magazine about marketing to the consumer in transit.

Our basic mandate remains the same but we’ve made a host of design and editorial changes that reflect our evolution from upstart b2b blog into one of the most credible magazines about marketing and media to be found anywhere. Although our singular focus on editorial excellence, independence and quality design has won us a dozen awards and fans such as theeconomist.com and guardian.co.uk, the best prize of all is the relationship we have with our hyper-engaged readers.

In keeping with Spafax’s approach to content marketing, Sparksheet thrives on different platforms and connects with its readers wherever and whenever they want – from twitter to facebook to your inbox and your iPhone, so check it out on whatever platform you chose. In the meantime, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who help make Sparksheet the success it is:

• Dan Levy, Editor
• Charles Lim, Web Director / Art Director
• Joey Tanny, Community Manager
• Dimitry Zolotaryov, Developer
• Arjun Basu, Spafax Content Director
• Elaine Lim and Ian Gamache, Spafax Interactive support
• Niall McBain, CEO Spafax and Sparksheet’s biggest fan
• our proofreaders (as Dan likes to point out – we’re one of the few marketing blogs that benefits from a proofreader!)
• Spafax contributors and supporters
• and last but not least, our contributors from Brazil to China and all points in between

And we’ve gone full circle: you can read more about the making of the new Sparksheet on Sparkbeat, our new… Blog!

As usual, we look forward to your comments – let us know what you think.

Thanks -
Raymond Girard
Publisher

Spafax announces the opening of a brand new office in Frankfurt to service Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines & Austrian Airlines

We’re pleased to announce the addition of a new Spafax “destination” – Frankfurt, Germany. Our German base of operations will be under the management of newly recruited Senior Director Helmut Lauerbach, formerly with Atlas Air, and situated in the offices of our WPP sister company Wunderman. Helmut and his team will liaise closely with the Spafax inflight entertainment teams in the UK and California to deliver an outstanding entertainment experience to the Lufthansa Group airlines and their passengers.

“The opening of a new Spafax office is a reflection of the continued growth of our business,” says Niall McBain, Spafax CEO. “It confirms our place as a leading provider of branded content and media services to the best of the world’s airlines.”

In addition to Frankfurt, Spafax also has offices in London, California, Dubai, Montreal, Santiago de Chile, Singapore and Toronto.

Niall McBain, CEO of Spafax, announces strategic changes to the Spafax senior management team in London

ANN WILLIS appointed Managing Director, Spafax Specialized Networks and Development

Ann Willis has been appointed to the role of Managing Director, Specialized Networks and Development. This new position will support expansion of our content offer onto new platforms and networks – including the world of Digital Out of Home media (DOOH).

In addition to launching a new creative / production team in London, Ann will be working closely with Spafax Inflight Entertainment, Spafax Media & Publishing and Spafax Interactive to develop tailored content packages that promote client products and services to targeted customer audiences. Spafax Specialized Networks will also support and collaborate with WPP’s new venture tenthavenue.

SUE PINFOLD promoted to Executive Vice President, Inflight Entertainment, EMEA

Sue Pinfold has been promoted to Executive Vice President – Inflight Entertainment (IFE). Sue has played a vital role in the development and delivery of our IFE services and this appointment reflects her contribution to the strength of our business and ongoing development of client relationships.

Sue is now responsible for the IFE departments in London and Dubai. She’ll continue to work with Ann Willis, Managing Director Specialized Networks and Development on new services and with Al St Germain, VP Spafax USA, in managing our entertainment business worldwide.