Turkish Airlines created the world's first live-streamed flight around the world using Twitter’s Periscope app. This case study looks at how the brand fused new technology with a clever idea and precise execution to get over a quarter million new likes.
Case study summary
• Airline runs first branded live-stream broadcast in the air by Periscope
• Dual teams managed broadcast on flight and social media platforms and response on the ground
• Overall, Turkish Airlines reached 5,118 new followers and 292,779 total likes.
The challenge
Turkish Airlines has been raising the level of aviation by the perfect service mentality and innovative approach for years. The brand aimed to represent this attitude by means of digital media and prepared the first branded live-stream broadcast in the air by Periscope.
The airline aimed to increase the followers and the interaction rate on its Periscope page by showing the process of the flights and answering the question that people wonder about the flights.
The solution
The Turkish Airlines Periscope flight started from a live streaming at the Crew Garden in Istanbul Ataturk Airport, where pilots and flight attendants relaxed before boarding the plane.
Through Periscope the airline showcased crew cabins, flight lounges, pre-flight checks, inflight service, the crew and the pilots hard at work.
The aim of the Periscope Flight Project was to present the hospitality and professionalism of Turkish Airlines as well as the innovative side of the company.
They created two different teams. While the travelling team broadcast the flight crew, the back-up team was operating other mediums such as Twitter, Facebook and other digital properties.
The broadcasting then moved to the aircraft itself and followed the crew’s preparation, including exterior checks. After that, the real journey began: Turkish Airlines’ onboard Wi-Fi system live-streamed live images of the crew at work while flying over the North Atlantic Airspace.
Through Periscope, viewers could also take a sneak peek also in the Crew Rest Departments, an area which is usually out of bounds for normal travellers.
Viewers rose to the peak when the flight went live from the US airspace and Turkish Airlines started asking viewers to guess where they were about to land. At last, this exceptional journey ended with the farewell of the crew from Times Square, in New York City.
The results
The audiences showed a great interest towards the first live-stream broadcast. The total like number was 292,779 while they gained 5,118 new followers.
The Crew Garden
Live: 843 viewers, 7,264 likes
Replay: 908 viewers, 7,647 likes
The Preparations of the Crew
Live: 3,969 viewers, 70,737 likes
Replay: 4,499 viewers, 52,385 likes
North Atlantic Airspace
Live: 920 viewers, 11,919 likes
Replay: 826 viewers, 9,050 likes
US Airspace
Live: 2,045 viewers, 30,061 likes
Replay: 4,848 viewers, 33,432 likes
The Crew Rest
Live: 810 viewers, 16,016 likes
Replay: 836 viewers, 18,191 likes
We've Landed
Live: 897 viewers, 10,234 likes
Replay: 2,565 viewers, 12,520 likes
Times Square, NYC
Live: 871 viewers, 8,181 likes
Replay: 485 viewers, 5,148 likes
Overall, Turkish Airlines reached 5,118 new followers and 292,779 total likes.
