The challenge
Having just spent billions to launch a new commercial aircraft, Embraer needed to find a way to carve out a position in a category dominated by behemoths like Airbus and Boeing. And they needed to do it fast. The brand lacked the clout on a global scale needed to challenge its heavyweight adversaries.
The question became, how does a lesser known challenger gain the fame and admiration needed to succeed in a market where buying cycles can be measured in decades, decision makers are varied and difficult to engage, and where purchase choices are traditionally based on product features, performance and price? By seeking distinctiveness befitting its cultural origins.
The solution
We knew we could be bold. Having developed Embraer’s corporate brand on the theme ‘We live for the challenge’, when we chose to do something which broke all category conventions, we were confident the client would rise to the challenge too.
As always, finding a lasting solution starts with uncovering an ingenious insight. The research we undertook uncovered a simple but powerful truth - the challenge for every airline is making and maintaining a sustainable profit in a thin margin business.
We created The Profit Hunter nickname to represent this truth, the product, and the needs of the market, defying the market convention of alpha-numeric naming of aircraft. We also brought The Profit Hunter to life by creating predator personas from the natural world from the target market region.
Creating a distinctive name and personality that competitors couldn’t rival for impact, by using the biggest mobile canvas available - the aircraft.
As a result, Embraer emerged as David, in a marketplace previously dominated by Goliaths.
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The results
The Profit Hunter landed over $15 billion in orders after 12 months of the programme being live, rising to the world’s most loved brand in their market.
Fame.
Highest regional growth in Fame.
Admiration.
Positive net sentiment for E-jets - outperforming Airbus & Boeing
Belief.
$15.3bn in orders.
The recognition
The “Profit Hunter” marketing program has been described by LinkedIn as the world's most successful. It is also the world’s most awarded, winning over 400 awards for marketing excellence.
Global Integrated Campaign of the year
Most commercially successful campaign
Marketing Effectiveness – Branding Strategy Campaign
Best Omni-channel marketing campaign
Hit us up
From an initial concern that sales would never take off, Embraer have credited The Profit Hunter programme as delivering an opportunity of $15.1 billion. Fueling Embraer’s defiant rise from an underestimated challenger, to the world’s most loved brand in their market.