Case Study: Etihad Airways blindsides the competition in a sports sponsorship promotion with 8020 Communications

Etihad Airways reaches 46 million football fans with 8020 Communications

Etihad Airways faced the challenge of competing with Qatar Airways' prominent sponsorship of the UEFA Euro 2021 Final. The airline tasked its vendor, 8020 Communications, with launching a social media competition to cut through the noise of the event and engage football fans, despite a modest budget and significant media focus on the game itself.

8020 Communications implemented a targeted media strategy by partnering with The Athletic and Radio News Hub to reach a micro-audience of football fans. This approach resulted in the #EtihadFreeFlights hashtag trending at #2 on Twitter in the UK and UAE during the match. The campaign ultimately reached over 46 million fans, generated 11,000 tweets, and achieved more than 400,000 engagements across four markets for Etihad.

Etihad Airways