Hokkaido Airport Enhances Visitor Engagement with KUZEN Platform

Enhancing Visitor Engagement at Hokkaido Airport with KUZEN

Hokkaido Airport has recently shared results following the adoption of the KUZEN customer engagement platform, produced by Kuzen Inc. Operating across seven airports in Hokkaido, the platform has turned its focus towards maximizing tenant attraction and purchase rates. Post-introduction, Hokkaido Airport has reported an astonishing increase in new LINE friend additions, multiplying to approximately 20 times their previous figures. Additionally, for the fiscal year 2025, commercial revenue is projected to hit record-breaking heights, showcasing intensified engagement with travelers and impressive commercial outcomes.

Background of the Initiative

Airports uniquely serve as transit points in the extraordinary milieu of travel, distinguishing them from typical commercial facilities. Approximately 70% of users at New Chitose Airport, for instance, visit for tourism or leisure, with 80% of these being repeat visitors. However, the challenge persists, as these individuals seldom return frequently—once every few years on average. Unlike theme parks, which leverage brand strength to draw back visitors, airports must forge deeper relationships within short visits, enabling returns and promoting consumer behavior.

Prior to KUZEN's implementation, Hokkaido Airport had limited digital touchpoints with travelers, struggling to discern customer purchasing behaviors and lacking effective strategies to communicate the attraction of airport consumption. To tackle these issues, the airport sought to enhance customer interaction and information dissemination through the KUZEN platform.

By designing the friend addition process to prompt survey responses, they achieved an impressive response rate exceeding 95%, allowing for the accumulation of essential user demographic data. Analyzing this data revealed that merely promoting the variety and quality of souvenirs did not directly lead to purchases. Instead, the key was to elevate the visitor's overall enjoyment of their Hokkaido experience. As a result, a strategy was deployed that encouraged users to add the LINE account via promotional coupons, and subsequently provided tailored information, enhancing their satisfaction during their travels.

Achievements Due to the Implementation

Backed by dedicated consulting from the Kuzen team, Hokkaido Airport has established a robust support system covering data analysis, campaign planning, and modifications. This framework integrates promotional tactics, combining LINE coupon campaigns with step distribution to ensure continual engagement with travelers between arrival and departure. The outcomes included:

1. Dramatic Increase in Friend Additions
The airport configured insider coupons as incentives for friend additions, bolstered by promotional posters in the baggage claim area and refined website navigation routes. This approach escalated monthly friend additions from a mere 100-150 to around 3,000, marking a significant boost.

2. Establishing Direct Media Channels
The airport developed a communication platform that connects directly with high-engagement customer segments likely to return mid-trip, negating reliance on external advertising arrangements.

3. Record-Breaking Commercial Revenue
Thanks to the multifaceted marketing initiatives, the fiscal year 2025 is on course to set new commercial revenue records, including a single-day highest revenue.

4. Support for Smaller Tenants and Enhanced Purchasing
Efforts to draw traffic to less frequently visited areas within the airport and amplify marketing capacities for small-scale tenants have flourished. This drive has increased closing rates and facilitated overall circulation across airport shops.

5. Continued Engagement Before Departure
Post friend addition, step distribution was utilized to share exclusive airport souvenir and gourmet information with travelers during their stay in Hokkaido. Hence, it promoted planned and impulse purchases as travelers recalled these offers when at the airport.

Looking Ahead

Hokkaido Airport, represented by Yabe and Ogasawara, anticipates building upon these initiatives, focusing on traveler communication from arrival to departure. While current dissemination relies on text, there are plans to integrate web content showcasing Hokkaido's tourism, culinary, and souvenir offerings into the distribution process to increase informational value.

In the long run, the airport aims to devise strategies that improve tenant distribution channels and revenue contributions by leveraging online means. Establishing such online pathways would enable them to engage not only actual airport users but also potential customers interested in Hokkaido's culinary delights. By extending the KUZEN platform's application for conversions from potential clients and maximizing existing customer lifetime value (LTV), the airport envisions fostering direct revenue growth.

You can explore further insights about KUZEN's success at Hokkaido Airport here. The official LINE account of Hokkaido Airport can be accessed through the associated QR code, facilitating optimized customer connections and enhancing engagement.