Malaysia Airports promoting iButterfly campaign

The butterflies’ effect: The iButterfly app reflects Malaysia Airports’ creative approach to promoting airports as lifestyle destinations, says senior GM of Commercial Services, Faizah Khairuddin.

Malaysia Airports has released butterflies at its international airports. Catch them and be rewarded with discounts, freebies and more!

Wings of a different kind are flapping around Malaysia’s international airports, and they are not attached to airplanes. More than 35 different species of butterflies are fluttering around KLIA. Catch them with your iPhone or iPad and you will be rewarded instantly.

Welcome to the world of iButterfly, a unique mobile application combining three technologies: augmented reality, global positioning system and motion sensing.

It is also a fun, entertaining platform for today’s on-the-move consumers, enabling them to enjoy great offerings via mobile information delivery and paperless couponing technology.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (Malaysia Airports) is the first company in the country to leverage on the technology, a proprietary innovation by Dentsu, at all five of its international airports.

Faizah Khairuddin, senior general manager of Commercial Services at Malaysia Airports, said: “We are proud that Malaysia Airports was the first in Malaysia to utilise the iButterfly application when it was launched in 2011. Today, we are adding to the ‘species’ of butterflies that are going to be flying at our international airports.

“This technology underscores our creative approach to promoting airports as credible lifestyle destinations for shopping and dining. “Statistics have shown that 46% of travellers aged 22-plus engage with mobile devices while waiting for their flights*. iButterfly is an ideal digital platform to engage with our travellers while they are at the airport.” iButterfly challenges consumers to catch the virtual butterflies, seen through the iPhone or iPad camera viewfinder.

A user just has to download the app, launch it and try to catch the virtual butterflies by swinging his or her device like a butterfly net. Collected butterflies may be redeemed for freebies, discounts or other goodies at participating retailers.

All a user has to do is download the app and launch it to try and catch the virtual butterflies by swinging his or her mobile device like a butterfly net, before putting the captured butterflies in a collection.

The captured butterflies can be redeemed for free beverages, discounts and exclusive gifts with purchases from participating retailers at KL International Airport including LCCT-KLIA, Langkawi International Airport, Penang International Airport, Kuching International Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

Each butterfly contains a different discount coupon, product offering and promotion unique to a participating retailer. The beauty of the iButterfly campaign is that consumers can decide when and at which international airport in Malaysia they wish to collect the offers. Under the ongoing promotion, customers can enjoy a myriad of constantly updated offers and other privileges.

Participating brands are Bijoux Terner, Bonia, Burger King, Café Barbera, Colours & Fragrances, Choc Stop International, Diamoney, Delifrance Café & Bakery, Dunkin’ Donuts, Eraman, Fauchon Paris Le Café, Flying Nomad Clothing, Fotopro, Fukuya, Gold City, Hush Puppies, Khazanah, L’Occitane, Lizara, Royal Selangor, Satay Club Grill & Bar, Secret Recipe, Sembonia, Starbucks Coffee, The Body Shop, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, The Olive Tree, Toy Paradise, Malaysian Wok, Valentino Rudy and Zon Emporium.

To mark the “release” of its butterflies at KLIA, Malaysia Airports hosted an iButterfly Catch Up Day recently. Travellers and members of the public thronged KLIA to catch the different “species” of butterflies fluttering across the airport. Many were rewarded instantly with cash vouchers and iPhone or iPad accessories.

Attendees interacted with, and watched performances by their favourite entertainers – Afdlin Shauki, Sazzy Falak and DJ Altimet – and took part in an iButterfly dance.

Faizah explained: “The iButterfly initiative forms part of our Indulge Till You Fly (ITUF) campaign, which supports our overall strategy to create an attractive and appealing lifestyle environment for travellers and visitors.”
“By offering such groundbreaking technology to our concessionaires, we are adding value to their brands while underpinning our distinction as an airport operator.

“Brands can take advantage of this digital platform to come up with exciting promotional activities whereby the development turnaround is shorter. They can also refresh their campaigns to be timed according to seasonal promotions.”

Faizah added that non-aeronautical revenue is fast becoming a major source of airport revenue around the world and this is increasingly so for Malaysia Airports.

Through campaigns such as ITUF and its various supporting initiatives like iButterfly, Malaysia Airports aims to broaden its appeal as an exciting retail destination – not just for travellers but also for visitors, employees, business partners and others.

A Dentsu Malaysia spokesman added: “We are extremely excited that Malaysia Airports and its concessionaires have embraced the iButterfly application so wholeheartedly.”

Travellers at KLIA can look out for Malaysia Airports’ iButterfly ambassadors for more information on how to catch the butterflies as well as to participate in the on-ground iButterfly wind tunnel booths where they stand a chance to win exciting prizes.

For more information or to find out more on the various iButterfly promotions, just go to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Foursquare and search under the name “IButterfly MAHB”. Besides Malaysia, the iButterfly technology is also available in in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.
-thestar online.