American Airlines travelers were visiting the aa.com web site but weren’t purchasing tickets. Bustin & Co. put an internet twist on the 80-20 rule. With 85% of Boston, Austin and San Jose-based travelers owning laptops, Bustin & Co. concluded that these markets -- where the airline provided non-stop service among the three -- were primed for a highly targeted program. A fully integrated program featuring Dilbert was launched via the web, in-plane communiques, airport displays, direct marketing, print advertising and publicity. The Dilbert program developed by Bustin & Co. tripled aa.com’s traffic and, more important, increased internet purchases of American Airlines tickets 30%.
