We love
our clients

And we love when we exceed their expectations. Read below for some case studies and client feedback.

P&O Ferries

“Aviatrix was brilliant and surpassed our expectations. This project has been so insightful it is being used by our board as a new strategy to create change in the business.”

–Michaela Mullen
Head of Customer Experience
P&O Ferries

The Brief
To find ways customers want to improve the Dover to Calais onboard experience.

Our Approach
We wanted to challenge previous assumptions about customer profiles and preferences and put the customer at the heart of decision-making.

Methodologies

  • Virtual Reality journeys for both existing customers and ones who have never used the service.

  • An online quantitative survey with 1300 customers that had travelled on the ferry in the last three weeks.

  • A values-based segmentation model to gain an in-depth understanding of what the different customer groups needed to feel comfortable and safe onboard.

  • Onboard exit interviews with 600 tourists, business and freight passengers.

  • Online focus groups with 64 participants using Virtual Reality Films to immerse passengers in the experience of being onboard.

  • An online passenger research community with 100 passengers for three months to ensure that the implementation of the improvements were in alignment with passenger wants and needs.

The Results
Fundamental widely held beliefs within the organisation were overturned by the findings on frequency of travel, customer profile and party size leading to a change in customer proposition and service hierarchy.

Virtual Reality exposed a rich source of untapped insight that amplified the narrative as we were able to immerse non-ferry travellers in the ferry experience and they were able to consider it afresh. Regular ferry travellers were able to step back from the habitual stories of being onboard and re-discover the details of their experience of being onboard from their arrival on the ferry to the food court experience.

St Austell

“A real knowledge of the industry. Kind, sensitive and empathetic.”

–Tamsyn Allington
People and Communications Director 
St Austell

The Brief
To develop a customer-centric strategy that focused on identifying who the different customers were, what they wanted from a St Austell pub and what would make them visit more frequently. 

Our Approach
We aimed to create a targeted marketing plan that built a business based on the local community which would serve the tourist customers when they were visiting.

Methodologies

  • Focus on the annual value of a customer rather than the short-term visit focus leading to higher levels of customer loyalty.  

  • Creation of a research community that prioritised the voices and opinions of over a thousand local community members.

  • Mystery visits carried around all of the sites.

  • Re-engineered menu, adjusting the price points to increase the appeal for the locals and increased profitability.  

  • Improved reputation in the local community to increase recommendation and increase customer base.  

Testimonial 
‘The initial work enabled us to have a clear, detailed global view on the whole estate, and subsequent work enabled us to get more granular on specific segments and to ensure we had relevant, detailed market data ahead of any investment or testing of new and evolved concepts. It also laid the path for us to set up a customer experience team and approach to support the growing managed estate business.’ 

 ‘Aviatrix is bespoke, collaborative and uses a personal approach. A real willingness to get alongside you and understand the business in detail, a positive and flexible approach to helping manage all stakeholders and key parties across a complex and privately owned business. A real knowledge of the industry. Kind, sensitive and empathetic.’

–Tamsyn Allington
People and Communications Director 
St Austell

Paula Rosa Manhattan Kitchens

“I was completely wrong about who our target customer was. The experience has been brilliant, and the project has been of great value.”

–Eric Prescott
CEO
PRMF Kitchens

The Brief
To build a risk-free strategy for a new online kitchen business and identify their target customer and care for them, from the trigger to buy to the aftercare required post-purchase.

Our Approach
To conduct an ethnographic study into the target customer profile and how they shop online for a kitchen, alongside focus groups and a large-scale online survey.  

Methodologies

  • Online surveys with 400 of their potential customers to understand who they were and what they wanted from an online kitchen business.

  • An ethnographic study of their target online customers following the purchasing journey with competitive websites and brands.

  • Focus groups to consolidate the learnings and test the new branding.  

  • To re-design their digital marketing to focus on the needs of the customers at each of these ‘digitally unseen’ areas to increase conversion to a sale of a kitchen and increase the likelihood of a follow-up purchase.

  • To develop a simple streamlined customer journey map and plan to focus the messages that are needed at each point of the journey to convert them to the next stage.    

Testimonial 
‘From our first meeting, Aviatrix challenged our assumptions and helped us to focus on what we needed from the research. I will readily admit I was completely wrong about who our customer was. The Aviatrix team were professional, engaging, and personable and I would recommend them to anyone that wants to understand their customers better. Watching the videos of our target customers was like sitting in their living room – seeing and hearing their thought processes – we learnt so much about how customers behave and what they expect at every stage in the journey. This solid knowledge is embedded in us all which is extremely useful in our existing business. We can make confident decisions without the level of uncertainty typical in a new business. We have de-risked the investment and increased the potential for a return by knowing exactly how to create higher levels of awareness and increase the conversion to buy. The experience has been brilliant, and the project has added great value. We will be working with Helen and her team as we move forward with the project.’

–Eric Prescott
CEO
PRMF Kitchen 

London North Eastern Railway 

“A straightforward and enjoyable process”

–Laetitia Beneteau
Commercial Lead
Leisure Sales
London North Eastern Railway
 

The Brief
To understand how Chinese students experienced travelling within the UK and their perceptions of rail travel and specifically LNER.   

Our Approach
We created a bespoke qualitative research project with a detailed recruitment process to ensure that the participants in the research were aligned with the target market and studied in specific universities along the LNER route. 

Methodologies

  • Detailed, in-depth recruitment process.

  • Relationship building with target customers.

  • Conducting online focus groups to gain clarity and insight.

  • In-depth presentation with recommendations and steps forward.

Testimonial 
‘It was so interesting to hear the views of the Chinese students, the research and its interpretation by Helen and the team have now been adopted by the business and the insights will support LNER to define its engagement and recovery strategy for the coming months.  A straightforward and enjoyable process, delivering very meaningful insight into the way Chinese students use our services, and highlighting challenges and opportunities for LNER. Thank you!’

–Laetitia Beneteau
Commercial Lead
Leisure Sales
London North Eastern Railway 

Brighton and Hove buses

“Aviatrix delivered considerable added value over and above the original brief.”

–Carole Richmond
Marketing Manager
Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company Ltd 

The Brief
To answer the question of ‘What would a bus service be like if it was designed, created and operated by women?’ Not so that it alienates men, but so it considers the needs of everyone that uses the buses and makes the service more attractive, accessible and a preferred method of transport primarily in Brighton and Hove for all. 

Our Approach
We isolated the voice of female users and non-users of the bus service by only using female participants in a qualitative research programme which contributed insights. This resulted in an amended operations strategy and a change to the marketing and communication strategy that focused on providing a bus service that people chose to use as a sustainable method of transport. 

Methodologies

  • Short profile interviews with women as part of the recruitment process.

  • Identified women who used the bus and those that had lapsed who would participate in the qualitative research.

  • In-person focus groups with women.

Testimonial
‘Aviatrix helped us understand how women felt about our bus service. It also helped us understand how important the female market sector was for our future growth. We now have the evidence to support our hunch that our buses needed to be much cleaner and we needed to offer consistent, excellent customer service every time we interact with a customer. Helen’s energy, focus and expert knowledge combined with the ability to understand the difficult and complex public transport sector. Aviatrix delivered considerable added value over and above the original brief. The Aviatrix approach can be summed up as passionate, informed and committed.’

–Carole Richmond
Marketing Manager
Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company Ltd 

Busaba

“Aviatrix were responsive, adaptable and a pleasure to work with on large scale projects as well as smaller more niche consultations.”

– Joel Falconer
MD
Busaba

The Brief
The Thai restaurant chain wanted to understand the essence of the brand and why customers loved them so that they could ensure a successful expansion of their business outside London. 

Our Approach
We used a values-based segmentation model to understand their customers and identify the key ways to satisfy the needs of the all important early adopters who are vital energy to creating a trendsetting restaurant and ensure that the individuals that create brand momentum are equally happy.  Our challenge was to attract and satisfy the needs of both value segments.

Methodologies

  • Online surveys with existing and lapsed customers.

  • In-depth focus groups across the London Locations.

  • Values-based segmentation using Cultural Dynamics.

  • Detailed analysis and client workshop including strategic recommendations.

Testimonial
‘Busaba first engaged Aviatrix as part of a large-scale guest engagement programme designed to help us update and evolve an establishment business ahead of a national roll out. From the first meeting to the final report and beyond Aviatrix have been focused on delivering the intelligence and insight which we required and have worked in a collaborative environment to bring this about. 
The outputs from the project were comprehensive and considered, helping to provide the confidence required in the business to drive meaningful change and create the platform for our expansion. Throughout the process, Aviatrix was responsive, adaptable and a pleasure to work with on large-scale projects as well as smaller more niche consultations in which we engaged since.’

Joel Falconer
MD
Busaba 

The Original Bowling Company

“Aviatrix challenged us and provided fresh thinking all the way through, delivering exceptional value.”

– James Mawer
Head of Food and Drink
The Original Bowling Company

The Brief
To understand how their customers perceived certain aspects of their operation and how they could improve customer experience and increase sales.

Our Approach
A mixed methodology approach from the customers to front and back of house which allowed us to see the gift of having face-to-face contact with customers and the team - discussing and probing customer opinions yields detailed and valuable insights that create a compelling story and a clear path of action. 

Methodologies

  • Individually tailored and expertly led focus groups for each party within the establishment.

  • Specialised recruitment based on target demographics and online profiling survey to establish the best plan of action moving forward.

  • Cultural dynamic value modes to assist with recruitment, focus groups and online surveys.

  • Analysis and client workshop to present the findings including strategic recommendations and next steps.

Testimonial
‘Aviatrix enabled us to unlock the true value of the food & drink element of our business by talking to our customers. Aviatrix challenged us and provided fresh thinking all the way through the process. The impact on our business was a clear strategic direction for our food and drink business, centred around the insight gathered by Aviatrix.  Aviatrix’s ability to learn about a business or sector quickly enables them to  work to tight deadlines and deliver a return on the investment. Energy and challenge throughout the process gives immense confidence that the strategic output will deliver real value to the business. I would sum Aviatrix up as credible, energetic and challenging.’

James Mawer
Head of Food and Drink
The Original Bowling Company 

We have a lot more case studies and testimonials and would be happy to share them with you on request.