Kulula & Mango - most sought after SA airlines
On a monthly basis, Google's "zeitgeist" publishes the 15 terms which were most searched for by internet users with South African IP adresses. Various South African airliners are often on this list - which is indicative of the fact that South Africans are still familiarising themselves with the web, the fact that some of the carriers are relatively new and that their web addresses aren't obvious.
zeit·geist | Pronunciation: 'tsIt-"gIst, 'zIt | Function: noun | Etymology: German, from Zeit (time) + Geist (spirit) | Date: 1884 | Meaning: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era. |
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Kulula, Mango, Nationwide & SAA pay the price
For instance, I would have expected the web addresses to be www.kulula.co.za, www.mango.co.za and www.saa.co.za, www.velvetsky.co.za, and www.1time.co.za ; whereas in reality the web addresses are www.kulula.com, www.flysaa.com and www.flyflyvelvetsky.co.za - it's only 1time who's web addresses are the obvious. In a business where most tickets are now sold over the internet, it costs you if you don't own your brand name's web address (a lot).
Airline search history
Google provides a history of the 15 most popular South African searches going back a year to February 2006. It's interesting that British Airways, Nationwide Airlines and 1time airlines have never appeared in the top 15 searches. South Africans are more concerned with looking for Kulula Airlines, Mango Airlines and SAA.
Kulula Airlines a perennial favourite
SAA has only been searched for in October and November 2006, which coincides with the time when people would be booking their December vacation flights. Mango Airlines came in second place in the search engines in the month of its marketing launch, November 2006 (the fact that Mango's homepage didn't top google's search heap probably contributed to the confusion). Kulula has been most frequently in the top 15, with a top place of 7th in November 2006 (coinciding with when people are booking their December vacation flights), however Mango Airlines has been in higher positions since it came on the scene (this may change as people realise where to find it).
The Anna, Britney & Paris effect
In February 2007, for the first time since July 2006, none of the airlines are featuring in Google's top 15 search terms (South Africans were more interested in Anna Nicole Smith, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton).
|
Kulula |
Mango Airlines |
SAA |
|---|---|---|---|
Feb 2007 |
>15 |
>15 |
>15 |
Jan 2007 |
12 |
11 |
>15 |
Dec 2006 |
14 |
12 |
>15 |
Nov 2006 |
7 |
2 |
14 |
Oct 2006 |
11 |
- |
13 |
Sep 2006 |
10 |
- |
>15 |
Aug 2006 |
11 |
- |
>15 |
Jul 2006 |
>15 |
- |
>15 |
Jun 2006 |
>15 |
- |
>15 |
May 2006 |
>15 |
- |
>15 |
Apr 2006 |
13 |
- |
>15 |
Mar 2006 |
>15 |
- |
>15 |
Feb 2006 |
13 |
- |
>15 |
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