LIFT Academy Case Study

Situation

Republic Airways recognized that something different needed to be done to address the growing global pilot shortage, which was (and is) having a detrimental effect on the travel industry. In order to create a larger pilot pool, and specifically one that would help Republic Airways fill their needs, Republic decided to open their own flight school. This flight school would be the most technologically advanced training program of its type, supplying Republic with a direct pipeline of First Officers.

Solution

CVR developed the name and brand identity for LIFT Academy, with LIFT being an acronym for Leadership In Flight Training based on Republic’s core values. From there, CVR developed a launch plan to attract millennials to the flight school. The initial campaign, “Explorers Wanted,” appealed to what was most important to millennials— having a full-time paycheck, flexibility to travel and work/life balance. To launch this campaign, CVR developed collateral and a paid media campaign directing to a new website that CVR created at www.flywithlift.com.

Since LIFT’s opening, CVR has supported the Academy’s success and growth through additional campaigns recruiting students, maintenance positions and flight instructors for the Indianapolis campus as well as its new location in Myrtle Beach, SC. The campaigns included programmatic digital ads, paid and organic social content, Google Search Ads, contextual targeting, retargeting and traditional channels including out-of-home and terrestrial radio.

Outcome

In 2023, CVR drove a record number of applications for LIFT Academy. As a result of a 6x increase in conversions compared to the previous media buying agency, the client increased spending by 100% resulting in a 500% increase in applications or more than 1,500 applications per month.