Translating emotional insights into digital channel designs: Opportunities to enhance the airport experience
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify and understand the emotions behind a passenger’s airport experience and how this can inform digital channel engagements.
Design/methodology/approach
This study investigates the emotional experience of 200 passengers’ journeys at an Australian domestic airport. A survey was conducted which implemented the use of Emocards and an interview approach of laddering. The responses were then analysed into attributes, consequences and values.
Findings
The results indicate that across key stages of the airport (parking, retail, gates and arrivals) passengers had different emotional experiences (positive, negative and neutral). The attributes, consequences and values behind these emotions were then used to propose digital channel content and purpose of various future digital channel engagements.
Research limitations/implications
By gaining emotional insights, airports are able to generate digital channel engagements, which align with passengers’ needs and values rather than internal operational motivations. Theoretical contributions include the development of the technology acceptance model to include emotional drivers as influences in the use of digital channels.
Originality/value
This paper provides a unique method to understand the passengers’ emotional journey across the airport infrastructure and suggest how to better design digital channel engagements to address passenger latent needs.
Keywords
Citation
Straker, K. and Wrigley, C. (2016), "Translating emotional insights into digital channel designs: Opportunities to enhance the airport experience", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 135-157. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-11-2015-0041
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited