SimpliFlying

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For about 21 hours from Oct 21 to Oct 22, JetBlue Airways did a fantastic job of what Rohit Bhargava calls “short term blogging“. They set up a Live blog, to coincide with the opening of their new Terminal 5, at New York’s JFK Airport. There were a couple of posts every hour, keeping track of the latest happenings at the new terminal, updating not just customers but also employees. The blog was quite a hit!

Today, the blog still exists as a reminder of how well JetBlue has embraced technology in order to engage its customers - both internal and external. But the airline has a history of tapping on the Web to interact with customers on their own terms.

David Neelman’s flight log

JetBlue was one of the pioneers in the airline industry to add a “personality” to the company - when David Neelman started his personal blog on JetBlue’s website in September 2006 (way before Web 2.0 became the craze it is today). In his first post, David wrote:

I try to fly JetBlue at least once a week, and it’s on these flights that I get to meet so many of our customers, who tell me what they like about our airline and what we can do better….Every week or so, I’ll update this log with information and news that I hope you’ll find interesting or useful…Your ideas keep JetBlue fresh and inviting, so keep ‘em coming. You can send us an email anytime, and we always respond as quickly as possible.

True enough. The blog became an important medium for David to interact directly with the customers and seek their feedback. It probably reached its epitome in February 2007, when he posted an apology on the blog for the massive delays caused due to severe weather in New York. At the end of the day, JetBlue’s efforts resonated well with customers, who lauded the personal touches from an airline. The conclusion: leveraging on blogs to add personality to an airline is a time-tested way to increase traction with customers. Other examples of airlines that run successful blogs include Southwest Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.

JetBlue on Flickr, Twitter, eBay…what next?

Blogging is just one of the tools JetBlue has adopted so well. All pictures from the Live blog for T5 were posted on Flickr. Moreover, JetBlue regularly posts pictures from its events, including BBQs and Thanksgiving parties, for all to see. It’s like sharing experiences with your family over holidays! Both customers and employees who were or were not part of the event feel part of the family through such spontaneous sharing.

Already famous for “following” passengers on Twitter and having an exclusive eBay store, JetBlue has been setting standards for interacting with the customer without interrupting them, and in a way they are comfortable with. In tough times like these, it’s important that airlines make the best use of technology available to them to get closer to the customers to retain them. Customer loyalty in tough times pays off many times over in good times.

In my opinion, JetBlue has led the way among domestic US carriers in using technology to improve customer service. Do you think there are other examples of airlines in the US and globally doing a job as good as Jetblue, if not better? Do you think venturing online is too risky? Let’s discuss, in the comments…

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Image via Wikipedia

Jet Airways is relying heavily on ethnic marketing in the US to get in touch with its key target market of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), and tapping on distribution networks like grocery stores to allow access to tickets! In this part 2 of the exclusive interview with Lisa Markovic, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Jet Airways in the US, shares with us ways in which Jet Airways is trying to trump the current economic crisis.

Flying through the current economy

Jet Airways has been targeting niche events such as Diwali celebrations and India Day Parade in the US to get targeted exposure with the people who regularly fly to India. Moreover, Lisa realizes that these customers “shop around a lot and do their homework before they make a purchase”, and hence Jet Airways offers a product that offers “great value”.

Alliances and more…

One of the mitigation strategies for the current crisis has been to form an alliance with rival Kingfisher Airlines. Lisa shares that this alliance  “really is code-share agreement” such that both the companies can jointly reduce costs on routes globally by sharing resources. Moreover, Lisa reveals that joining a global airline alliance is certainly on the cards for Jet Airways and we should hear about it soon.

I’d encourage you to listen to the 10 mins Part 2 of the interview to learn more about these initiatives and other details Lisa shares about how Jet Airways is aiming to emerge a top airline brand from this crisis.

In case you missed the first part of this interview, you may want to listen to it too. Lisa spoke about the marketing and branding strategies Jet Airways employs in the US and the challenges encountered while entering new markets.

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Lisa Markovic, Jet Airways

Jet Airways has been the shining star of the Indian aviation industry, especially in the past 5 years, since liberalization. The airline established itself as the harbinger of positive changes in the region, and currently offers one of the best service in the Indian skies, their numerous industry awards a proof of that.

A couple of years ago, Jet Airways started international operations and currently offers direct flights to key destinations in India from New York, via their hub in Brussels. However, of late, the airline has struggled with the rest of the world airlines due to fluctuating fuel prices and the economic troubles. Seeking to douse my curiosity on how Jet Airways is dealing with this, I decided to get the inside scoop by speaking with the expert.

In conversation with an industry veteran

In Part 1 of this two-part interview, Lisa Markovic, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Jet Airways in the US, talks about how work at Jet Airways is different from her 22 years at Lufthansa. She shares the unique challenges of differentiating the Jet Airways brand in the US, especially from JetBlue! She also talks about the unique marketing mix Jet Airways is aiming for in the US. When asked about the Jet Airways product and service, Lisa comments, “I’ve flown around the world on a number of airlines, but never came across anything like the product offering of Jet Airways.” I suggest you hear the rest from the lady herself.

Remember to tune in for Part 2 of this interview this Friday. Lisa will talk about how Jet Airways is tapping on “ethnic branding” in the US, planning for the future and what the Kingfisher alliance means.

AirFrance-KLM recently launced Bluenity, what they claim as the “first social network for travelers” by an airline. But as Scott Carmichael pointed out in his article at Gadling, Lufthansa was the first airline to launch such a social network called GenFly Lounge - targeted at student travelers. Both of these sites follow the norms of social networks, allowing you to add friends, have a profile page, and of course, update your travel plans and interact with other travelers.

But it’s important for airlines to differentiate their efforts so that they’re not creating yet another Dopplr (which I think is a great community for travelers). So, what are some of the things that airlines can do to ensure that their online forays help enhance the brand overall?

How to “control” the brand online?

Don’t even try! Since it’s the world of user generated content, user opinions often matter more than what the “corporate speak” is. As Michael D’Esopo from Lippincott shared in his interview, there is a need to allow free discourse to take place online. The airline should really just act as a moderator. This way, they will also discover and learn more about their customers’ changing tastes in these economic times.

The other dilemma airlines face is how tightly to couple the online community with the brand. I think there are two ways of doing this. If a community is being built around a specific airline, like Virgin Atlantic’s initiative, it should clearly project the brand promise and align its efforts with its real brand. It’s like a brand extension, just online.

Though, if an airline is targeting the general traveler, I think it’s important to de-couple the brand from the airline, and offer a platform for online interactions between travelers for it to bloom. Furthermore, this forum can be a treasure trove of insights for market research in the future!

Integrate and interact, but do not interrupt

Traditional marketing has sought to interrupt a target customer to seek his attention, for example through an advertisement during a TV show. But new technologies allow companies to interact with their customers without interrupting their lifestyle. Social networks are the “in-thing” at the moment, but it’s important for airlines to go where their target market is, rather than expecting them to come to them.

As Allen Adamson [watch interview] states in his book BrandDigital, it’s important to “identify where people are hanging out and what they’re doing”. A great example of this is Virgin Atlantic’s Facebook page, which has over 7000 “fans” and allows the airline to interact with its potential youth customers in a way they are comfortable with. Similarly, social networks like Bluenity and GenFly Lounge will do well by offering good integration with leading networks like Facebook and MySpace, as well as LinkedIn (and it’s not that difficult!). This way, the barrier to “sign-up” can be significantly reduced and usage is likely to increase too.

To sell or not to sell? Have a measure for ROI

Often, a return on investment (ROI) from marketing efforts is linked to revenues generated from those initiatives. But having an online social network for travelers from “all airlines” and then trying to sell them tickets on your own airline doesn’t sound right. Hence, it’s important to have a measure of success of the online initiative, other than just the revenue it brings in.

For example, I’m sure in addition to sale of special recommended fares on Virgin Atlantic, the creators of the page also probably had a target of 5000 “fans” in 2 months. Bluenity probably measures success monitoring the amount of “buzz” created by people sharing travel tips and connecting with other travelers. Such “ROI” measures are also likely to help sell the project internally in the airline.

What do you think? What are some of the other things airlines should consider when building online communities? Which other airlines are doing a good job with this? Let’s hear it in the comments section.

Up next…an exclusive interview with VP of Sales & Marketing at Jet Airways USA. Remember to watch it on Wed, 19 Nov.

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Time for pilots to hang their boots

If you haven’t already heard, all pilots in France are going on strike yet again this weekend. It almost seems like a futile attempt at getting a long weekend for themselves. That means, all air travel in France will shut down from 14-17 November, since no planes take off - not just for Air France, but all French airlines.

Poor KLM

The sad part is that it’s not Air France’s doing, yet, it’s going to have a significant impact on a brand that already has been tainted due to its history of striking staff. Moreover, now that KLM is tied up with Air France, its brand will be negatively as well, even though all Royal Dutch pilots are operating as usual. The fact that flights will be canceled and passengers stranded means that they will form a bad impression of the airline, which is likely to last long.

So, now that the strike is a certainty, what can AirFrance-KLM do now, and how can they deal with this better in the future, to minimize impact on the brand?

Prevention is better than cure

In France, workers (of all kind) always seem to go on a strike to show their strength and then after some time, negotiations and “talks” begin. Interestingly, more often than not, a compromise agreement is reached by the end of talks.

How about this… why not try talking first, and possibly resolve the matter before striking? I’m sure that’s been tried sometimes, but why not exhaust all options before actually going on a strike, and talking and then resolving. As it is, air travelers these days are a frustrated lot. Prevention is better than cure, isn’t it? But still, the strike is happening. So what’s a good cure?

Preparedness ensures trust

Air France must be familiar with striking staff now - it seems like a regular affair at the airline. Showing to their customers that they are well prepared for this crises is what will create some trust. Knowing first-hand that customers will often be full of rage and asking for unreasonable compensations, Air France officials must deal with them with empathy and compassion. They should be patient and be a little accommodating. Simply, they can appear in control if they smile more, as Patrick Hanlon recommends.

I know, this is easier said than done, but in tough times, the preparedness of an airline must be clearly visible to the customers, in order to prevent a complete depletion of trust. A brand that stands by their customers in tough times commands their loyalty.

Resilience can re-build confidence

The most important factor for building confidence in a brand is the ability of a company to bounce back from a shock. Once the strike is over, Air France will need to ensure that its operations are back on track as quickly as possible, and affected passengers are compensated in some manner. Again, all the preparedness and advance planning will be visible for all to see and will speak volumes about the management.

It is difficult situations like these, which if handled well, can turn into hidden opportunity for airlines. But I’m still not sure how KLM can de-couple itself from it’s twin Air France’s problems, so that it’s own brand stays intact. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Do you think this situation can be leveraged in some way by KLM? May be by sending its own reserve pilots over to Air France? Is that even possible? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments section…

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Michael D'Esopo

Lippincott, a leading brand strategy and design consultancy, has worked with airlines globally, including Virgin Atlantic and most recently TACA Airlines. Lippincot helped TACA deliver a “calming trip” to their customers, the moment they stepped aboard the plane. They have also extensively helped Delta Airlines deliver a 360 degree brand experience, both internally and to the external customer.

I decided to take this opportunity to meet up with Michael D’Esopo, a senior partner at Lippincott’s Boston office, to get his perspectives on airline branding, and what makes for a truly successful airline brand. With 15 years’ experience in brand building, he revealed a number of gems, and you can view the full, uncut version of the interview right below.

Here’s a quick summary of Michael’s thoughts:

1. Differentiation - Like all brands, airlines should have a strong and unique value proposition - something Barack Obama did so well, as I discussed in my previous article.
2. Clarity - They should then deliver this differentiated positioning to consumers with clarity. The important point here is to deliver
3. Mergers: During mergers in the industry, airlines should ideally strive for a hybrid brand, which can be difficult to implement. Hence, a better way is to come up with a new “joint vision” and drive forward with that by increasing its adoptability internally and externally.
4. US airlines: They should keep thinking of the next customer too, not just the current one. This way, they will continually improve, and not just stagnate as they are right now.

Here’s Michael D’Esopo, uncut!

So what do you think? Do you agree with Michael’s solutions for branding airlines? Let’s hear it in the comments section.

P.S: Special thanks to Kathleen Hatfield for tirelessly working to make this interview happen!

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Not only did Mr. Obama win the US general elections last week, he was also selected as Advertising Age’s Marketer of the Year by the executives attending the Association of National Advertisers’ annual conference in Orlando last month.

For a person who has come from behind, fighting tough opponents to win the elections, success can be attributed to many things. But one that cannot be ignored is his super-efficient marketing machine, which not only helped raise a record $600 million, but also brought Barack Obama and his message to the hearts of millions. So what are some lessons airlines can learn, from Mr Obama, to build a strong and long-lasting brand?

The power of simplicity

Change. It was a message that was understood everywhere, from the boardroom, to the hinterlands. There was no confusion over the meaning of this “mantra”. Effective slogans needs to be simple and grounded in reality. Only then will they drive masses of people toward a brand.

In the airline world, a good example of an airline which has a simple message is AirAsia, the Malaysia based no-frills airline led by Tony Fernandez – who is often referred to as Malaysia’s Richard Branson. AirAsia’s slogan is “Now everyone can fly!” Isn’t it simple and straight forward? It’s a message that even a villager will identify with. Something else that has made this slogan so powerful is that it has remained the same ever since AirAsia was established. This leads to the Obama campaign’s next great strength.

Consistency = trust = loyalty

Since day one, Obama stuck to the same message – Change. In a backdrop of constantly shifting stands first by Hillary Clinton, and then by John McCain, Obama appeared to be the only one who carried his message through with conviction. This fact stood out and built trust among his followers. In consumer businesses like airlines, strong trust almost always results in loyalty.

Other than AirAsia, airlines that have stuck to their “mantra” with conviction over a long time include Singapore Airlines – “Bringing back the romance in travel” and Emirates – “Keep Discovering”. And consumers are indeed very loyal to these brands. Since 1975, another icon, BMW, has used just one slogan: “The ultimate driving machine.” It is the largest imported European car in the US for a reason. Consistent branding results in trust, which leads to loyalty.

Achieving relevance through flexibility

Obama’s campaign was not only dedicated to a simple message over a long time, it also appealed to a variety of people by being relevant to them, in their context. In the image below, you’ll see the various manifestations of Obama’s “Change” campaign – each one appealing to a different user group, even Republicans! By incorporating a little flexibility, Obama managed to create a brand that people could personally relate with. That personalization appealed to micro-groups, or “tribes” as Seth Godin would call them, resulting in his victory.

Given the global nature of the airline industry, there is even more need to resonate with the target consumers by molding the brand to fit a local context. Some airlines that do this well include KLM, which has “KLM Asia” painted on its planes going to that region and British Airways, whose flights to India have Indian flight attendants, wearing traditional Indian dresses. In fact, Lufthansa has even tied up with a master Indian chef from the Taj Hotels Group to design its cuisine for its flights to India. Such measures are bound to resonate much more with customers from specific markets, than just applying a single standard across the board.

Don’t just be better, be Different.

“Better” never works in marketing. The only thing that works in marketing is “different.” Obama did not aim to be a better “maverick” than McCain, or try to appear more “experienced” than Hillary Clinton. He stood for something distinct – change – and made it clear to his opponents.

He achieved two things by doing this. Firstly, by defining himself as something different, he forced his opponents to fight the battle on his turf. Interestingly, Hillary Clinton modified her motto to “countdown to change” towards the end of her campaign. Similarly, well differentiated airlines attract copycats – just look at how many airlines in the US want to be the next Southwest! But Southwest never says that it wants to be a United or a JetBlue even.

Secondly, and more importantly, by being different, Obama was like the piped piper who drew people towards him and they followed him wherever he went. Similarly, airlines that know what they uniquely stand for, and communicate this internally as well as internally create a die-hard fan base that remains loyal. Airlines that do this well? Kulula.com in South Africa, and Virgin Atlantic in Europe.

Lessons in marketing and branding lie all around us. The Obama brand is one many industries can learn from, and here I’ve tried applying the concepts to airlines. What else do you think airlines can learn from the Obama marketing machine? Let’s hear it in the comments section.

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Image by demi-brooke via Flickr

I was recently reading an article by Harvard Business School Professor John Quelch, who discussed eight refreshing ways of marketing in a recession. Inspired by that article, I decided to take a shot at coming up with ways in which airlines can market themselves to achieve a superior brand authority in a recession. Here are three of those ideas.

1. Build trust through empathy

In recessionary times, people need the comfort of knowing that they’re not alone in their troubles. While the rest of the world changes, the brand which remains consistent to the promise as much as possible would win the hearts of many.

Airlines should take small steps to build trust. One suggestion by Patrick Hanlon is to empathize. People don’t want to be reminded of their problems even when they fly - it’s an oasis of privacy, where they are disconnected from the world. For starters, the in-flight crew can smile more and be more patient with passengers. It’s the small things that build trust. And trust built in tough times is bound to turn into true loyalty when good times return.

2. Offer better value - more discounts, less promotions

It’s a known fact that in a recession, almost 50% of consumers look to switch to a brand that provides them with more value, or at least more perceived value. Greater value can be demonstrated to the consumer if he pays the same or less price for a better quality product. Promotions like extended credit or mail-in rebates don’t tend to work as well, since the “barrier to purchase” is not lowered. Hence, instead of nickle-and-diming customer, airlines should look to improve the quality of service. For starters, now that oil prices have nosedived, some of the fuel-surcharges imposed on the customers should be lowered or removed. The increased price elasticity will likely result in greater overall demand for services.

3. Connect – go online to interact with flyers

In this recession, all companies have an inexpensive market research tool at their disposal - Web 2.0. Airlines should actively monitor feedback sites like suggestionbox.com, fluther.com and epinions.com to see what the buzz is about their airline (or even competition) and then adapt quickly to customer tastes. These are also good forums to showcase how seriously feedback is taken - another good way to build trust.

Moreover, airlines should think of innovative ways of becoming part of online communities that their flyers frequent - such as Second Life, Facebook and Twitter. JetBlue already does a great job with this.

A recession is a good time to build long-term loyalty, and innovative airlines can take advantage of these unique circumstances to gain significant market share from their competitors.

Do you know of examples of airlines that are marketing themselves well in this recession? Would Virgin Atlantic emerge stronger thanks to their “Airphoria” campaign? Would JetBlue create greater loyalty by following passengers on Twitter? What can airlines from other industries in this regard? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments…

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I’ve always found Thai Airways’ new brand image to be very appealing - purple, gold, and very traditional shapes. But I never really knew what it meant and stood for. So I decided to do some digging around, and here’s what I found. This description is by an Airliners.net member, Mathias Krewedl

The ornament consists of three main things: Firstly, it contains a magnolia blossom (indicated with the pink part), secondly we can find a stylised version of the typical Thai salutation “Wai”, if you rotate the logo 90 degrees in a clock-wise direction (only in this picture though) and as a third it represents the characteristically pitched roofs. And all that put into one with the colors of gold, standing for the temples, the purple representing the tropical orchids as well as the Thai silk’s glamor - a true piece of art!

Hope it douses the curiosity of other Thai Airways fans. Which are some of your favorite liveries? What do you think they stand for? Let’s hear it in the comments section…

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Image by caribb via Flickr

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Terry Maxon of the Airline Biz Blog recently posted an email from a passenger who was helped by a Southwest Airlines employee at Love Field airport in Dallas. It is a great show of how empathizing employees can create trust between the brand and the customer. Again, proving the theory that happy employees lead to happy customers. Here’s the email. Enjoy the read.

Oct. 29, 2008

Southwest Airlines
P.O. Box 36647 - 1CR
Dallas, Texas 75235-1647
Re: Oct. 18, 2008

Dear Sir/Madam:

On Oct. 18 I arrived at Love Field, having come from Illinois, visiting my sister who has cancer.

A passenger on my flight misdirected me to the basement when I inquired as to where to pick up my luggage and when I tried to come back through, an airport employee helped me back through the security checkpoint. Unfortunately, TSA nabbed me and informed me that I would have to go back and walk all the way around the airport outside till I found Baggage Claim myself, but they would not help me find the area. By this time, having chronic asthma, I began having an asthma attack due to anxiety.

Extremely upset, I found myself in the Southwest employee parking lot and it was only there that a female SW employee, seeing that I was crying hysterically and was distraught, walked up to me and offered to help. I wish I had gotten her name that night but perhaps you might post this letter on a bulletin board or somewhere where she might see it and realize how much she helped me. She personally drove me around to Baggage Claim, allowed me to use her cell phone to call my friend who had been waiting for me for 30 minutes, spoke to two police officers outside Baggage Claim about my situation, and saw to it that I found my waiting friend before leaving me.

I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated her kindness and that it really amazed me how she went out of her way to sympathize and help with my situation. I doubt any of the other airlines I’ve flown would have gone above and beyond the call of duty as she did.

Wherever, you are, Miss Southwest Employee, thank you from the bottom of my heart and please know that you truly made a difference in someone’s life that night.

Sincerely,

Terri Rimmer
Fort Worth, TX