A few days ago, we put up a video that asked a shorter question: What does Seth Godin have in common with SimpliFlying? Through the hints in the video, we intended you to find clues about the next great product that we’re launching next week. Here, have a look at the video in case you missed watching it previously:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Still unable to connect the dots? Fear not, just read on.

Know the winners

The internet is constantly changing the way we interact. This is especially true when it comes to one of the oldest form of interactions – buying and selling. The internet has not just given buyers loads of fantastic options, it has also rendered mass-marketing quite obsolete. The emergence of new social platforms for brand engagement has added to marketing complexity in recent years.

While selling stuff has become increasingly complex, there have been two sets of clear winners. The first, of course, is the internet itself. The “mother of all platforms” has enabled the creation of various sub-platforms that have helped and frustrated both buyers and sellers in equal measure. The second set of winners is the more ephemeral type: that of the people sitting on the cutting-edge of latest thought-leadership in marketing.

Nowhere has the need of good thought-leadership in marketing been greater than in the travel industry due to its wildly fluctuating nature and fierce competition.

The importance of building a tribe

Seth Godin has argued compellingly in his book Tribes that lasting and substantive change can be best effected by a tribe: a group of people connected to each other. In other words, smart innovators find or assemble a movement of similarly minded individuals and get the tribe excited by a new product, service or message. So you got one of the hints in the video, but where does Malcolm Gladwell fit into this scheme of things?

Well, the geniuses working overtime at SimpliFlying came up with a radical and exciting thought. Why not merge Seth Godin’s idea of creating a tribe (a tribe of travel marketers in this case) with a popular idea from Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point – the idea that 150 people is what you need to make an idea spread. What’s interesting about this idea, known as Dunbar’s number is that after you get past 150 something happens that makes it harder for an idea to spread.

Now, in the travel industry which thirsts for newer and better ideas on marketing every second, wouldn’t it be just great to create a tribe of the best 150 travel marketers from across the globe?

The next revolution in travel marketing!

So yes, SimpliFlying’s next product will attempt what’s never been done before. We will connect the best marketers from all verticals of the travel market and bring them together in one place. SimpliFlying Tribes will be the next awesome idea-sharing, idea-generation, idea-everything platform that connects the best with the best. What’s it like?

Watch this blog for more in the next few days!

• Ushering in a new era in travel marketing: SimpliFlying Tribes connects 150 of the best minds in one place
• What does Seth Godin have in common with SimpliFlying?
• The magic of delighting customers: Top 10 Wow Initiatives by Airlines and Airports
• Goodbye Rico: a collection of the best moments of Air New Zealand’s furry mascot
• Now, Pegasus Airlines creates an irresistible safety video, featuring cute Turkish kids

1. Legacy airline brands come with legacy baggage

Unions, legacy systems, government bureaucracy, old planes, old workforce, high costs, bankruptcy… these are all words that can be easily associated with Air India, Alitalia, Japan Airlines, Air Canada and many more legacy airlines. And these are all aspects that do not allow these airlines to function efficiently in the current climate.

The airline industry has evolved drastically in the past decade. With each new shock (9/11, SARS, H1N1…) we see new stars emerging, which have streamlined costs, efficient operations and specifically targeted markets they go after. And they beat the hell out of monolithic airlines that legacy carriers have become. Just read CAPA’s report on Japan Airlines vs Air Arabia to get a glimpse into what I’m talking about.

2. Legacy airline brands are not agile enough

Like an elephant trying to shake off bees attacking it, legacy airlines look clumsy trying to shake off what they call threats – low cost carriers, low premium demand, fluctuating oil prices, consumers’ reactions on social media etc. In fact, these should be looked upon as opportunties. Let’s look at airlines’ approach to social media, for example.

United Airlines is still struggling with responding to “new media” sensations like Dave Carroll’s “United Breaks Guitars”, as Southwest Airlines interacts with its fans on Facebook and JetBlue helps over a million of its customers on Twitter.

Singapore Airlines is still not on social media, just as AirAsia is making merry in its backyard. And there’s no point arguing about different market segments. I’ve flown AirAsia this summer with folks in a suit with a laptop, mostly heading to Kuala Lumpur in the morning and returning to Singapore in the evening. No wonder the 777s Singapore Airlines fly on this route are flying half-full.

A lack of agility among legacy airlines results in lost opportunities. And this is proving deadly.

3. Legacy airline brands are “stuck on stupid”

At the aviation summit in Sydney, the CEO of AirAsia X caused a bit of murmur in the audience with his opening slide entitled, “Bastardising the Low Cost Model”. You want to know why? Because most airline executives are “stuck on stupid” (a term coined by Seth Godin in Tribes). They want to carry on the practices of yester-years in today’s changed environment. And that makes them look stupid. Nothing against them personally, but why can’t airlines have multiple business models? In fact, it’s the airlines which are questioning the traditional legacy model, or even the traditional LCC model, who stand to succeed. The rest will perish.

Who to look out for?

Who’s doing it right? In my opinion, airline brands to look out for are Lufthansa (and family), Qantas & JetStar, LAN Airlines (kings of Latin America), Southwest (which continues to innovate) and AirAsiaX. Airlines that have great potential, but need to wake up and smell the coffee to lead in the future too – Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways and Delta Airlines.

So, what do you think? Is there a future for legacy airlines? What do airlines need to do to serve the customers better, and turn a profit consistently? Let’s discuss in the comments or over on Twitter (@simpliflying)

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In a startling revelation today, United Airlines announced that it’s closed down it’s sole customer service call center in India. This means that customers will no longer be able to call in to send feedback (positive or negative), as all comments have now got to go through the post (whoever writes those today!?) or in an email.

“Along with the decision to end its association with a third-party contractor in India, United will shut down its current customer relations telephone line and advise customers to write or e-mail feedback about their travel experience.” – BusinessWeek

The only positive I see coming out of this is some consulting offers for Oliver Beale, of the Virgin Atlantic fame, to help write some letters that have an impact. Cutting 165 jobs in India might save some money for United, but the long term damage of not giving customers a way to interact Live with a person from the airline will be extremely detrimental to the brand.

Moving back in time!

As the world moves forward, United Airlines seems to be moving back in time. They now expect us to write in a letter to them, put a stamp on it and post it when we have a complaint about their service. I can’t help but feel pity for a passenger who actually does that, to get a response like “Thanks for your letter. We’ll get back to you” in four weeks, if he hears back at all. Or get a “Mailbox is full” reply when an email is sent. I’m not saying that is the case. But given how long United Airlines’ call center takes to get me to speak to a rep, that might very well be the case with my letters! And just by the way, isn’t this feedback for the airline’s benefit, so others can avoid the displeasure? Customers these days want to TALK to someone, and not engage in slow-moving (often one-way conversations).

Airlines need to speak more with the customers, not less

It is an understood fact that customers preferences change very fast in a downturn. So in these times, shouldn’t an airline be getting its feelers out and taking note of changing sentiments as soon as possible? And a letter is certainly not a fast way to do that. Moreover, a customer is much more likely to pick up the phone than write a 1000 word email about his experience. As United “speaks” less to the customer, not only is it going to lose important market research about them, but also lose the chance to showcase its personality to the customer.

Recently, when Rohit Bhargava, the author of the very popular Influential Marketing Blog was asked “what is one brand desperately in need of personality?”, his answer (unsurprisingly) was United Airlines. And I’ve written in the past of the importance of having a personality, specifically for United Airlines. Simply put, it’s much easier to hate a faceless corporate, than a company where you can speak to its people and relate to them. United Airlines has just lost that chance too.

All marketers are liars – Seth Godin

United Airlines proves Seth Godin right, literally. “This streamlined approach enables us to carefully research our guests’ feedback and most importantly, respond thoughtfully with an e-mail, letter or phone call,” the company said in an internal release. Who’s going to believe that? United is no Virgin Atlantic, to hire people who criticize its food!

The other lie is that the jobs are being moved back to the US. Interestingly, that’d only be true if United was cutting 165 people in India and adding 165 in the US. But that’s not the case. It’s the existing reservations staff that will now have the extra task of replying to these letters and emails!

Well tried, United. Try harder next time. I don’t think it’s so easy to fool the educated consumer these days. All things said, even if United saves $100,000 per year by chopping down this call center, the amount of brand equity lost due to lack of customer contact is immesurable. And as the MasterCard advertisement goes, “there’re some things in life money can’t buy”. Brand value is one of them.

What do you think? Do you think it’s the right decision by United Airlines to shut down the only phone line they had for customers to call in to? I’m sure we’ll have a lively discussion here. Feel free to share this article with your friends, andsubscribe to the blog by email or RSS as well.

P.S: Due to this news, I couldn’t help but digress from the Indian Aviation Special edition, running all Feb on SimpliFlying. In-depth analysis of the Indian airline industry resumes on Friday. Promise!

• Five steps to Customer Service Excellence for United Airlines (with real-life case study)
• The airline brand suffers big, when big spenders get frustrated with hidden fees: true story (United Airlines)
• A Southwest Airlines employee goes out of her way to help a distressed passenger
• Why Should I Friend you on Facebook or Twitter, United?
• Q&A: How Brands Can Perform Real-Time Customer Service on Social Media

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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