Airlines 2.0 - How airlines can use Web 2.0 for branding

Airlines 2.0Usingtechnologyforinnova2vebrandingthroughtherecession

FTMAFt.Lauderdale,April23,2009

ShashankNigamFounder&CEO,SimpliFlying

GlobalHead‐BrandStrategy,ACAAssociates

Key take aways...

What does a recession mean for airline brands?

How to tap on the latest technologies to get closer to the customers?

What have other airlines done to enhance their brands?

What are the risks involved in this approach and how to get started?

Simply, how to build a stronger airline brand in 2009

READY?

Let’s start by reviewing 2008

Total estimated losses for airlines

$4,000,000,000

Average drop in airline stocks

30%

Expected price of oil in mid-2009

$30Highest pric

e of a barre

l of o

il

$147

Expected number of airline bankruptcies in 2009

50

Cost of s

econd bag ch

eck-in

$50

Cost of c

hoosing a sp

ecific s

eat

$50

Average fu

el surc

harge

$200

RESULT?

CustomersFrustratedEmployeesManagement

In other words...

Loss of Brand Equity

Now What?

Airlines need to get closer to the customer again.

But how?

By interacting with the customers on their terms

By getting inside the fickle mind of the customer

By sharing the ownership of the brand

By revealing the personality behind the brand

By tapping on the latest technologies to do this

Bring in the social web...Community || Collaboration || Content || Co-Creation

55%

of consumers want ongoing conversations with companies and brands

89%

said they would feel more loyal to a brand if they were invited to take part in a feedback group.

Of these 89%,43% would like to see companies offering customer service through social media

37% would like companies to provide new ways to interact with the brand via social media

41% would like companies to solicit feedback

How to do it?

Interaction without interruption

A community for common interests

A community for a specific target group

A community for frequent fliers

A community in another community

Co-Creation

Customer often knows best

In the end, it’s the involvement that matters

Airlines need a Personal!ty

But first...

Airline food, anyone?

Em

bracin

g the

accid

en

tal spo

ke

spe

rson

Empowering the common man

Empowering the common man

Em

plo

yee

s blo

gging

A Holistic Strategy?Interaction without interruption

Co-creation

Having a personality

JetBlue Airwaysblogging...

JetBlue Airwayson Twitter...

JetBlue Airwayson eBay...

Great ideas.Now what?

Think about ROI$

Need not be just about money

To capture a specific market...

Go where the customer is.

It can be about engaging the employees

Goals, Actions, and Metrics

The key is to have a quantifiable measure of success beforehand

Risks? What Risks?

How to tackle risks?

How to give up control?

Recognize - What can go wrong?

Prepare - To involve the community

Be Resilient - Bounce!

How to get started?

1. Give ownership to one person or team

2. It’s OK to start small, but do it well

3. It may require a long-term approach to succeed

4. Success metrics may be different from other efforts

In Conclusion...

Airlines need to restore the trust in their brands...

Using the latest technology tools to build trust allows...

Interaction without interruption

Co-creation

Building of a personality

Firm implementation

It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the

one that is most adaptable to change.

Charles Darwin

Questions

Shashank Nigam

Founder & CEO, SimpliFlyingGlobal Head - Brand Strategy, ACA Associates

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @simpliflying