Having traveled extensively recently, I feel there is not much worse than air travel today. The joy of flying is a long forgotten memory. You just want to get from point A to point B in the quickest time at the best fare with minimal hassle. What happened to what United used to refer to as the "the friendly skies"? The travel category is the very example of look and sound alike sameness with little differentiation. It is a homogonous mess!
That's why you have to admire how Southwest Airlines won't let their business get swept up in the marketing morass called commodity. They are the beacon in marketing and communications excellence in the airline industry. They're proving that you can outmarket and outwork the competition. They execute flawlessly. They make it look easy, which it is anything but. Being distinctive is hard work.
"Bags Fly Free" is a manifestation of executing a selling idea - a true point of difference. While all the other U.S. airlines exhibit copycat behavior and charge for bags, Southwest took a stand. Airlines aren't wrong; baggage fees helped drive revenue to the tune of $740 million in the third quarter of 2009 alone.
Southwest is bold in everything that they do. What makes the "Bags Fly Free" commercial work (and all their commercials, for that matter) is the genuine nature in which they're creatively executed. Using real employees helps. Not trying to do too much is another key facet. The Southwest selling idea is always rendered well. The "Ding" - "You're Free to Move About the Country" is indelibly etched in the minds of airline passengers across the U.S. 86 million passengers flew on Southwest last year alone. That's a lot of moving around the country.
Southwest works hard to please passengers - the way you want to be treated as a person. It starts by branding inside out with the 35,000 plus employees that help make 3,200 flights happen daily. The employees emulate what you see in the commercials. The brand delivers on the core promise. Many brands expose an "open and approachable" brand personality; Southwest delivers on it.
Not playing the commodity game takes conviction and money. While other airlines cut back on their advertising spending, Southwest invests more. They've seen a 1% market share gain. That's metrics proof beyond just feeing passengers to death.
Southwest doesn't play the discount travel site channel game. You won't find them on Expedia or Travelocity. Want to check fares - www.southwest.com is the only place you'll find them in the digital space. They pioneered "Ding" - a desktop widget long before widgets and apps came into vogue. Great brands can afford to dictate the terms with their channel partners. Commodity brands are at their mercy.
What makes the Southwest brand great is the execution and rendering. You connect with them with both your heart and mind. It's the space the airlines used to own before flying became equated with having a root canal. The likeability of Southwest is an appealing proposition. You want to see them succeed. It follows the old adage that people buy from people. Yes, the schedule and fares have to be equal. But Southwest has that covered in spades - flying to 68 cities in 35 states. That's a lot of the country.
Southwest refuses to let their business be a commodity. There is always a way to distinguish who you are and what you do. It's too easy to fall into being a commodity, whether it is personally or professionally. Don't let it happen to you or the brands that you work on and represent.
Airlines used to be a cachet category. Not anymore. Air travel has gone from being an anticipated experience to just another form of transportation. Just a decade and a half ago you could upgrade your ticket to first class for $50 if there were seats available. Not only are there no more empty seats, but airlines are charging for every thing from pillows to aisle seats.
Southwest may be one of the few remaining airlines that actively works to please its passengers. Which only results in repeat business and brand loyalty. They could even resurrect a slogan from the 1980s that Delta used because it's more applicable to Southwest now - We love to fly and it shows.
You're right. The thrill of flying has gone the way of generous frequent flyer mile programs and upgrades. Southwest seems to be willing to take a chance to set themselves apart. They stepped up to the reality show plate with "Airline" which used to air on A&E and they are continuing to find ways to make the skies a little more friendly. Maybe they can do someting about the drink cart that inevitably smashes into your elbow...
Being a commodity in today's business environment is a very bad idea. Southwest has it right. I agree that they differentiate their brand and the consumer experience in many ways.
Another way that I immediately identify Southwest is the way that they deliver the safety instructions - in a humorous but memorable way.
Bravo to the leaders and organizations who choose to add personality, passion and value to their products and services. Furthermore, an additional bravo for being creative and imaginative in finding effective strategies for communicating that personality, passion and value to both their internal and external audiences.
What kind of feeling does a business or consumer get when they purchase a commodity-driven product or service? Is the feeling any different when they purchase a product or service from an organization whose passion, personality and value course through its organizational veins? I think so.
Southwest and those other courageous organizations who choose to differentiate themselves at a time when many have succumbed to the dark side of competing and communicating as a commodity, have and will benefit from gaining a long-lasting place in the hearts of their customers.