Product Review: For the first half of my monitoring blog, I choose JetBlue Airways as my client. JetBlue Airways Corporation has established itself as a low-fare passenger airline with a differentiated product and a high-quality customer service. As a low-cost airline company founded in 1999, located in John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to Skytrax, JetBlue is the highest rated airline in the United States, and the country's only four-star airline. Besides, JetBlue Airways is the most successful new-airline corporation considering 87 new-airline corporations' failing story in the previous 20 years. Currently, JetBlue operates 180 flights per day.
More social media
In my previous monitoring # 1. I focus on JetBlue's most successful Twitter as social media tools to market its product. Besides, JetBlue also has its main website, Facebook, Youtube, and even iPhone app to gain attention from its consumers.
a. Main Website
JetBlue's site is visually preferable. It is clean and sharp with a clear focus on searching for flights. It has more appealing design and layout. One thing I love JetBlue is how they design their featured fares prices with big wording and great spacing in between, which is very easily seen and straight to the point.
Also, JetBlue has very clear links in the left corner of the main page to JetBlue's Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc, which is convenient to customers
b. Facebook
JetBlue can have conversations with customers and receive the comments from them directly through Facebook main webpage. Besides, customers could get the latest promotions and rewards by JetBlue's "Go Places", which rewards people with TrueBlue points as well as discounts so they can enjoy giveaway trips.
c. iPhone app
JetBlue Airways is starting off 2012 with a new web and mobile strategy. The airline developed its new digital strategy with the help of digital agency Rokkan, app developer- the new app, available for download at the iTunes store, offers all the basics- booking, check-in and flight status monitoring. Interestingly, it also includes a connectivity link to social networks so users can share their travel experiences.
Comparison: JetBlue's closest competitor is Southwest. For years, JetBlue and Southwest catered to customers in the same way- with cheap fares and good customer service. Nowadays, JetBlue and Southwest are trying to distinguish themselves through competitions in places like New York, Washington, Baltimore and Boston. For instance, Southwest is touting its fewer baggage fees, while JetBlue is highlighting its TV service.
In comparing the two corporations on SocialMention, I found that Southwest is a really strong competitor to JetBlue. The statistics shows that: JetBlue has higher passion than Southwest. While, Southwest has a lot more reach, and strength compared to JetBlue. Both of these two airline corporations have the same sentiment.
(JetBlue) (Southwest)
To keep on top of customer sentiment, JetBlue analyzes customer surveys, email, Web feedback forms, and social media, using tools from Attensity, Adobe and more. For example: surveys might be 7-to-1 negative, Emails 4-to-1 negative, and Twitter might be 50/50.
Concerning the top keywords searching, JetBlue has completely obvious advantage comparing with Southwest.
(JetBlue) (Southwest)
Google insights is the next place I compare these two airline corporations for last month's interest. The ranges for consumers' interest to the two airline corporations are roughly between 60 points and 100 points. Southwest seems to have relatively stable interest points between 80 points to 100 points , while JetBlue is mainly from 60 points to 80 points, on Mar.15 even down to 50 points. I guess Southwest has more loyal and consistent consumers as it is an old brand and has long history comparing with JetBlue.
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| JetBlue Airways |
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| Southwest Airlines |
I also search information and got data on JetBlue and Southwest's Facebook webpage. Obviously, Southwest uses Facebook as a major part of the company's marketing strategy. The total attention to Southwest is overwhelmingly greater than JetBlue's.
Target Market: JetBlue is in a unique position to target business travelers during tough economic times. As a discount provider who also focuses on customer service, they can appeal to cost-sensitive business people that need to cut travel costs but don't want to sacrifice comfort, convenience, and modernity.
Goals: In order to continue competing with Southwest Airlines to better serve low-fare passengers, JetBlue has to use social media to improve its strength, sentiment, passion and reach. Concerning marketing strategies, JetBlue has to build consistent and reliable public image towards its customers in social media to attract more attentions.
Recommendations:
a.Helping the groundswell support itself-Updating blog and YouTube more frequently.
Based on a long time research, I found that the use of social media by JetBlue is overall good, with an apparently effort to tie together various channels, but not all channels are updated frequently. The blog channel and YouTube are infrequently updated, while other channels like are continuously updated like twitter. It is necessary for JetBlue to update its blog and Youtube continuously so as to build a consistent and good image in public. They could put their commercials up on YouTube, and having at least a blog entry a month would also be helpful in people wanting to know more about the company.
b. Energizing the groundswell-making social media more of a community feel on Facebook and Myspace
All JetBlue's post on Facebook, myspace are more customer centric, where they gather friends, but rarely discuss what is happening with JetBlue using the two social networking sites. It feels like JetBlue's social media disjointed with each other, rather than a seamless process that provides customers information on their systems, status, or what is happening in their company. What JetBlue need to focus on is to work with a social media manager to keep social media channels they are using up to date and make it more of a community feel.
c Discuss their policy of monitoring the internet to reduce the Spookiness of the behavior.
Being followed by JetBlue's social media is generally something that may scare its customers. (know more about it) Customers may feel this behavior spooky. What JetBlue need to do next is to put their monitoring information on their main website about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it when tracking social media. That could reduce the spookiness of the process.
d Do more advertising on mobile.
Smartphone app is JetBlue's initial step to advertise on mobile. Because based on their purchase cycle, they found that customers do not always think about buy air travel tickets by mobile. However, it is a trend that mobile social media will become popular and daily using, what JetBlue could do next is to pay some attention on mobile advertising. This transition could help its development moving forward through mobile advertising.
e Use more of traditional media to do advertising.
As a newly established company, JetBlue is undoubtedly one of the most successful examples of using social media, especially digital social media to advertise and market itself. Even though JetBlue has already used some traditional media to do advertising, the percentages are not too big. In fact, traditional media are also helpful and easily catching customers everyday, like radio, newspaper, magazines, TV, as well as outdoor billboards. It is both economical and cost-saving to use traditional media to expand JetBlue's influence to its consumers who like to listen to radio or read newspapers, especially the elder generation.
f. Making more efforts to respond to negative feedbacks.
The main negative feedbacks to JetBlue are its customer service dealing with flight delay or baggage problems. I found that JetBlue does not reply customers' delaying or baggage problems so efficiently in social media. JetBlue has to hire employees 24 hours a day to reply in social media to passengers' delay, reservations, and flight cancelation problems. That is the key point that JetBlue need to improve.
Conclusion: Social media has allowed a newly established company to grow at a fast pace. If JetBlue continue to embrace the Groundswell and use social media as a marketing tool, I have no doubt that JetBlue will become a leading airline company in low-cost position. Wait and see.
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