JetBlue Airways have earned a reputation of building relationships and “midasizing” their brand through the use of social media. There approach epitomizes the power of social media and emphasizes their strategy that deflects from direct sales and focuses more on brand building and customer relations. As of this date, their digital footprint is larger than Big Foot with JetBlue’s YouTube Channel, accumulating 67.3K subscribers and averaging 28.9K views; their “platinum platform,” Twitter has over 1.9 million followers and an average of 11.6K daily viewers; and Facebook amassed over 1.5 million followers and 2.9 million views on average. Additionally, JetBlue uses its social media platforms to attract the public to its website, jetblue.com where you can buy tickets, earn points, and qualify for their credit card; this definitely “converts you from fan to customer.” JetBlue Airways “learned” to effectively use video, microblogging and social networking to connect with the public and strengthen its brand. However, they did not always bask in the sunshine; there were dark days.
It was February 14, 2007, Valentine’s Day…disaster hit. It was the catastrophe every airline dreads. Poor weather, an inadequate communications system and a series of blunders left pilots and flight attendants in the dark, caused 1,000 flight cancelations and stranded thousands of passengers on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, this cataclysm also gave a “black eye” to JetBlue’s marketing initiative to develop a better relationship with its customers with a goal to “bring the humanity” back to air travel. This Valentine’s Day nightmare did not spark love from its customers, but JetBlue responded using traditional and social media to appease its disillusioned travelers.
The Chief Executive Officer at that time, David Neeleman, delivered an unscripted YouTube video apologizing for the airline’s mistakes and announcing a “Customer Bill of Rights,” outlining steps the airline would take in response to service interruptions. His sincere and transparent apology on a social media platform triggered a substantial number of comments, both positive and negative. Consequently, it revealed to JetBlue the power of using social media to establish a two-way dialogue with its customers, improve customer relations as well as repair their damaged image.
Today, JetBlue Airways is one of the top airlines, largely, in part to its social media initiatives. While it did not originally begin with a strong digital strategy, tragedy and experience have taught and trained its marketing professionals the importance of keeping JetBlue “top of mind” on every platform. Essentially, JetBlue Airways present CEO, Robin Hayes, has paid tribute to six JetBlue employees who have passed away from COVID-19. His compassion, empathy and support have flooded the digital airways. His leadership and transparency are “news” shared on all social media platforms as a digital initiative spearheaded by JetBlue Airways as “their strategic priorities going forward.” Needless to say, the response by customers via social media is overwhelming!
“It’s a dialogue, not a monologue, and some people don’t understand that. Social media is more like a telephone than a television.”
Amy Jo Martin,
Founder and CEO of Digital Royalty
Charlotte’s Wisdom 