American Airlines vs...

I've been reading up a bit about American Airlines lately, mostly because they seem to be a brand that, while getting right all the pieces of social marketing, have yet to make their brand "cool."

The face of business, and particularly businesses that have close contact with costumers, is changing. Public opinion is widespread on the Internet through blogs and social networks, and companies no longer have the benefit of controlling what is being said, and spread, about them.

This means that it is crucial for companies now, more than ever, to listen to what is being said. Because public opinion of American Airlines is so low, this should be a primary focus of the public relations component of the company. 

American Airlines is competing with several airlines who have made a name for themselves as being “hip” or “fun” — namely, JetBlue and Southwest Airlines.

These two companies, while very different, hold several lessons that I believe American Airlines should incorporate into its company strategy.

A. JetBlue

JetBlue has made a name for itself as a hip airline. It maintains a notable Web presence. It has challenged traditional ideas about an airline business model by taking creative measures to cut costs. It also puts a high value on customer service and has home-based operators that field all of its calls. People appreciate being able to talk to a real person and this builds brand loyalty. JetBlue can continue to keep its costs low because so many of the people taking calls are based out of their own homes.

            B. Southwest

Southwest Airlines is described as a “maverick” company in the book Mavericks at Work by William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre. The company’s founder and CEO decided in the beginning of the company’s formation that the goal of the airline was to be “the lowest-cost airline in the business.” From that main goal (which Southwest makes its employees very aware of from the beginning), everybody who works at the company is able to make good decisions that are in keeping with the company’s main focus. If something doesn’t help keep Southwest the lowest- cost airline in the business, than it shouldn’t be done.

Following its goal of being low-cost comes the goal of being fun. This is an actual, established motto of the company, and Southwest’s employees are known for their humor and helpfulness.