Brand

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Airlines bring human contact back to marketing

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NYT image of a Delta Red shirt assiating customers

Travel just stinks.  While airlines thought that we didn;t want to talk to a person, and set before us phone trees and incomprehensible kiosks.  This NYT story is about bringing the personal back to airline customer service, such as Delta's revival of the Red Shirt program which previously was b. 1969- d.2005

Cue mobile checkin, print at home boarding passes.  With merger after merger creating a mess of backend systems that won't talk to each other, and the overloaded ATC systemwe're stuck with.  Sometimes, automated customer service either can't keep us happyor can't keep up with the problem.  Or it IS the problem. 

Very exciting to see airlines realize that by focusing on the customer experience in total and attacking the morass of air travel with people and love rather than phone trees, something brilliant could be happening.

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Earned Media and the need for chatter

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AdAge asks, Is No Chatter Worse Than Negative Chatter? Good question- for many brands, the passion that drives affinity is just as desirable as the passion that drives hatred.  I'm reminded of this Scion ad, which really drives the point home: stand for something or go home.

Scionxbugly

Such is the challenge of Earned media- you have to attract attention while still being YOU.  If there's nothing worth saying about your brand, then you're beyond help in any advertising medium.  Stick with the paid stuff.

But when there's something or someone to love, to hate, to act as an ally or fight as an enemy, you've got your in. 

You can't force people to tweet your brand or your hashtag- you're going to have to do something to create the emotion behind those actions.  Are you talking to #BlameDrewsCancer? Are you finding what's funny about your product and getting that on video?

Look.  Listen.  Plan.  Blow it up big.  Measure.  Repeat.