The document discusses Delta Airlines' focus on improving customer experience through investing $3 billion in enhancing its in-flight experience, sending all flight attendants to customer service training, and implementing $140 million in technology upgrades. It overhauled its organizational structure to center around the customer journey. This led to a 40% reduction in customer complaints, high customer satisfaction scores, and increased revenue. Delta's goal is to be the world's best travel brand through innovation focused on customers.
I brought something in to show that specifically connected to me as a customer as well as a Creative Director in this business. I’m a frequent flyer.. As I’m sure many of people in this audience are.. Awesomely portrayed in Up in the Air by George Clooney 6:34
I’m technically “loyal” to an airline. But more I’m trapped to it. basically out of fear of long airport lines and missing my flight. I have built up priority access since they were in my city hub. Other than that I hate my airline. There is nothing about the experience I love. I talk bad about them vs. truly being a “LOYAL” follower53
Also I don’t switch because I assume all the rest are the same.. Except maybe like Virgin. And this is something all customers are feeling about brands in general.
Then I heard through friends, and not just industry friends onfacebook about an App that Delta had just came out with. It’s called Glass Bottom Jet, AKQA built it. The name immediately got my attention, as I imagined seeing through the plane below you.. So I right away could imagine what it could be like. Itallows flyers to track their flight’s progress while also exploring the landscape beneath them through their social network (to see what friends live or have been there.. And even connect you to those locations through your past experiences, and you can find information about locations along the way)
Here is a screen that shows where you are.. Articles that pop up along the way as well as photos and people linked to those locations… you can also post to your timeline as you travel over it. BIG IDEA I thought this was really intriguing because it’s a tool with utility that I could want.. Maybe didn’t even know I did, but it actually changes the experience of flying and layers new things on- information, personal connection, and entertainment to your trip. We normally sort of fly blindly over the country.. And when landmarks are pointed out by the pilot.. They always seem to be on the other side of the airplane. It is something that people will talk about and share. And it makes me think of Delta differently.. Differentiates them in my mind. For me it got me to consider them as a new option for flying. And one worth waiting in a bit longer lines for or potentially even paying more for it. And this is what we hope of all of our best marketing. And then if we DO decide to further invest in more broadcast messaging.. This gives us something really interesting to talk about.
Not to mention the free press it generated. Between the sticky name and the cool features, it was all over the place. In mainstream communications, not just ad trades. And in the body of the articles it communicated Delta’s bigger point of this being a part of the 140 million they are investing into technology innovation.. Based on customers requests and needs. So this piece of work, which may be just seem like a smaller gesture, signifies their bigger commitment to changing their brand. It let them tell a bigger story.. One that wouldn’t just fit into a 30 sec. tv spot.
I then went on to discover all the other things Delta was doing for customers. A bag tracking app, that let’s you know exactly where your bags are, this in flight app and the rest of the features it can do, and mobile versions.
The other reason I wanted to show this.. Besides the fact that it solved a marketing problem through innovation.. But also that it’s from DELTA (and as mentioned earlier.. In one of the worst categories out there. Delta had not been an innovator in my mind. And then just 2 days ago, when I was deciding if this was what I wanted to show for this, Contagious magazine came out with a profile on them.And as suspected, until recently Delta had hit rock bottom.. (far different from glass bottom)It had gone bankrupt in 2005.. Unfortunately it often takes something like this to get a brand to shape up. So they reconfigured. Made some acquisitions.. Got their finances looking better. But still in terms of customers and brand.. Were considered pretty bad. In just 2011 had been voted the worst airline.
They made real change.. Something we should be responsible for helping our clients with. This is what gives us real things to market. They ended up being the first to offer wifi and that was literally after scouring frequent flyer blogs and realizing that was one of the main things people were wanting.
They had the starts of a new story to tell as a brand. Not just a business story (that was inward), but a brand story for people. They aren’t all the way there yet but they’re getting there.
A story important but can’t just be what you tell. This is how brands have to be. It’s about the actions they take, not what they say. And it’s why we as marketers have to do more than just messaging.
Showing this story in action
And this is what affects people.. And gets them talking and loving a brand.
Clearly focused on people.. And innovating
It’s working.. But can a brand that, just a few years ago, was consideredone of the most hated airlines in America really turnitself into a loved brand? Delta admits that it’s not sure, butthrough an unrelenting focus on the consumer and a voraciousappetite for innovation, it is doing its damnedest totry.It’s not just a marketing success. It’s a business success as well.