As high fuel costs and service cutbacks beleaguer the airline as well as other industries, Conde Nast’s PORTFOLIO magazine conducted a Q&A Session with the Managing Director of Brand and Advertising at American Airlines, Rick Wilbins. Here are his thoughts on strategies for engaging vocal and on-the-go audiences.
Q: In a time of economic uncertainty, how does your brand look to connect with both leisure and business travelers? A: In difficult economic times, one of the things we’ve discovered is that people are looking hard for value in everything they purchase. Part of our objective is to make sure that the travel experience with our airline is perceived as an improving value. We realize the challenge of rising fuel costs and customers taking second looks at the necessity of some travel experiences… both issues put burdens on our people to continue to provide the best possible service.
Q: Regarding these increasing costs: Given the recent consumer protests over airlines’ newly added baggage fees, how can a marketer develop and maintain brand trust? The first priority is to help the marketplace understand the reasons for the fees- that there’s a business rationale for it that makes sense. At the same time, it’s important to underscore product and service improvements, such as our new business class seat, to show that we’re continuing to make investments that improve the customer’s overall travel experience.
Q: As consumers become increasingly vocal, what are some of the best strategies you’re seeing for engaging them in brand building? A: It’s vital that we start and maintain a dialogue with our customers and potential customers. First, we utilize our website with an active opt-in program. We’ve also introduced AA.com mobile and connectivity on our airplanes. People who sign up for these options tend to be very interested in what’s going on with the airline and the industry. In addition, we’re constantly surveying our customers to find out what’s important to them, and what is and isn’t working. Every major corporation is doing it these days, but we believe we’re doing it more aggressively than most airlines.
Q: What advice do you have for brand marketers looking to best spend their tightening budgets during this turbulent period? Demonstrating return-on-investment is absolutely essential; faith doesn’t sell in this environment. So, the first step is to determine what ROI you’re looking to achieve and find a way to track it. The second step is to understand the change in media mix. There’s no question that the Internet and online advertising is changing the way we market. But, putting too much emphasis on any one medium is a mistake. Not understanding that all media need to work together is also a mistake. The key is figuring out how to deliver truly integrated communications.
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