Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Catherine's post #7

I was really excited to visit JetBlue despite having never flown via the airline because of all the good things I’ve heard about it. The layout of the office reminded me of Bloomberg because of the huge meeting rooms and multiple giant screens around. I expected the office to be a little brighter and more energetic given the brand’s fresh image. I really liked Michael’s presentation and the video he showed at the start. The company does seem to follow the strategy of marketing and producing the service based on core values. JetBlue does seem to stand out from other airlines given the commercials I’ve seen and the compliments I’ve heard about the company. The service industry is a demanding industry because people have different needs and wants but the company has a limited budget. However, although service/product quality is important, I believe that the most important aspect is how people feel about it. Therefore, if the company can stick to its core, continue going back to its values for every decision and make customers feel good, it can continue to succeed.
JetBlue’s usage of mobile apps and YouTube commercials seem powerful and relevant to their target audience who are busy and on the go. I actually stopped to watch JetBlue’s commercial that played before one of the YouTube videos I was watching without skipping the ad. I usually skip ads on YouTube but the commercial’s real-life setting with the hidden camera with bad quality view caught my eye. It was unlike other commercials because it was realistic and not glamorous. It first showed people caught in awful situations they would not take in real life such as a being stuck in a small space in between 2 other people. Then it connected the situation with air travel and encouraged people to avoid the awfulness on airplanes by choosing JetBlue. To me, it was genius!
            To be honest, I am pretty torn about what I want to do because there is no one right answer. While I think the work-life balance and the benefits would be better on the client side, I like the variety and the energy of agencies. At this point I don’t think it’s necessary to make a firm decision on what I want to do. Every company is different so I don’t want to be too quick to judge. I believe in keeping an open mind to opportunities to learn and grow. All I need is a company with service/products I like, good work-life balance and most importantly, core values that I agree with.

On the topic of airlines, I was particularly impressed by Virgin America’s Safety Video song and dance. As a frequent air traveler, I never pay attention to the safety video because I feel like I’ve watched it a hundred times. This particular video shows all the safety information in a song and dance style that is extremely catchy and entertaining. I actually watched an entire safety video intently. It was that good! Virgin America’s video has gone viral and it’s giving them a lot of good press for being refreshing and fun. The safety video turns something boring into something fun without changing the content but the way it was presented. I am very impressed by the company and I think thinks gives the brand a great image that stands out amongst other airlines that seem like big boring corporates. 
Although the company states that the video was created for safety reasons, I believe it’s way more than that. The video will only be shown on Virgin America planes in mid-November but it was released early to generate a buzz. There was even a hashtag #VXsafetydance created to encourage discussion. The safety video definitely got our attention and made safety precautions memorable but I think this is a cool branding and perhaps marketing strategy that promotes a fun and enjoyable flight. Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are around the corner and many people may be ready to book their flights home. This video definitely had a timely release and is targeting the young adults who enjoy the kind of music and dance presented.

The title is an oxymoron so it caught my eye. This isn’t news but it really stood out to me because it told the story of how Victoria’s Secret was founded and how it grew to become what it is today. Many people only see the brand for what it is today but so much went on behind the scenes and in the history. I’m happy I got a glimpse of it. This article allows me to understand why Victoria’s Secret is marketed the way it is today and how the brand found it’s formula to success. The article is definitely helpful towards TTIY because the past is inadvertently yet strongly connected to the present and future.

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