Helene #7

Current Event: MOVEMBER!

Movember is an annual event that lasts during the whole month of November. Men have to let their mustache grow in order to raise funds and awareness of prostate and testicles cancer. The project is growing more and more every year, and is getting even more important with the use of emerging media. Now grow your mustache people, Movember has started!

JetBlue:

Our visit at JetBlue was incredible. I have never been attracted to airline companies, but while visiting their offices, working there seemed very exciting. One of the “crew members” we have spoken to was thrilled about his job. Even if I am not interested in the kind of activities he was working for, I was impressed by his enthusiasm, and the passion he felt regarding his day-to-day work.

I was not expecting that an airline company was dealing with so many different activities. What we see while going to the airport or buying online tickets is nothing compared to the wide range of back office activities, and the amount of work that needs to be done. JetBlue appears to be more than a regular airline company. It really aims to develop a brand identity with values such as integrity and safety. It seemed to me that its main goal was to create a real customer value, in order for them to trust the company. I was very impressed by the apologizing CEO’s video. The kind of situation depicted was very unusual. In my opinion, thanks to its passenger-centric communication strategy, JetBlue succeeded in convincing its customers to believe in the brand. 

One of the biggest challenges JetBlue face is dealing with its competitors. The brand needs to differentiate itself from other airline companies. By focusing on a real customer value, it perfectly accomplishes this mission. Moreover, its communication transparency - shown with the CEO’s video for instance - adds to the brand’s authenticity. JetBlue succeeded in keeping its clients during an economically dark period by using customer empathy and innovating ideas: the 600 dollars month pass. As Michael Stromer explained to us, customers are still asking for it. This action provided a good reason for them to love and remember about the brand.

I could not see myself working in a company like this because I am not interested in working in an airline company. It is not the kind of service I would like to work for. In addition, I am more inclined to intern in an agency, and not directly on the client’s side.

JetBlue has understood that, in order to succeed in a fast-paced environment, it had to adapt to evolving technologies. The company uses thus more emerging media at the expense of traditional media channels. I have never flight with JetBlue and never heard about the company before coming to the US. I may be a good target audience for Internet promotions. However, even if I think JetBlue may capture the interest of new customers with its use of emerging media, it would difficultly engage me. I check airlines’ companies online only in order to buy tickets, and always look for the best deal. I am not vey sensitive to inflight entertainment or attentive personnel. It may change when I will grow up!

TTIY:

This week, I did a more in-depth research into American Apparel’s Advertising channels. While the brand does not use print ads, it is shown on its website that the brand has produced many flyers and catalogs ads. Funny fact is that, even as a regular customer, I have never seen those flyers and catalogs. Am I not remembering them? In fact, the last American Apparel flyer is dated 2007 and last catalog 2006.

What shows the up-to-date character of American Apparel is that it principally focuses alternative medium such as online video advertising (YouTube) and social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). The brand has perfectly understood which channels it had to use in order to engage its targeted audience. In contrary with some other brands that struggle with alternative medium use, American Apparel has understood that if it wanted to target ME, these new mediums had to fit in their media strategy.

FLYER (2006)

ONLINE VIDEOS ADVERTISING (2013)