Tanya Dentham: Blog #7

I was excited to see JetBlue, particularly because it was a corporate environment. It was definitely a good break
from all the agencies that we have seen. I particularly liked the office layout, it was very modern looking and clean. I think that we have established so far that any company that focuses on creativity in their product/service, has a very open office space. While the environment at JetBlue was different than the agencies, it was still a very pleasant environment. I would definitely like to work in an environment like that, for both my internship and after graduation.

I thought that the work in the Marketing department was as expected. I think this was because I was familiar with what types of jobs corporate companies did with the agencies. I also knew what marketing functions of a company did because of my undergraduate studies,  so their line of work was not a surprise for me. I think that they have been doing a great job with all their marketing and communications to provide the services. 

I liked how JetBlue's work revolved around the aspect of "why" - this allows all individuals in the company to reflect upon why their brand exists and about their scope of work. Companies usually forget their purpose and why they are doing what they are doing. I think that it is important to always acknowledge this factor, especially when the service is provided to a large group of customers. This is probably why JetBlue was so successful since the start. They were able to break through the clutter of traditional airlines and provided a unique selling point to the customers.

In terms of the presentation, I thought that Mike's presentation was very effective, particularly because it focuses on the learnings that JetBlue has developed over the years. It shows how the company has learnt from their successes and mistakes, which brought them to where they are today. Mike mentioned that JetBlue aims to train their employees or "crew members" to represent their brand. I think that this is a very good way for all individuals to live and breathe the brand in order to deliver the services effectively. By doing so, all employees are able to learn about the brand and develop a deeper relationship with the company and with the customer as well - one thing that I thought was effective was how JetBlue made their relationship with the customers very personal. This was shown through David Neeleman's public apology video, which was not scripted or prepared, apologizing to the customers during the storm incident in 2007. I think the approach that JetBlue took was a very genuine one in that the CEO himself came out to give personal apology during that rough period. 

Additionally, one key point that was emphasized was about JetBlue's extensive efforts in listening to the customers needs. I think that this was a very important point, particularly because the customers are ones who provide the business to the company. Without the customers, JetBlue and any other airline, would not exist. I think that this helps the company develop effective marketing and communications campaigns to serve the right target group. Additionally, I think that JetBlue has done a phenomenal job at delivering a unique air travel alternative for customers at an economical cost. They include all the necessities such as leg room, luggage check-ins, food and so on. I think that it is cool that they are able to differentiate themselves from the traditional airlines by touching on the customer's experience with their airline. 

The opportunities and challenges that arise in this type of industry is to be able to offer something that is different. Although they had to go through rough periods, they have been able to break through the clutter and offering unique services. They have also emerged in the media more, which I think is the right way to go, especially now that all products and services are utilizing these channels more. I think that this is an effective way to reach customers and engage with them consistently. I still see JetBlue's efforts on traditional media and I think that these media channels will help support each other. The challenge now is how to continue innovating their services without losing focus of who they are. Another challenge they have to face is the fact that they are a low-cost airline - therefore, funding may not be available in certain cases. However, I think that this may be an opportunity for JetBlue to seek new marketing methods and leverage on their strengths as a low-cost airline.

While I do have a strong interest to work in a corporate environment, I feel like I would want to focus on consumer products. I enjoyed JetBlue but I think that because their business is a service, much of their efforts are in the operational aspects. Though it may be challenging and fun to work with, I do not think that it is a right fit for me just yet.

Current Events:

Instagram said that it was going to deliver ads to user's Feed and they have finally implemented it. Earlier this morning, designer Michael Kors started running their ads. This ad ran on the brand's Instagram feed, but people who aren't following the company may also see the same image anyway with a "sponsored" tag where the timeline is. 

An ad on Instagram looks exactly like the way Instagram said it would look. Ads on Instagram is one of the reasons Facebook mentioned that it isn't going to put in more ads into their Feed because it does not have to in order to make more money. I think that this is where the acquisition of Instagram creates a positive impact for Facebook's revenue. I think that it is a smart move, however, it also has to consider the responses from Instagram users as well. I personally do not have an issue with these posts because they look like any other feed on my Instagram. Essentially, I guess all companies want to do is to push sales and gain profit - they would do this through advertisement, no matter what form it takes.

Source: http://allthingsd.com/20131101/ads-appear-on-instagram-just-like-instagram-said-they-would/

TTIY Project Update:

Pinterest: B&BW's has done a great job at putting the product names out there on Pinterest. Lately, they've been updating their Pinterest daily about the products. I think this is a good way for people to learn about their offerings and also to see what to look out for in the stores. In other Pinterest activities, B&BW has come out with a "Get Pin-Spired" which allows celebrate the new makeover Signature Collection and decorate their desktop/devices with the latest Pinterest boards. There will be 18 Fragrances, 18 Wallpapers for 18 Days. This campaign allows users to download the screen saver for their Laptop, Mobile and Tablet devices. I think this is a smart campaign that gets users to interact with B&BW's brand and also to receive pretty wallpaper designs for free!

As I have mentioned in my blog last week, B&BW plans to come out with a new fragrance "Forever Midnight", a scent that contains notes of plum nectar, jasmine, and night-blooming vanilla orchid. This fragrance officially hits the market on November 4th!

Event: Google Alerts has notified me that this past Saturday, B&BW has launched an event that allows shoppers a chance to try the "Forever Midnight" scent and purchase the product on site. The event was placed at their Oakbrook Center, Chicago store with live music from DJ Chris Mix. Besides shopping and music, shoppers will also get a chance to play around with B&BW's new filter app called ScentSnap - creating photo backdrops inspired by different scents. 

To support this event, B&BW's Twitter provided live feeds from the event so that followers can get a glimpse of what happened at the event. For example, there were purple carpets, large beautiful flower bouquets and so on. This was a cool feature and kept followers up to date.

Store Re-opening: Also on November 4, B&BW is having a Grand Re-Opening at Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. 

Lots to come for B&BW and their activities. I think that since the holidays are coming up in the next few weeks, much more is to be expected from B&BW so I will stay tuned for that.