Neeleman believes that marketing is best accomplished
by word of mouth; therefore top management aims to
make sure that customers are treated well and employees
feel valued.
Yet, they have made concerted efforts
to market in other ways. To establish a media campaign,
JetBlue hired J. Walter Thompson (JWT) as its advertising
agency.
To create a fresh identity, JWT found candid
statements by customers on JetBlue service. Online
sources were consulted such as Craigslist and Epinions.
The statements, written as short stories, were used to create
eight different animated ads as testimonials to JetBlue’s
customer service. Other forms of direct marketing were
used such as leather benches and snack bins in serviced
airports. JetBlue also created comical postcards and distributed
to customers to mail back their comments.
In order to record customers’ opinions on JetBlue service,
an interactive video installation called the “JetBlue
Story Booth” was set up in Rockefeller Center, and is
traveling around the country to other cities served by
JetBlue. In the one-week New York exhibit, an estimated
20,000 people participated in the installation.
A
vehicle called Blue Betty was created to simulate an airplane
cabin and showcase in-flight amenities. As it traveled
to various events across the country, visitors couldenter a contest (or lottery) for ticket giveaways.
JetBlue
also used direct marketing to target college students with
a public relations team called CrewBlue. This group used
unconventional methods of posters, flyers, and chalk art
to educate students about various aspects of the airline’s
services. Other marketing efforts include “Blue Days,”
where students were encouraged to wear blue and were
rewarded with airline tickets through drawings.
A 2005
survey indicated this marketing campaign was successful
and increased JetBlue awareness by 41 percent.
In addition to marketing initiatives, JetBlue on a
consistent basis updates its business strategy to increase
growth and revenue.