Luv Official Airline
- Thread starter Doc
- Start date
Gota love em for their leadership vision and especially their soft touch with not only it's customers but their most valuable assets, it's employees who make it a reality.Doc said:
Pretty telling when an airline based in the southwest comes into our territory and signs on with home town sports teams right off the bat while we stand there and hear rhetoric of fighting them head on, sure we will.
If we could only get those darn stubborn greedy union members to listen then maybe we could defend ourselves......
robbedagain
Veteran
- Oct 13, 2003
- 11,125
- 2,676
actually may be if we could get those stubborn mgmt (the ones that love to steal from the employees) to list to the employees then we'd have a fighting chance.
But I am not counting on it as history shows we have lost BWI we've lost most of california so I guess that phl is next in line.
But I am not counting on it as history shows we have lost BWI we've lost most of california so I guess that phl is next in line.
HogDriver
Member
- Sep 2, 2002
- 64
- 21
This move by SWA starkly contrasts the different approaches taken by each company's leadership. SWA shows the market they are commited, here to stay and in touch with the customers. USAirways doesn't think it has to advertise because it just has always been there....who else would you fly?? Well, those days are over....have been over....and this team of overpaid losers still has no clue how to deal with it. Don't even go there about how each management treats their employees. One thing is for sure, if U loses PHL like it did BWI and California, the airline is toast.
Hello Newman
Senior
- Aug 23, 2002
- 376
- 0
I've only seen U advertise in AAA ballparks such as in ROC and TOL. Nothing wrong with that but ithe best way to get any community on your side is to get a sponsorship
going with a local sports franchise or symphony orchestra. Show a commitment and
it will pay off.
going with a local sports franchise or symphony orchestra. Show a commitment and
it will pay off.
Light Years
Veteran
- Aug 27, 2002
- 2,878
- 0
United Center, American Airlines Arena (MIA and DFW), American Airlines Theatre, America West Center, Continental Arena etc etc. Pretty much all of the other airlines have thier name on something... shoddy old USAir Stadium or whatever was torn down years ago. I was really hoping we'd get our name on one of those shiny new PHL stadiums that are clearly viewed while landing there, but no, not US Airways. Apparently having the name on the airplanes is advertising enough.
On a recent visit to Philadelphia, apparently the crown jewel hub, I saw more advertising for USA3000 than for US. In fact, I dont think I saw any. The one place I have seen some neat advertising is in the UK, although mostly at the airports (not sure how effective that is). We must have a different ad agency for Europe because its a really classy, colourful campaign. Unlike here where we rent a huge billboard to make it black with white lettering and a miniscule logo on the bottom. We're sure not going to cause any car accidents with that one!
Oh yeah, at a baseball field in Trenton New Jersey there is a small sign that says US Airways Express. Fly out of Trenton! I guess its a start... I guess.
Is US Airways the official airline of anything anymore? I think Universal Studios is gone right?
On a recent visit to Philadelphia, apparently the crown jewel hub, I saw more advertising for USA3000 than for US. In fact, I dont think I saw any. The one place I have seen some neat advertising is in the UK, although mostly at the airports (not sure how effective that is). We must have a different ad agency for Europe because its a really classy, colourful campaign. Unlike here where we rent a huge billboard to make it black with white lettering and a miniscule logo on the bottom. We're sure not going to cause any car accidents with that one!
Oh yeah, at a baseball field in Trenton New Jersey there is a small sign that says US Airways Express. Fly out of Trenton! I guess its a start... I guess.
Is US Airways the official airline of anything anymore? I think Universal Studios is gone right?
Light Years
Veteran
- Aug 27, 2002
- 2,878
- 0
It never ceases to amaze me how much disregard the current management has for the US Airways name and brand.
*Barely existent advertising, see above.
*No slogan or clearly defined "personality." What kind of airline IS US Airways? What are we promising? What are we selling? Do we know yet? Who are we? How did we get here? This is not my beautiful house... Tell the employees what your goals are and what we're trying to be.
*Dirty planes, wretched uniforms. If they dont care enough to sweep the pretzels off my first class seat, what else are they skimping on? And the uniforms. "Hi there, am I speaking to a flight attendant or a cart driver? Oh, TSA, sorry." Not only are they a design from the early 80's and poorly sized, they're generic and DEPRESSING. "Welcome aboard, sorry about your loss." How about a little colour or at the very least something that differentiates us as US Airways?
*Inconsistency of products. First Class to Denver and First Class to LA are two different things. Unclear IFE policies, movie on the way, none on the way back. US Airways Express is ridiculous, especially with the EMB coming. Will I be on that big spacious jet with two flight attendants that I board through a jetway or will I run through the rain to get onto the 19 seater that is as big as a minivan and has no lav or flight attendant? US Airways Shuttle- will there be a first class cabin or wont there?
*Assumption of public awareness. I've spoken to frequent flyers in Pittsburgh that had no idea US Airways flew to Europe. Most people on the West Coast think US Airways ceased to exist a decade ago. Alot of people think U is still in Chapter 11.
*Bad publicity as the only publicity. The newspapers in our six largest cities, partcilarly PIT and CLT, are willing to write any and everything to do with thier hometown airline. If you tell someone you'll shut it down, your employees are spoilsports, you dont want the hub anymore, you'd like to sell parts of the company, they will print it. If one of your commuters lands at the wrong airport, they will print it. If an agent got a paper cut, they'd probably have a front page article about it. Why not feed them some positive news? This is a deep rooted communication problem within the company that goes beyond marketing and is responsible for alot of our current ills.
I know, all of this costs money- but we dont need a rebranding, we have a sharp, modern livery and look, we just need to market the airline as a service people WANT. I came across an interesting article talking about airline branding. Admittedly the quotes are from someone who, well, brands airlines for a living, but still...
****************************
The Brand as Guardian - Amadeus Air News - April | May 2003
When markets get tight who isn’t tempted to take the axe to anything that is not making an immediate, direct contribution to putting planes in the air safely? And when the cutting begins who doesn’t expect marketing and communications to be among the first functions to feel the blade? After all, it’s almost a tradition. But, says David Hedley-Noble, English president of AEROBRAND, the Miami-based branding consultancy responsible for the group re-branding of Taca, this is a serious mistake.
“After all these years I still don’t understand how anyone can think that the best way for a business to survive in a fiercely competitive economic environment is for it to stop caring about how it presents itself,†he says with a bemused shrug. “Imagine a politician saying ‘I’m too busy fighting an election to waste time campaigning’. You’d have to laugh.â€
And it is a feature of the aviation industry, with its global business culture and strongly homogenised product, that individual airlines need to compete hard through branding because their other options are so limited. “There are so few ways for an airline to distinguish itself from the crowd these days that the one we create, the visible expression of the personality of the airline, is becoming more and more powerful.â€
Poverty is no excuse
Recession-hit airlines often plead poverty as they cut back their branding programmes but Hedley-Noble really can’t understand why. “The vast majority of branding costs are the same whether the job is done well or badly. Certain marketing and branding costs are a fact of business life; aircraft have to be painted, seats upholstered, aircrew clothed, leaflets printed, adverts designed. And, in any case, all the physical manifestations of branding need to be replaced periodically as they wear out. So, if you’ve got to do these things, why not do them well? And while you are at it, why not think about ways you could do them better?â€
Hedley-Noble believes that only the most enlightened companies truly understand the full power and potential of their brands. The mechanisms by which a healthy brand supports its business through thick and thin are very complex. “Research shows clearly that consumers making purchasing decisions choose between just the three or four brands that spring most readily to mind. Getting your brand into one of these treasured ‘top of mind’ slots is the Holy Grail of marketing. The only thing that changes in a recession is that there are fewer customers, so ‘top of mind’ slots are rarer, harder to win and more fiercely fought over. It isn’t enough anymore to just have a good product; lots of airlines have that. You must give the consumer a reason over and above the practical to buy your ticket instead of someone else’s. You must capture their imagination, and branding is the principal means by which you can do that.â€
And customers are not the only ones who take notice of an airline’s brand. “With the current consolidation and alliance-building trends in aviation, the quality and strength of an airline’s brand can make all the difference to whether it is perceived as a soft target or a worthy partner. It’s a harsh world out there and a strong brand can provide useful protection.â€
****************************
Anyway, thats my rant for the day.
*Barely existent advertising, see above.
*No slogan or clearly defined "personality." What kind of airline IS US Airways? What are we promising? What are we selling? Do we know yet? Who are we? How did we get here? This is not my beautiful house... Tell the employees what your goals are and what we're trying to be.
*Dirty planes, wretched uniforms. If they dont care enough to sweep the pretzels off my first class seat, what else are they skimping on? And the uniforms. "Hi there, am I speaking to a flight attendant or a cart driver? Oh, TSA, sorry." Not only are they a design from the early 80's and poorly sized, they're generic and DEPRESSING. "Welcome aboard, sorry about your loss." How about a little colour or at the very least something that differentiates us as US Airways?
*Inconsistency of products. First Class to Denver and First Class to LA are two different things. Unclear IFE policies, movie on the way, none on the way back. US Airways Express is ridiculous, especially with the EMB coming. Will I be on that big spacious jet with two flight attendants that I board through a jetway or will I run through the rain to get onto the 19 seater that is as big as a minivan and has no lav or flight attendant? US Airways Shuttle- will there be a first class cabin or wont there?
*Assumption of public awareness. I've spoken to frequent flyers in Pittsburgh that had no idea US Airways flew to Europe. Most people on the West Coast think US Airways ceased to exist a decade ago. Alot of people think U is still in Chapter 11.
*Bad publicity as the only publicity. The newspapers in our six largest cities, partcilarly PIT and CLT, are willing to write any and everything to do with thier hometown airline. If you tell someone you'll shut it down, your employees are spoilsports, you dont want the hub anymore, you'd like to sell parts of the company, they will print it. If one of your commuters lands at the wrong airport, they will print it. If an agent got a paper cut, they'd probably have a front page article about it. Why not feed them some positive news? This is a deep rooted communication problem within the company that goes beyond marketing and is responsible for alot of our current ills.
I know, all of this costs money- but we dont need a rebranding, we have a sharp, modern livery and look, we just need to market the airline as a service people WANT. I came across an interesting article talking about airline branding. Admittedly the quotes are from someone who, well, brands airlines for a living, but still...
****************************
The Brand as Guardian - Amadeus Air News - April | May 2003
When markets get tight who isn’t tempted to take the axe to anything that is not making an immediate, direct contribution to putting planes in the air safely? And when the cutting begins who doesn’t expect marketing and communications to be among the first functions to feel the blade? After all, it’s almost a tradition. But, says David Hedley-Noble, English president of AEROBRAND, the Miami-based branding consultancy responsible for the group re-branding of Taca, this is a serious mistake.
“After all these years I still don’t understand how anyone can think that the best way for a business to survive in a fiercely competitive economic environment is for it to stop caring about how it presents itself,†he says with a bemused shrug. “Imagine a politician saying ‘I’m too busy fighting an election to waste time campaigning’. You’d have to laugh.â€
And it is a feature of the aviation industry, with its global business culture and strongly homogenised product, that individual airlines need to compete hard through branding because their other options are so limited. “There are so few ways for an airline to distinguish itself from the crowd these days that the one we create, the visible expression of the personality of the airline, is becoming more and more powerful.â€
Poverty is no excuse
Recession-hit airlines often plead poverty as they cut back their branding programmes but Hedley-Noble really can’t understand why. “The vast majority of branding costs are the same whether the job is done well or badly. Certain marketing and branding costs are a fact of business life; aircraft have to be painted, seats upholstered, aircrew clothed, leaflets printed, adverts designed. And, in any case, all the physical manifestations of branding need to be replaced periodically as they wear out. So, if you’ve got to do these things, why not do them well? And while you are at it, why not think about ways you could do them better?â€
Hedley-Noble believes that only the most enlightened companies truly understand the full power and potential of their brands. The mechanisms by which a healthy brand supports its business through thick and thin are very complex. “Research shows clearly that consumers making purchasing decisions choose between just the three or four brands that spring most readily to mind. Getting your brand into one of these treasured ‘top of mind’ slots is the Holy Grail of marketing. The only thing that changes in a recession is that there are fewer customers, so ‘top of mind’ slots are rarer, harder to win and more fiercely fought over. It isn’t enough anymore to just have a good product; lots of airlines have that. You must give the consumer a reason over and above the practical to buy your ticket instead of someone else’s. You must capture their imagination, and branding is the principal means by which you can do that.â€
And customers are not the only ones who take notice of an airline’s brand. “With the current consolidation and alliance-building trends in aviation, the quality and strength of an airline’s brand can make all the difference to whether it is perceived as a soft target or a worthy partner. It’s a harsh world out there and a strong brand can provide useful protection.â€
****************************
Anyway, thats my rant for the day.
Piedmont4US
Member
- Jan 8, 2004
- 94
- 0
Marketing department, you know those ads you put in the Attache? Why not get those in some mainstream mags?
But you really need to operate in the black in order to get aggressive in the marketing department, see LUV for an example.
Although should US ever get back to profitability, the time they missed on PR could easily be made up with huge campaigns about the brand, and especially the part that seperates LUV and US, and that is US is a full-service airline that also flies to Europe.
But you really need to operate in the black in order to get aggressive in the marketing department, see LUV for an example.
Although should US ever get back to profitability, the time they missed on PR could easily be made up with huge campaigns about the brand, and especially the part that seperates LUV and US, and that is US is a full-service airline that also flies to Europe.
Light Years
Veteran
- Aug 27, 2002
- 2,878
- 0
Oh yeah. I forgot that one.
JAMAKE1
Veteran
Light Years:
You have to bring back the 80's chick who appears to be dancing in a video...she was taking me back to the days of Deborah Harry and Berlin...it's just not the same without her...I was rather enjoying my flashbacks...sorry to have changed the subject...J
You have to bring back the 80's chick who appears to be dancing in a video...she was taking me back to the days of Deborah Harry and Berlin...it's just not the same without her...I was rather enjoying my flashbacks...sorry to have changed the subject...J
robbedagain
Veteran
- Oct 13, 2003
- 11,125
- 2,676
i dont think usair has had a marketing department since they starting to destroy california and bwi and soon to be phl
