BrandDigital | BrandSimple: The Blog

In my book, BrandSimple, I talk about JetBlue. Over the past few days everyone has been talking about JetBlue, but not for any of the reasons I chose to talk about it. I used it as an example of a brand that succeeded as a result of identifying something meaningfully different to offer people who want or need to fly. Unlike the big, ambiguous airlines, JetBlue found a way to put the “humanity back into flying.” This phrase became the driving force behind everything the little brand did to make flying fun, from its airfares to its personnel, to its in-flight entertainment. Last week, as thousands of people were stranded at JFK and cancellation reports multiplied as quickly as news reports, flying JetBlue was anything but fun. It proved to be no different than any other airline – any other big airline that is.

CEO, David Neeleman, took on the immediate challenge by doing exactly what he should have done. He apologized and took the hit as the company’s most senior officer without any excuses. His business model was off course and he would do whatever necessary to fix it, no easy task now that the company has grown from a small team of mavericks to a sprawling organization. While this is all well and a very good start, it’s nowhere near the size of the challenge the airline has ahead of it as a brand. It wasn’t the fact that passengers were left on the tarmac that made it a newsworthy story. It was that JetBlue had broken its brand promise. To repair its promise, JetBlue has to figure out how to “put the humanity back into flying,” but this time as a larger company – something that will be very hard to do at its value price point. The proof of its newly repaired promise will require more than Mr. Neeleman spontaneously showing up to greet passengers. And while a noble gesture, it will take more than a passengers’ Bill of Rights which only serves to placate flyers if the experience gets too bad. While immediate crisis control will help JetBlue survive in the short term, it’s the longer term the airline must consider. It must find a meaningfully different way to make its original brand promise fly again, this time on a higher level. Don’t underestimate the JetBlue team. It’s in their company culture to make this happen. And I, for one, have full confidence they will.

As part of the promotional tour for BrandSimple, I’ve been speaking at universities around the country. Last month I was at Michigan State University. Allie Osmar, a student there, asked to interview me for her PathtoAdland interview series. Take a listen here.

Now that the thermometer has returned to normal winter levels in many parts of the country and snow continues to bury poor Oswego, New York it might be hard to think about the recent devastating report on global warming. But, thankfully, people are thinking. And while most want to jump into action, they’re not exactly sure what they’re supposed to do. They know global warming is bad. They know it’s a reality. And, while most people know it has to do with greenhouse gases and fossil fuels, they’re not exactly sure how to help, much as they want to. My belief is that one way to help them help is by means of a simple branding signal. I’m not saying to brand global warming per se. The phrase, sadly, speaks for itself. But rather, I recommend creating an evocative, easily interpreted branding cue that simply and clearly communicates to people that by using a particular product or service they won’t be contributing to global warming. In fact, in some cases, they may actually be mitigating its effects. Like branding signals of any sort this one must convey the intent behind the promise without need for any explanation. It must speak for itself.

Much like the construction industry is using “EnergyStar” to signal energy efficiency in specific products and services, and PepsiCo, Inc. is using the green “SmartSpot” to signal healthier snack choices, a global warming branding signal (for lack of a better phrase) would act in a similar manner. It would visually alert people to the benefits of making one product choice over another. With so many brands and so much brand chatter, people need and use branding signals to help them make choices relevant to their needs. Global warming, while relevant to everyone, is a complicated issue. Give people a simple way to understand what does or doesn’t contribute to its effects and my guess is that they’ll pay close attention. In fact, given the choice of melting oceans, hurricanes, and the eventual destruction of our planet, my guess is that this is a little branding signal that would be greatly appreciated.

With all the news surrounding Ford bringing back the Taurus, and AT&T doing away with the Cingular name, I wrote an article that appeared on Brandweek’s site last week.