With Bags Flying Free, SW Brand Soars

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Have you ever noticed how added fees really add up? Even on something simple like a fast food order. Tack on a few cents for this and another dollar for that and before long you're losing your appetite for a brand you once valued.

That's the power and the genius behind the Southwest Airlines "Bags Fly Free" promotion. Taking another departure from the industry norm that has marked the unique airline brand for years, Southwest again shows how well it connects to the issues and motivations of their customers.

In an article published on the bnet.com blog, Brett Snyder describes how Southwest has made the choice to win new business and encourage more business from existing customers rather than maximize their profit today in the process of pushing passengers away. It is a long-term strategy intent on building a more powerful brand connection by maximizing the customer experience – and it's working.

The article reports very positive feedback regarding the "Bags Fly Free" advertising that any marketer would love, but the real success is the continued positive gains Southwest has made over time in terms of customer satisfaction and value. In looking at survey results from 2006 to 2008 to 2010, these numbers illustrate the trends:

1. Answers like "It’s my favorite airline and I’d go out of my way to fly with them/one of the first I’d consider flying” went from 42 percent to 58 percent among the all-important business travelers.

2. Answers such as “It’s the best airline out there/one of the better ones” went from 56 percent to 70 percent.

3. Responses like “Really like and have a lot/something in common with” went from 54 percent to 64 percent.

This is big. It shows how the Southwest brand is continuing to build value in the minds of flyers. And not surprisingly, they continue to make money on a regular basis. It also shows once again that a brand is not a single promotion or feature change, but an integrated strategy to establish and leverage a distinct competitive difference.

Read the full article How Southwest Measures the Success of "Bags Fly Free."

To talk to someone about helping you establish and leverage your brand difference, contact us today by e-mail or phone 903-534-5220.