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Scott makes a good point about JetBlue's new ad campaign:
Dear JetBlue, I really don't care that you now call it "jetting", not "flying". We loved JetBlue because it was tangibly better (tv, service, planes, seats, prices, design, website, etc) -- that made the brand. Why should I care about your clever words if it doesn't make for a better experience?
See also: Evaluating organizations by their customer experience
Frankly, we should be concerned that anyone can even get to enjoy "jetting" anymore.
It's fast becoming something that only the--what's that newly evil word again--elite and well-paid can enjoy. A change in vocabulary can only be a sad reminder of soaring gas prices: that only the jet(ting) set can enjoy flight now.
I've been seeing those ads everywhere (in Boston), and they're hurting me. Rather than spending all that money on ads, how about NOT charging me hundreds of extra dollars when your online booking system messes up and I have to reschedule - even when I replicate the error as I'm on the phone with a customer service agent.
I guarantee you that my vocal complaints about JetBlue to my friends, family, colleagues, and generally everyone I know, cost more than the fees you were unwilling to wave after 2 emails and 3 calls to customer service. You're not making it easy for me to recommend you.
But that 6 inch tv was really super.
Scott has a very good point. For many of our core customers whether it's jetting, flying, "wooshing" or any number of fun words, it will always be our product and the service that attracts them. But in an era of oil at $140 a barrel (more than double the price from last year) it's important to not only to continue to provide great service to our existing customers, but encourage others to give us a try as well.
Personally, I am not one for this ad campaign, but I still find Jet Blue the best way to travel. However, I have been lucky enough to avoid booking systems issues or high cost. I fly about once a month from Florida to New York and find Jet Blue to be the best value ... but it ain't "jetting"
There are ads for "jetting" all over NYC as well. I made it the focus of my latest Wired.com podcast. They won us over with simple things: TV, leather seats, new planes. Now what do they have? Please take a listen, I think you'll enjoy.
I agree that the "jetting" ads seem gimmicky. JetBlue doesn't need them when they set themselves apart by delivering a good experience - most of the time.
I wonder if the investment in the ad campaign contributed to my bad experience this week when a flight from Vermont to NYC was "pre-canceled" (That's the word the agent used!) due to weather even though it was a beautiful day. It was the first time I've ever had a JetBlue flight canceled and I have to say that the Jetting messaging during my hold time added to my irritation.
Jetting is a bit of a stretch. When creating a name/brand it's always good to create one that can be used as a verb. Google is a great example of that. You guys make some good comments but I would say JetBlue needs to get some more and more specific feedback. I use surveys by Mindshare to see what is working and what is not from customers.