Chris Mainz Southwest Airlines Executive Comms

Executive Communications How to make your CEO work for your Communications Department

©2014 Southwest Airlines Co.

SOUTHWEST HISTORY

SOUTHWEST HISTORY

SOUTHWEST SUCCESS

Executive Visibility Program

Executive Visibility Goals • Drive Company-wide strategic initiatives in support of

business imperatives • Tell the SWA Story and create new Executive Brand

Ambassadors • Support Senior Leader Development • Champion Culture Integration/Saturation • Activate/Rally around key issues • Create Strong Leadership Voices • Strategically leverage media interviews among

Executives on various topics aligned with their expertise

Outcomes: Confident, credible and visible Executive leaders that

demonstrate depth in the management Team, enhance the external Brand and actively support the Culture

Executive Visibility

A comprehensive, cohesive approach to positioning our leaders and drive business success

Executive Visibility Program

Speaker’s Bureau (SB)

Local Market

Presence

Contingency Planning (CP)

Executive Culture Visits

(ECV)

Executive Platforms (EP)

Executive Visibility

Executive Platforms

Why do we need Executive Platforms?

• Our mission is to develop the voice, Topic(s), and Venues—both internally and externally—in an effort to elevate the profile for selected Executives.

• Our objective is to create individual messaging platforms for our Executive-level Leaders. Some will be more involved than others, and each will be tailored to the individual.

• Each platform will enable our Leaders to place Southwest in the best competitive position

through strategic messaging in their area of expertise

• Our job is to identify opportunities to position our Leaders internally and externally through speaking opportunities, publications, surveys, and blogs

• The ultimate goal is to position our Leaders to drive industry-wide innovation and establish best practices in their domains, and elevate the Executives’ individual profiles.

So basically, we’re the internal publicists for our great Leaders!

Example: Executive Platforms

Training Needs: On-Camera Presentation

External Venue Platform/Messaging Nuts about Southwest

One post each quarter talking about our commitment to efficiency and improving our operation.

Speeches Place Mike at one top-level industry conference a year as a keynote speaker.

Media Media training? - Use Mike as spokesperson on operations, including maintenance, Ground Ops, Pilots, etc. .

Trade publications Pitching our COO as the an efficiency pioneer

Initiative Create a platform for Mike Van de Ven to place Southwest in the best competitive position through messages encompassing our efficient operation, Safety, competitive advantage, and being a Leader in Customer Service—increasing his visibility both outside and inside the Company walls. Communication Strategy Find opportunities to position Mike internally and externally as Southwest’s operational visionary through venues, publications, pitches, surveys, blogs, and videos. The goal is to position him to drive industry-wide innovation and establish best practices as our Chief Operations Officer. Strengths/Topics: Operational Excellence Safety Absenteeism Fleet Modernization

What does this look like in action?

EXECUTIVE PLATFORM: MIKE VAN DE VEN

“This is a very complex transaction that requires time and close coordination with multiple parties,” said Southwest Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven. “While we do have a tentative agreement with Delta, final details must be completed with all parties before a binding agreement between Delta and Southwest can be completed.” – WSJ, May 22, 2012

CEO Communication

Starts at the Top

“I work for the Communications Department!”

-- Southwest CEO Gary Kelly

CEO Channels Internal: • January Battle Plan Letter to Employees • Messages to the Field • Weekly: Gary Newsline; Digital Signs • Monthly: Employee Newsletter Column • Mid-Year Update • Periodic Letter on Critical Issues External: • Monthly: Spirit Magazine Column • Quarterly: Financial Results • Social: LinkedIn Influencer • Speeches • Media Events

Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

LUVLines Gary’s Takeoff

Spirit Gary’s Greeting

Appearances& Events

LinkedIn Influencer

Internal

External

TACTICS

The Year

Ahead

The Year

Ahead

= INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

= EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Connect with our

Culture

Our Purpose

Gary’s Communication Calendar

Message to

the Field

International Expanding

Beyond our

Borders

Birthday Past/Present/

Future of SWA

(SWA Vison)

Community/ From the

Heart

Mid Year

/Integration Update

Industry/ Outlook

Overview

Wright Amendment/

DAL

Heroes/ Holidays/ Thank You

Customer Service Stories/

Surprise and Delight

Culture Spreading

the LUV

Our Purpose Communication

International Expanding

Beyond Our

Borders

Birthday Past/Present/

Future of SWA

(SWA Vison)

Community/ From the

Heart

Integration Update

Industry/ Outlook

Overview

Wright Amendment/

DAL

Thanksgiving Holidays

Customer Service Stories/

Surprise and Delight

1/23: 4Q 2013 Financial Results

MTTF 2/6- MCO 2/10- ATL 2/12- LAS 2/20- PHX

2/26- MDW

2/14- Heroes of the Heart

03/04: Dallas MTTF

4/24: 1Q

Financial Results

5/14: Shareholder’s

Meeting

6/14: Annual Awards Banquet

7/24: 2Q

Financial Results

10/23: 3Q

Financial Results

Thanksgiving

Wing’s Club NYC?

The State of My Industry

Deadline- 3/13 Launch- 3/25

Career Curveballs


If I Were 22


No Influencer

Submissions

Best Business Travel Shortcuts/

Best Business Travel Disasters Deadline- 6/4 Launch- 7/22

No Influencer

Submissions

How I Do It


The One Thing I’d Fix


My Plan B/The Road I Didn’t Take


Big Ideas 2015


DONE! DONE!

Newslines (Weekly)

Battle Plan

Herb and Gary Video

Ask Gary MTTF Edition

Gary’s 10th Year as CEO

Ask Gary Mid Year Update




MTTF Cities Media Interviews



D CEO Magazine Feature: Lunch with the CEO

Pitch to Business Magazine (Fortune/ Forbes)

Ask Gary Ask Gary Ask Gary Ask Gary Richardson Chamber

Of Commerce

SER National

Conference

U.S. Conference Of Mayors

AIME Award

Wing’s Club

Newsline

Message to the Field Our “State of the Union” Address Five to Six Messages per Year in key markets February and March Arrange Key Media Interviews with Gary and major outlets Meet with local influencers

Reuters Headline: Southwest looks at growth opportunities

‘Ask Gary’ New Take on Mid-Year Update Employees submit Qs via short videos Gary answers unscripted Drive more engagement and interest Some of best success we’ve ever had

http://youtu.be/tN8fIVA1KqI

“I’m addicted to Ask Gary!” “I look forward to Ask Gary like I look forward to Breaking Bad!”

http://youtu.be/tN8fIVA1KqI

Overview Ask Gary 2013 – All Episodes 1 - 13

Total Blog & Video Views per Episode

3,687

6,307

4,684

7,303

10,055

12,329

7,260

11,752

5,330

10,448

14,455

12,935

8,174

1,879

2,952

2,655

2,433

3,773

5,547

3,405

5,407

2,715

3,426

6,335

4,605

2,859

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000

E13: Season Finale

E12: AirTran Policies and More

E 11: Integration and More

E10: All Things International

E9: AA/US Merger and No Show

E8: SWA Effect and Red Eyes

E7: ATL, Early Bird and Ads

E6: Growth, SAN & more

E5: NY Market, Fuel

E4: International, SWAG

E3: Labor, TSA, PreChecks

E2: Early Out, Bags, Hawaii

E1: How is SWA Doing?

Blog Views Video Views

‘Ask Gary’ Next Steps Next Steps: • ‘Ask Gary’ MTTF Edition • Take ‘Ask Gary’ External—

will New Take Questions from Customers on Social Channels

http://youtu.be/mixWbuXjLgA




Gary as LinkedIn Influencer

Link from Brian

Gary Kelly on LinkedIn About the LinkedIn Influencer Group: Comprised of more than 400 of the top world and business leaders (President Obama, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Jack Welch, Joel Peterson, and CEOs from Expedia, Marriott, Quantas in the travel sector) share professional insights with LinkedIn’s 259+ million members. Influencer group includes 75+ CEOs.

LinkedIn Influencer

Influencers chime in on the state of the world’s economy to their best career mistake Influencers and editors are tapped for business insights and commentary on the day’s top news

Dallas Business Journal: Southwest's Kelly calls on the FAA to take navigation into 21st century Entitled State of Aviation: Emerging from a Lost Decade, it’s Kelly’s first post since being named a LinkedIn Influencer, a group that includes 400 top world and business leaders.

On average posts generate 300+ social actions and likes or comments

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/2014/03/southwests-kelly-calls-on-the-faa-to-take.html?s=image_gallery

LOCAL MARKET PRESENCE

CASE STUDY: GARY AT DU

• 700 attendees (200 MBA students, 500 local business leaders) • 329 live stream views • 50,000 recipients of post-event YouTube link • Harvard Business Review • $50 SWA Audience voucher

FREE HOBBY Had to convince City of Houston to build International Terminal at Hobby Major tactic was to have Gary in market: • Media interviews • At City Council Hearings • Local Speeches and Events

Contingency Planning

Contingency Planning

• Identified Potential Issues • Drafted Contingency Plans for each topic,

including verbiage, statements, resources, spokespeople, etc.

• Routed for Review • Received Direct Leadership Approval and made

necessary edits • Core Team meets quarterly to discuss new

topics, review case studies, talk about best practices

Contingency Planning PRIMARY PILLARS AND SUB-CATEGORIES BY SPOKESPERSON: Bob Jordan – Chief Commercial Officer Operations

Massive Flight Reduction/Station Closing Codeshare Discontinuation

Ginger Hardage – Senior VP Culture and Communications Customer Service

Controversial SW sponsorships Misplaced Customer (ex. child or special needs)

Employee Criminal Activity (ex. Substance Abuse, Employee Arrest, etc) Officer or Executive Medical Emergency Officer or Executive Death (natural, murder, accident) Employee Death (or serious injury) Disruptive Employee Action

QUESTIONS?

©2013 Southwest Airlines Co.