Delta Airlines

Oanh DinhNicole DeVaney

Josalyn Dykes

Consumer Complaints:2009 U.S. Airline Rankings

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

1,117 more complaints

33.5 million fewer passengers

“Complaints are handled…on a case-by-case basis in the order they are received.”

- Delta

“Smiles don’t cost airlines a penny.” - Southwest

Source: Yahoo! Travel

Communication Strategy

• Communication should be consistent regardless of channel, audience, or purpose

• Audit revealed little connectivity

• Target Objective: To promote one message

Communication Strategy

Social Networks

Websites and Publications

Summary of Audit Results

Social Networks

• Wide range of audience– 61% in U.S. have active profiles– 400 million users on Facebook– 75 million users on Twitter– 100 million users on YouTube

• Build brand image for free

Social Networks:YouTube

• Safety video features “Deltalina” and her famous finger wag

• Over 1.7 million views

• Katherine Lee has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and Ellen

Social Networks:Twitter

Issues

• Hard to find

• Multiple sites

• 66,000 followers vs. 1 million on Southwest

Suggested Resolution

• One site

• Link on other networking sites

Social Networks:Facebook

Issues

• Hard to find

• Limited audience interactions • 2,400 friends

Suggested Resolution

• Link to other networking sites

• Surveys to promote interactions

Social Networks:Flickr

Issues

• Confusing to customers

• Last update: July 2009 • Total “friends”: 449

Suggested Resolution

• One page

• Regular updates

Communication Strategy

Social Networks

Websites and Publications

Summary of Audit Results

Websites:Delta Blog – “Under the Wing”

• Gives company a human element

– Written by employees– Tone: Conversational– Topics: Interesting

• Integrates other channels

Publications:NewsDigest

• Internal communication

• Surveyed employees to determine desired channel

• Targets traveling Delta employees

• Biweekly publication

• Delta and industry news

Current Language Revised Language

Delta has a relaxed dress code, but that doesn’t mean a sloppy appearance is acceptable.

Appropriate business casual dress is encouraged for employee travelers.

(Include pictures of inappropriate dress)

Agents can’t [sell to revenue passengers] if they are checking availability on a dozen different flights for you.

We encourage you to use self-service tools. If you need to call, please keep it brief so that we can continue to offer excellent service to our customers.

Publications:Jetiquette

Publications:Mobile Phone Applications• 21% of American cell phone users have a smartphone

• Average of 22 apps (37 for iPhone)

• 21% of users accessed a travel app in last month

The Southwest Airlines iPhone App

Communication Strategy

Social Networks

Websites and Publications

Summary of Audit Results

Audit Findings

• Effective– Safety Video– “Under the Wing”– NewsDigest

• Needs Improvement– Mission statement and

consistency– Social networks– Employee manuals– Smart phone channels

Thank You for Flying With Us

Sources:

Nielson RatingsFlickr.com BusinessWeekFacebookTwitter YouTubeDelta.com

DOTYahoo! TravelDelta BlogO’Rouke, Management

CommunicationNewsDigest