“Social media is sort of beyond a natural for us. … If it didn’t exist, we’d have to invent it because we have this goal of having this human connection with our customers,”said St. George, Senior Vice President of JetBlue Marketing and Commercial. “What’s so fantastic about social media is, it actually facilitates that one-to-one brand connection that marketers have wanted for so long.”
JetBlue is a clear example of a company that successfully built their brand using the advantages of social media. By using social media outlets like Twitter as a serious medium, JetBlue is able to create conversations with their customers and directly respond to them immediately. This aspect makes them seem more human and real and not just for the people, but with them as well. By placing the company in the same light as their audience, JetBlue becomes one with their customers. This inbound marketing strategy allows the people from within the company to reach out to the audience themselves.
Social media is where the people basically “live” mobile and by recognizing that, a company will recognize the value of engaging with fans and customers in this manner. Some companies place a tweet or promotion here or there but it take consistency and commitment to really thrive in a marketing aspect. These digitally-social initiatives are what brings JetBlue to another level. They always have at least one person who constantly monitors the social media networks for a rapid response.
From the constant social media monitoring, JetBlue was able to gain as much advertising and props from their audience with only $17 million spent on their marketing in 2012. This budget is only half of American Airlines, only one-third of United Airlines, and 8 times less than Southwest according to Kantar Media. With JetBlue as a great example, companies should start to look toward social media as a strong medium as it is free and very successful when monitored correctly.