Captain’s Blog: How to Market
People ask me all the time how to be good at marketing. My answer: Why are you asking me about marketing? However, I believe this story I came across a couple weeks ago exemplifies how to perfectly market one's company. Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines, was on his way to a summit in Washington, DC, when Alaska airlines, the airline he runs, lost his baggage. This seemed fishy to me. A CEO of a major airline loses his luggage, and the media is there ready to report on it.
The only answer I have; it’s a publicity stunt. A way to make it look like Alaska Airlines understands the plight of the common man. A “Celebrities also do their laundry” type sentiment. Let’s assume for the sake of the argument that it’s conventional wisdom that Brad Tilden lost his luggage as a publicity stunt. Wouldn’t you love a story about Peter Agnefjall, the CEO of IKEA, breaking his arm and assembling a wardrobe? I would. However, lost luggage isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you on a flight. Try sitting in between two obese guys eating McDonalds as their elbows jab into you. The question arises, why would Brad Tilden choose to “purposefully” (remember its conventional wisdom) lose his luggage as the airline’s publicity stunt?
In December of 2014 the Washington Post reported on which airlines lose the most bags per year. Alaska Airlines came in 10th. American Airlines, South West, and United finished higher with more lost luggage. Those airlines are important because they finished 1st, 3rd, and 4th in “About Travel’s” top ten airlines in North America list with Alaska finishing in 7th. After this discovery, I finally understand Brad and his “lost luggage.” Like me, Alaska airlines probably determined that more lost luggage = a better ranking. A better ranking = more customers. Using the Transitive property, more lost luggage = more customers.
Brad Tilden portraying the airlines’ ability to lose luggage was actually a way to show customers that they’re just as good at losing luggage as the top guys. A true example of genius in American marketing and capitalism in that seemingly random statistics do impact your company. If I was Brad Tilden, I would probably say something like this “Watch out, American Airlines, ‘cause there ain’t no way you’re losing more freekin luggage than us this year.” I’m sorry for doubting you, Brad.
That is how you do marketing.
