Communication Dashboard

jetBlue Airlines

Stephanie Baysinger

CMN 6910 Fall B, 2015

Northeastern University

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jetBlue Airways was incorporated in August of 1998 and currently runs routes throughout North and

South America (JetBlue Airways Corp, n.d.). Along with flight sales and operations, jetBlue also sells

vacation packages with hotel accommodations included with airfare. As with many other airlines,

jetBlue has a loyalty program that USNews (JetBlue TrueBlue, n.d.) ranks as fourth in its evaluation of

best airline rewards programs behind Alaska, American, and Southwest.

jetBlue creates a relationship with its customers through point of service (in flight experience),

marketing and through the extension of its website (the subject of this analysis). The company identifies

five core values that guide their business and relationship with customers: safety, caring, integrity and

fun (The jetBlue Values, n.d.). The website is an outward facing channel that interfaces directly with

customers to be a point of purchase and fun venue for relationship building.

The airline is known for being innovative and a leader online, on social media, and in its mobile

platforms. Consistency in brand and communication across these channels is important in order to

convey a consistent experience to every customer, every time. In 2010 jetBlue was reported to be

spending $25-$30 million in media, including its website and other digital channels (Parekh, 2010). Very

active on social media, jetBlue has multiple twitter accounts (@jetBlue, @jetBlueCheeps) and has over 1

million likes on Facebook. These external communication channels constantly include links directing

viewers back to www.jetBlue.com; therefore, the site content and achieving the set communication

objectives is a top priority for this vehicle’s success.

Communication Vehicle

Homepage Overview

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The homepage of the jetBlue website is a communication vehicle equipped to provide users with

information, a brand experience and a point of purchase for the organization to collect revenue. There is

even an option to change preferred language to Espanol for increased communication.

(1) The header of the site communicates pertinent and timely information to visitors. Alerts in this

section warn about airport construction, weather delays that effect jetBlue travel routes, or

emergency notifications.

(2) The top ribbon of the site shows five yellow boxes where visitors can accomplish different tasks

on the site.

 “Plan a trip” pulls down to display additional options for travel provided by jetBlue (i.e. flights,

cruises, cars, hotels, etc.).

 “Manage flights” leads to a page with next steps for previously booked travel including checking

in to flights and changing seats.

 “Where we jet” leads to an interactive image map showcasing all cities where jetBlue flies and

routes from each. A fun add on the right hand side is a filter to select trip themes (for those with

flexible plans). (Figure 1-B)

 “Flying on jetBlue” communicates the features of the in-flight experience for passengers we five

scrolling pictures showcasing drink/snack options, legroom, and in-flight DIRECTTV®. Visitors can

also explore jetBlue’s premium Mint options on bi-coastal flights.

 “Travel Information” educated passengers on very tactical flight information included baggage

restrictions, traveling with children, group bookings and jetBlue offerings for passengers in need

of special assistance.

(3) A large focal point on the home screen is a grey box to buy flights. Customers can enter the

departing and arriving city from a drop down menu and select dates from a drop down 30-day

calendar. Many of the options from the top ribbon (2) are available in this box (special

assistance, check in, flight status, etc.)

(4) There are three ways to join jetBlue’s loyalty program, TrueBlue, from the home page. The top

right of the screen includes an option to either sign in or join the program. Directly underneath

is a larger, blue, tab on the ribbon (2) to be directed to the loyalty page. Visitors can also move

their eyes to the left and sign in to the program directly from the home screen with their email

address and password.

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1. jetBlue uses the below the fold section of the homepage (after a few scrolls) to advertise current

deals and promotions. Above shows recent flight deals from my current geographic location

(Boston). To the left of the flight deals are rotating ads for current areas of interest to click on

like TSA Pre-Check or Summer 2016 flight schedules.

2. The ribbon at the bottom (6) continues with a variety of unrelated information for jetBlue

visitors. These appear to be extras, or differentiators, for the brand- like trips to Cuba and

business travel options.

The footer of the home page includes links to social media, corporate information and proprietary

information for stakeholders in the company.

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3. Here is a link to download the jetBlue app for mobile devices.

4. The search bar allows visitors to type in what they are looking for on the site to retrieve

information that may be hard to find on the landing pages.

5. jetBlue.com includes links to six different social media outlets. Unique to them is the BlueTales

blog and SoFly. SoFly is a community page for travelers to share pictures, travel tips and

feedback on their jetBlue experience. There are links throughout the page connecting directly to

Facebook and Twitter accounts.

jetBlue is competing with other major airlines for customers. Travelers have a variety of options when

booking travel, including purchasing directly from an airline website or through third party sites like

Experdia.com or Hotels.com. The site must convey an enjoyable and simple booking experience for

customers and also advertise promotional flights and vacation deals to compete with other travel and

tourism options. The homepage is also digitally advanced in that it highlights flights that may be of

interest of users based on geographic location and previous searches. Also, if you are a TrueBlue

member, your most recent flights are listed directly on the homepage for easy management and

reference (see below)

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Communication objectives

Generate Revenue

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With the number of airline options for travels, jetBlue must build a relationship with customers and

sense of community amongst those who are loyal to the airline. To build this brand loyalty jetBlue uses

the site to reinforce their values in a consistent and inspiring way (Westwood, 2015). The site includes

multiple channels to enroll and engage with the TrueBlue loyalty program.

Maintaining a consistent and streamlined is a proven differenciator for the airline. Customers feel a

strong connection with the brand and personalization is important. jetBlue partnered with New York

based ad agency, Rokkan, in 2010 to execute digital strategy to cement them as a leader in the space.

Focusing on personalization, mobile accessibility, and customization jetBlue saw an increase in TrueBlue

membership in the thousands (Flight, n.d.).

The site has a number of ways to communicate directly with the brand and engage in two way

communication. Social media and customer engagement is prominent on secondary web pages

throughout the site. For example, the SoFly (short for Social Fly) page allows visitors to view and share

JetBlue pictures and travel tips and tricks. Launched in 2013, with a goal to be a hub for fliers to interact

with the airline and includes fast facts and pictures both accessible on the ground and in the air

(Sanchez, 2013).

Build brand loyalty and community

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jetBlue also has a YouTube channel which includes various video content with short commercials,

corporate social responsibility videos, and even a 15 minute social documentary called ‘Human Kinda’

bout the glorification of ‘busy’ in America. This is yet another example of how jetBlue is trying to truly

build relationships with their customers and personalize the flight experience.

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The site not only wants to provide a fun tool for booking travel, but needs to be a place for visitors to

find important information about an itinerary. Not everyone visiting the site is a traveler. For example,

those with friends or family flying on jetBlue will check the site for flight updates and security alerts.

Travel alerts are listed in the upper right corner of the homepage. If there are severe weather delays or

airport shut downs, a visitor to the site can easily access the quick note or ‘click here’ to drill down

further into the alert.

Provide up to date travel information and trip management

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Existing customers who have already purchased a trip with jetBlue may return to the site to update their

travel information. The site allows travelers to update seat assignments, change flights, or upgrade to

roomier seats or quicker security lines.

Flying domestically within the US provides numerous options for flight and airlines need to grab (and

keep) the attention of customers. Competitive advantage in any industry involves being the best in

quality, efficiency, customer relationships and innovation (Hill & Jones, 2012). According to Edward

Clayton and Andreas Hilz (n.d.) the airline industry is growing in this economy and small, low cost

carriers currently own 25% of the market. Updating the physical plane to attract travelers is extremely

expensive, so airlines must instead increase revenue and gain the competitive edge by moving focus to

customer engagement and loyalty.

Foreign market turbulence throughout 2015 has effected business greatly and the Airline industry is no

exception. jetBlue is a low cost, US carrier so the financial hit was less. The table below (sources from

Google analytics), from a 2015 Forbes article shows jetBlue’s positive change in stock performance as

greatly outperforming the competition (A closer look at JetBlue's strategy, 2015).

Marketing Strategy and Target Audiences

Organizational Environment

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Competitively speaking, naming the top airline is difficult due to varying criteria against what a customer

values. Airfairewatchdog.com (a site that tracks airfare prices and performance, owned by TripAdvisor)

in their post Best U.S. Airlines: 2015 edition (n.d.) ranked Alaska airlines as the top company due to

maintaining only .7% canceled flights and 85% on time arrivals. Interestingly, jetBlue ranked number one

in customer satisfaction ahead of Southwest and Alaska.

Understanding the importance of customer satisfaction and brand relationship building within this

industry, the personality of an airline and the traveler experience is paramount. Customer defection is

expensive and there is, “a direct relationship between defection rates and costs” (Hill & Jones, 2012, p.

96). Organizational spending on advertising and marketing is an ingredient to maintain competitive

advantage. Looking at the Airfarewatchdog rankings, jetBlue’s customer experience could be a

benchmark in the industry and a place for the brand to distinguish itself amongst competition.

jetBlue came under scrutiny this year (2015) as new organizational practices were put into play that

threatened the hallmark of their business- the customer experience. In an interview with the WSJ, EVP

Marty St. George discusses the airlines decision to start charging for checked baggage for the first time,

the decision to reduce legroom and the predicted bottom line effects on the customer experience. St.

George explains that competitors are moving towards commoditization, but jetBlue, “has taken a

position that air travel is not a commodity but a services business. We want to stand out” (Vranica,

2015, para. 12). The customer experience from advertising to the in flight experience took a PR hit this

year with these announcements and the measurable outcomes are still to be seen.

Fast Company profiled jetBlue as one of the rising stars of company branding. Coming off of the

Valentine’s Day PR nightmare in 2007 (when 131,000 passengers were delayed due to a snow storm)

jetBlue worked to become the top ranked airline in social currency and one of the most influential

brands on Twitter (Randall, 2010). Robin Hayes, Chief Commercial Officer was interviewed for the article

and explained the branding strategy as, “Whether it be in the airport, on the planes, on the phones, or

online, the connection with our customers is a key factor in how we do business” (para. 11). The

website, as a communication vehicle, is an extension and hub to interconnect the brand strategies of the

company.

Promote the different products and services in a ‘fun’ and interactive manner

Advertise current deals on flights and vacations on the landing page and include copy for a ‘call to

action’ to learn more.

Highlight point of purchase upsells to generate additional revenue (upgrade to Even More Space seats,

compare flight options and pricing, side-by side, for premium flights and bag check needs)

Marketing Strategy

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Serve as a streamlined portal for flight management and link information to mobile app for a full

brand experience

Airline apps for mobile devices are still in their early stages and offerings by airlines vary greatly. Most

airline applications are functional for day-of travel (checking in, e-ticket boarding passes, and

communicating information about your flight) and some go the extra mile with in-flight entertainment

functions like Delta’s soduko puzzles (McCartney, 2015).

The jetBlue app allows users to book flights, check in for current travel, use e-tickets for TSA and

boarding and has a few fun extras that sync nicely with the ‘fun’ value of the company. In the App

travelers can create virtual postcards to send to friends, view what movies are playing on the flight, and

even schedule a car to pick you up at your destination. The app currently has over a million downloads

and is designed to be, “immersive experience that functioned in tandem with the website—a true

industry first” (Flight, n.d., p. para. 4). From a branding perspective, the visual aesthetic transitions

nicely form web to mobile app and the user interface is intuitive and streamlined.

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Build a relationship with the customer and grown user base

jetBlue engages users through rewards and created a Badge Program so True Blue members can ‘earn’

points by achieving different milestones while flying jetBlue. For example, if I fly to Alaska three times,

I’ll earn 100 TrueBlue points. jetBlue uses current loyalty customers to help market the program- inviting

friends to join TrueBlue or sharing my badges on Facebook earns me more points. I can also compete

with friends via the jetBlue website for badges.

jetBlue is a brand influencer on Twitter (Randall, 2010). The footer of the homepage includes a direct

link to Twitter (although there isn’t an active social media feed on the website). As of November 21,

2015, @jetBlue had 1.97 million followers and had tweeted 324 thousand times. jetBlue tweets are in

line with their values and communication objectives. Tweets advertise promotions and link directly back

to the jetBlue homepage. The brand cross promotes by interacting with its other Twitter handles (like

@jetBlueCheep) linking deals back to the homepage. To build community, jetBlue responds to customer

tweets in a ‘fun’ and ‘caring’ fashion communicating “a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at self;

add personality to the customer experience” (The jetBlue Values, n.d., para. 5)

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Leisure Travelers

Travelers researching and booking vacations are the target audience for the jetBlue website. The

advertising on the landing pages are for “Want to Get Away” packages with photos of tropical islands

and couples enjoying a romantic trip.

Promotional pricing is a strategic tool to compete with competitor sites like Expedia or Travelocity,

aiming to attract cost conscious vacationers who are comparing prices.

Loyalty Members and Current Flyers

The website serves as a management communication portal for flyers who need to check flight

information. Further, those part of the loyalty program visit the site to manage points and book travel

using TrueBlue points.

Customers with questions or concerns

If a customer experiences a cancelation, dissatisfaction with a flight, or has questions about their trip,

one of the first places they will turn is the jetBlue website. Calling jetBlue through their corporate phone

number involves wait times, where information on the website is instant. Visitors can look through the

Contact Us section on the footer, click on the ribbon on the landing page marked “Travel Information”

or use the search bar on the footer to navigate the site.

Business travelers

If a company allows business fliers to select their own flights, jetBlue.com could be a tool to research

flight times, book travel, or research corporate programs.

Using quantitative analysis of www.jetBlue.com the audience profile has some clear differences from

the internet average that are important for the web team to use in maintaining the site.

Source: Alexa.com

Target Audience

Audience Profile

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Analytics from Alexa.com (n.d.) shows the female audience visiting the site is nearly twice that of the

internet average. Male visitors are around 25% less than the internet average. Understanding this

profile, further research into female buying habits and purchasing power of the gender could be

important to keeping up with the communication goals. Of those visiting, an above average population

have a college education and those with some college or graduate school showing similar, less than

average, visitation. jetBlue also has an above average number of visitors accessing the site from their

place of work. Taking a deeper look, those searching from work have an income, and income that can be

used to fly on vacation days.

Not surprisingly, visitors to the site are located in North and South America where jetBlue flight routes

are located. Interestingly, nearly one percent of visitors from the site come from India (Alexa, n.d.). A

press release from PR Newswire (2011) announced that jetBlue would be partnering with Jet Airways,

“India's premier international airline, today announced the launch of a new interline agreement that will

offer customers new travel options from jetBlue destinations in the USA to Brussels, Belgium, and

onward to India” (jetBlue, 2011, para. 1). This could explain the traffic from a country outside of the

routes offered on the website, to date.

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A visitor, on average, spends seven minutes on the site and view five and a half pages while on the site.

This level of engagement from customers is encouraging for jetBlue, as the content and information to

keep a visitors attention throughout the booking process or while doing research. The bounce rate is at

15.7%, which extremely impressive considering the average bounce rate for a website is 40% (Bounce

rate demystified, n.d.)

Audience Demographics: Comparing jetBlue vs. Southwest vs. Alaska Airlines

For the purposes of comparison, I’ll be evaluating jetBlue against two other U.S. discount carriers-

Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

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Interestingly, amongst all three airlines, females visit the site at nearly double the internet average.

Women have been considered equal to an emerging market when it comes to spending share, predicted

to make nearly $18 trillion in income by 2018 (Brennan, 2015). jetBlue’s female visitor percentage is

lowest of the three; however, due to the growth of female purchasing power, the organization that can

actively engage this audience on their site can gain competitive advantage.

The education makeup of site visitors is telling for the three brands and understanding their target

audiences. jetBlue and Alaska Airlines have an above average amount of college educated people

visiting the site, with Alaska bringing in a greater number than the other two (alaskaair.com, n.d.).

However, Southwest’s’ audience has an above average profile of people who didn’t attend college at all

(Southwest.com, n.d.). Combined with a lower than average number of visitors accessing the site from

home or work and larger than average accessing from school, perhaps the audience make up of

Southwest.com visitors don’t have personal computers, as a hypothesis. Or there are a higher than

average number of students visiting the site, as more than average haven’t finished college and are

accessing from a school network.

jetBlue and Alaska airlines have a similar audience base visiting their websites and Southwest has some

key differences. The differences are where an organization can hone in on customer needs and

preferences to increase revenue and relationship building (Hill & Jones, 2012).

Visitor Behavior: Comparing jetBlue vs. Southwest vs. Alaska Airlines

Alexa Data

Data from alexa.com (n.d.) was combined to produce the above chart, showing side by side comparisons

of jetBlue, Southwest, and Alaska Airlines bounce rates, page views per visit, and time on the each

website. Southwest has the lowest bounce rate, however all three are within two percentage points of

one another providing a wider view of the industry norms amongst domestic carriers. Alaska and jetBlue

visitors click through more pages than a Southwest visitor; however, one explanation here could be that

Southwest visitor can gather the information needed in less click throughs. Lastly, Alaska Airlines visitors

spend more time on the site than those on the other two competitors.

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Companies need to be challenged and have a model to reach after to advance in their industry. An

organization can compare themselves to others; however, an organization comparing itself to its own

past performance at the time of a significant event is the next best measuring tool (Paine, 2011). jetBlue

would want to benchmark at an important date, for example their benchmark would be a year when

revenue and customer satisfaction was at an all-time high while they measure the effects of the 2015

announcement they would be charging for baggage and reducing cabin leg room (Vranica, 2015).

What to measure How to measure

Revenue

Measure quarterly revenue overall from the website and drilling deeper into key categories:

 Flight sales

 Vacation packages

 Flight upgrades (Even More Space/Speed)

 Baggage purchases

Website Performance

 Number of visitors by quarter and year

 Bounce back rate and what was the last page visited before leaving

 Number of flights booked from customers visiting jetBlue.com directly or through a link to the homepage (linked through Twitter, Facebook, press releases, or other site)

 Where site shows up on search engines (Search Engine Optimization)

 Page views and what pages are most commonly visited

 Time on the website

Customer

Engagement

 Number of new TrueBlue members and defectors by quarter/year

 Number of returning TrueBlue members and how many flights booked per year

 Blog reads and click throughs to other content

 Launch a survey to measure customer satisfaction (2-3 question survey could follow booking a flight online or if a customer books with TrueBlue points a survey could measure satisfaction with the program)

 Number of shares of photos or travel tips on the SoFly page

 Number of click throughs to social media pages (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube)

 Number of repeat customers per year and how many purchases made

In this analysis jetBlue will be benchmarked against Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Paine (2011)

explains that to decide if an organization is successful it must, “compare [your] results to something

else…ideally you would benchmark against two or three competitors” (p. 37). To compare sites on

strengths and weaknesses, the table below shows what web communications the three organizations

utilizes on its homepage and website.

Benchmarks

Internal Benchmarks

External Benchmarks

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jetBlue Southwest Alaska Airlines

Above the fold navigation

Where airline flies Yes No (listed lower) Yes

Manage booked flights Yes Yes Yes

Book new flights Yes Yes Yes

Log in to a personal profile Yes Yes Yes

Timely travel alerts Yes Yes No

Secondary language Yes Yes Yes

Search function No (listed lower) Yes No

Check flight status Yes Yes Yes

Brand Loyalty and Community

Sign up for rewards program on home page Yes Yes Yes

Additional ‘fun’ games/engagement for loyalty members

Badge program No No

Pool points with others Yes (family pool) No No

Share or buy points for others Yes Yes No

Company Blog Yes Yes Yes

Twitter Yes Yes Yes

Facebook Yes Yes Yes

YouTube Yes Yes Yes

Company newsletter No Yes No

Other additional media SoFly page Magazine, Pinterest

No

Customer service and feedback

Contact phone number Yes No No

Contact email address Yes No No

Live Chat No No Yes

Special assistance section on homepage Yes Yes Yes

Revenue builders

Vacation packages Yes Yes Yes

Ads for upgrades on homepage Yes No No

Product attributes marketed on homepage No No No

Best demonstrated practice by comparison

Source: jetBlue.com, Southwest.com, Alaskaair.com

Looking at all three sites side by side there are some immediate navigation tools that set jetBlue apart.

Important information and calls to action are located above the fold and are immediately visible when

the website loads (joining True Blue and Booking flights). On the Southwest site you need to scroll down

to book a flight and on the Alaska site you need to click on the ribbon icons to see what each category

includes (on the jetBlue site hovering over the ribbon icons displays a drill down list of options). What is

nice about the Southwest site is when you click through to a page, it opens in a new browsing tab;

therefore, the homepage stays easily accessible on your browser so you can always return to ‘start’ if

you get lost within the site.

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Ease of booking is important for airline homepages as customers have various channels to purchase

flights today. Third party websites like Kayak.com and Expedia.com allow customers to price compare

across various airlines and can drive traffic away from the company homepages. Airlines need to employ

a massage information management system that incorporate geolocation technology, SEO metrics, and

historical trends to communicate the best price for trips that may be of highest interest to each

individual user.

There are thousands of articles for consumers on how to find the best price online. A recent Wall Street

Journal lists tips like purchasing tickets two months in advance and avoid buying on Fridays. It continues

to explain how airlines price their flights, explain that most run algorisms to score their flights to

measure their prices against competitors and also look at historical buying patterns (McCartey, 2015).

jetBlue is likely tracking the prices of their competitors and vice versa. From a communications platform

perspective, these sites need to strictly monitor their web traffic and activity to measure if customers

are clicking through to a flight purchase through their site or from a third party vendor. If special offers

and packages are only available on each individual website, further research into package pricing is

needed to gain an advantage.

If the communication objective is to be a portal for costumers to spend money and the company to gain

revenue, the homepages need to be branded, easy to understand, engaging and communicate accurate

information. This isn’t always the case and like any communication tool, there is a serious threat of

misunderstanding or error. For example, in June, Southwest was offering a fair deal on their website

that drew so much traffic the slide malfunctioned. Customers kept receiving an error message- this type

of error can affect the integrity of the full site and airlines need to have active customers service and

communication crisis management teams on point at all times (Ahles, 2015)

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The design of all three sites includes some similar communication features like ability to book from

homepage, opportunities to join a loyalty program and current vacation package deals. The Southwest

site includes special packages directly under the ticket purchase information that is attention grabbing.

Looking at brand loyalty and community engagement, all three sites have a blog that is updated quite

frequently. The Southwest blog stands out amongst the other two. The branding is clear and consistent

which a rich variety of content including videos and icons to share the blog posts directly onto the

viewers social media. One strong aspect of Nuts about Southwest is there is a live feed of their Twitter

feed (@SouthwestAir) on the right hand side. Southwest’s blog puts up new content most frequently

(sometimes multiple times per day) while Alaska and Southwest have various five day stretches without

a post.

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One exciting communication channel on Alaskaair.com is the chat function to ask questions. They’ve

created an avatar, Jenn, who is available to answer any questions you may have on the site. When you

ask Jenn a question like, “How do I check in to my flight?” a response appears with links to related topics

and the website automatically updates to landing page including the information requested.

jetBlue appears to have the most intuitive, interactive, and fun loyalty program. TrueBlue membership is

advertising four times above the fold on the home screen, with a sign in box taking up the second largest

piece of real estate. TrueBlue was the only of the three that allowed users to pool their points within a

family.

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When looking at the communication experience across all three organizations, jetBlue measures to be

the one with the most ‘fun’ extras that make the customer engagement experience not just good, but

great. It is these extras that translate from the website to the in-flight experience- keeping jetBlue top of

mind for industry rankings. The Huffington Post ranked jetBlue as the 2nd best airline in the U.S. due to

free DirectTV, Wi-Fi, snacks and its new premier seating class: Mint. Virgin America topped the list

because of the luxurious, and standard, in flight experience on all flights (These are the best airlines in

the U.S., 2015).

After looking at the sites and reading reviews on the in-flight experience, there is a correlation between

what a customer sees and feels on the plan and in front of their computer screen. Both the Southwest

and jetBlue use bright colors and large type face to book flights on the home screen, making the

experience entertaining and exciting.

Industry wide, the purchase of an airline ticket (or any product online) has established best practices to

make it an enjoyable experience. A recent Forbes article explains that prices need to be competitive to

win over customers. Also, following up with a customer after the purchase to provide helpful

information or thank them for visiting the site builds a stronger relationship. Also, having a channel for

customers to provide feedback is essential as the attitudinal KPIs can be more easily determined if

customers have a venue to express their thoughts (Six best practices for online retailers, 2013). Below is

an example of a follow-up email from jetBlue that provides information on upcoming flights. There is a

call to action to ‘check in’ and another advertisement to upgrade my seat assignment (build revenue).

Best Demonstrated Practices

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The below table outlines the three communication objects for jetBlue’s website and corresponding

output, attitudinal and behavioral key performance indicators for each. Determining the KPIs is a

necessary step before deploying any type of measurement tool to collect data because we need to be

clear on what we will be measuring in order to determine the level of success (Paine, 2011).

Many of the KPIs and subsequent measurement tools are aimed to understand the relationship jetBlue

has with its customers. jetBlue’s site and other features like the BlueTales blog and SoFly page are

meant to engage the visitor and build brand loyalty. A high level of engagement for jetBlue means there

is a two way communication channel with the brand, customers are promoting the benefits to friends,

and jetBlue is receiving feedback to make the overall experience better (Paine, 2011).

The KPIs below were designed to measure customer engagement, particularly in regards to airline

loyalty and awareness and degree of engagement with the SoFly site. The behavioral KPIs can all be

measured using web analytics (jetBlue most likely has a highly sophisticated team and program to track

new/returning users, web traffic, and click throughs on the site). The Output KPIs will be measured using

a heuristic assessment; although metrics, usability testing and simple analysis of the content can also be

used. Finally, the attitudinal KPIs are those that need survey feedback to measure. Focus groups are a

useful way to gather qualitative information on customer opinions and attitudes. For example, jetBlue

sends their own survey after each flight asking for customer feedback on their inflight experience,

including both single choice answers and free form text (Appendix 1).

Key Performance Indicators

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KPIs Output KPIs Attitudinal KPIs Behavioral KPIs Generate Revenue

- Number of ways to book a flight through the website

- Number of options (products) to spend money on jetBlue.com

- Ease of use in making a purchase on the website

- Location, timing, and number of prompts for ‘extras’ during purchase process

- Ease of use of the site and quality of content

- Frequency and variety of vacation deals

- Purpose of trip (business or leisure)

- To what degree price effected decision to purchase

- Degree of interest in products outside of airfare (cruises, packages, upgrades)

- Degree checked bag costs are a barrier to purchase

- Level of preference for third party vendors (Kayak, Expedia)

- Number of flights purchased

- Number of other products purchased (cruises, packages, upgrades, baggage, etc.)

- % of visitors that purchase something from the site

- % of travelers opting to buy checked baggage when booking flight

- % of web visitors who visit Kayak/Expedia immediately before or after jetBlue.com

Build brand loyalty and community

- Number of locations on site to join the loyalty program

- Influence of brand compared to competitors

- Strength of brand recognition - Number of ways to connect

SoFly site to customer social media

- Content variety on SoFly site (videos, surveys, images)

- Variety of social media channels linked through site

- Variety of ways to make the site personalized for each user

- Number and variety of Badges to earn additional points

- Variety of content and frequency of posts on the blog

- Strength of brand identity

- Degree of awareness of SoFly

- Level of engagement on So Fly

- Level of awareness the of loyalty program

- Level of engagement ‘fun’ extras on site like Badge Program

- Degree of motivation to post on SoFly page

- Level of motivation to book a vacation package through jetBlue.com

- Reason for choosing jetBlue over competitor sites

- Degree of loyalty to one or multiple airlines when booking travel

- % of TrueBlue members who are repeat customers

- Number of visitors to SoFly site

- % of TrueBlue members who sign up for Badge program (and participate once per year)

- Number of participants in SoFly surveys

- Number of survey questions answered and/or questions submitted on SoFly

- Number of website visitors who click through to the blog

- % of referred visitors to site (and SoFly site)

Provide up to date travel information and trip management

- Number of ways on the site to check travel information

- Required criteria needed to check flight status and updates

- Timeliness of travel alerts on the home page

- Perceived level of ease to book a flight online

- Degree of understanding and clarity of the information on the website pertaining to flight status and changes

- Preference for additional information to make flight management user friendly

- Number of visitors who click on travel alert link

- Number of visitors who click through to travel information box

- % of travelers who check in online (vs. on app and airport kiosk)

27

To measure attitudinal and behavioral KPIs, a nine question survey was used. The survey included agree-

disagree, rank order, Likert scale and net promoter score questions. A survey allows for a higher level of

analysis when looking at results; however, the social factor to talk through the different web pages is

lost as many questions are self-reported and don’t allow for clarification (Zangerl, 2015).

1. Generate Revenue: questions measured how customers prefer to book travel and the

perceived ease of use of the jetBlue.com homepage

2. Build brand loyalty and community: questions focused on the SoFly page and measured

awareness of the website and level of success in this page engaging customers in building a

relationship with the brand.

This last output was particularly important because the SoFly page is aimed to be a two way

communication channel between jetBlue and the customer, and the company needs to measure visitors

perceptions. According to Paine (2011), measuring perceptions is done through survey, and the least

expensive, most common type is an online survey. Paine advises that to make the online survey

successful you need to, “make sure you have a good e-mail list” (p. 201). All responses were college

educated women, since this was a key visitor demographic on JetBlue’s site per Alexa.com (jetBlue,

n.d.). This survey focused on two key outputs from the KPI matrix.

Survey Results: Looking at the responses for the survey (Appendix 1) there are a number of results that

lead to recommendations on how to improve the output KPIs of the site.

- Most of those surveyed book personal flight travel directly from an airlines website or through

third party vendors (i.e. Kayak.com) and are loyal to 2-3 airlines. These attitudes can help

jetBlue target understand where to place important information (homepage, 3rd party sites)

and that they are competing with 2-3 airlines and perhaps not the entire market.

Measurement Tools and Key Data

Survey

1

28

In this survey questions, respondents were asked to rate their loyalty to one particular airline. We see

that a small percentage of respondents are loyal to just one airline, further confirming to jetBlue that

the market is competitive. Most respondents are loyal to 2-3 airlines and on the cusp of dedicating

themselves to just one. It is advantageous for jetBlue to be in this grouping and fight hard to win the top

spot. Looking at the survey further, I would have added a subsequent question to every respondent who

answered 5-10 asking to list their top three airline choices. This would have helped measure if jetBlue

was included in customers’ ‘top 3.’

- Familiarity with jetBlue’s SoFly site is very low and after visiting the site, survey respondents

would not recommend SoFly to a friend

Here we measure the degree of awareness of SoFly and notice that it is very low. Testing this attitudinal

KPI is important because if visitors to the site are not aware SoFly exists, what purpose is it serving?

Further, once visitors became aware of the site, they were not inclined to recommend it to others. A Net

Promoter Score helps measure relationships and jetBlue should have concern over the high percentage

of detractors of the SoFly site. Detractors are a threat because they “are unhappy customers who can

damage your brand and impede growth through negative word-of-mouth” (The Net Promoter Score,

n.d., p. para. 5).

2

29

- Customers believe that discounts and examples of jetBlue solving customer problems would

be have a greater impact on customer engagement on SoFly than celebrity tweets/pictures.

In the question above, we asked respondents directly what site content they felt would engage

customers on the SoFly page. Two types of content stood out: discounts and deals listed within the

posts and examples of how jetBlue solved customer problems through social media. jetBlue can also

stay within its own brand to increase engagement, with little interest from respondents for celebrity

endorsements or social media posts. This will probably save them money, so a good sign!

The second measurement too used was a Heuristic Assessment comparing some key KPIs across jetBlue

and the benchmark competitors: Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. (Appendix 2). I wanted to

measure some of the output KPIs that directly measured the communication objectives for jetBlue

discussed earlier. Heuristic assessments allow multiple persons to score key elements of a

communication tool and those scores are grouped to draw a comparison. An advantage here is that the

evaluators can discuss, ask questions and engage a group in the critical analysis of the communication

tool. (Nielson, 1999).

3

Heuristic Assessment

30

The above heuristic assessment measured jetBlue, Southwest and Alaska Airlines on 10 different

objectives, with each question being worth a maximum of 5 points. jetBlue received the highest score

and Alaska was in last place. Looking at the individual scores there are a few key communication tools

that set jetBlue apart: the consistency and strength of their brand across the entire website, the

frequency of placement and clarity of their loyalty program, and the variety of ways customers could

book hotels, cars or packages on the site. Alaska Airlines received a top score in their customer service

ease of use with AskJenn (jetBlue and Southwest couldn’t even compare to this functionality).

After analyzing the survey I have a better understanding of the purchasing preferences of the audience

that most frequently visits the website. Also, the results of the SoFly analysis shows that more attention

should be paid to the site and those that visit do not leave wanted to share their experience with others.

Objective: Generate Revenue

- KPI: Level of Preference for Third Party sites

- KPI: Frequency and variety of vacation deals

From the survey we learn that a customer is just as likely to book a flight on an airlines homepage as

they are from a third party vendor (i.e. Kayak, Expedia). Measuring this attitudinal KPI is important to

understand where customers prefer to buy their flight tickets and how jetBlue can engage in a way that

may sway their preference to booking on www.jetBlue.com. We’ve set benchmarks in this analysis of

Analysis of Results and Recommendations for Improvement

Analysis of Results

31

competitor airlines (Southwest and Alaska), but the survey results show that third party sites are equally

as threatening to profits.

Southwest outshines jetBlue by a point in the heuristic assessment in the placement, number and

variety of deals on the homepage. jetBlue does use geolocation so it can market deals to the visitor

based on where they frequently search or live. However, Southwest places the deals right under the

ticket purchase function and also markets percent discounts, uncomplicated one way fares and photos

to engage with the visitor.

Objective: Build brand loyalty and community

- KPI: Level of awareness of TrueBlue loyalty program

- KPI: Degree of familiarity with the SoFly site

From the survey, 80% of respondents strongly agreed that the loyalty program was visible and easy to

find on the homepage. The site includes locations to sign up for TrueBlue on three different locations on

the homepage. jetBlue has a communication tool and strategy that is working and it is could be

considered the benchmark amongst its competitors. They have a working formula that they can use to

improve the results of less successful KPIs (i.e. awareness of the SoFly page or number of locations to

get answers to frequently asked questions).

Oppositely, minimal respondents to the survey were familiar with the SoFly site (80% had never heard of

it and 6% were somewhat familiar). Neither Alaska nor Southwest have a site feature remotely similar to

SoFly; therefore, jetBlue has the opportunity to be a market leader here but is failing. Branding and

awareness of your product is important because, “the loyal customer base that chooses your product

first when presented with multiple choices is what will move your business forward” (Ukehajdaraj, 2015,

p. para. 24). Currently, this site is so tucked away on jetblue.com that nobody can find it and it rarely

links to social media.

Objective: Provide up to date travel information and trip management

- KPI: Number of ways to book a flight through the website

- KPI: Perceived level of ease in booking a flight online

- KPI: Degree of understanding and clarity pertaining to flight alerts by visiting the website

jetBlue is excelling at the first KPIs. Both the heuristic assessment and the survey result in a clear level of

understanding and ease of booking a jetBlue flight online. The degree of ease is magnified by the clear

form fields above the fold of the website- it is one of the first calls to action a customer sees when

visiting (further proven by the survey results that 81% strongly agree it is clear how to book a flight

online). Maintaining clear travel updates is a communication object of the site. Interestingly, the travel

alerts weren’t unanimously simple to find (6% of respondents strongly disagreed that travel updates

were easy to find). This would be a KPI for the jetBlue web team to experiment with (maybe placing in a

different location or increasing the font size) and see if results differ in an upcoming survey.

32

The jetBlue site and media budget is large enough to maintain a strong homepage and mobile presence

for the brand- in fact, it is an innovator and market leader in its digital strategy (Flight, n.d.). For the

purpose of the recommendations, I’ll be focusing on the SoFly account as it received the most negative

scores on the survey. Strategically, jetBlue should continue to innovate and build on its strengths and

many of the results of our assessments show key strengths that can be applied to improving the SoFly

page.

Recommendations for SoFly

Add real customer service stories to the type/variety of content on the page

The survey results showed a strong recommendation to show real examples of how jetBlue solved

customer problems through engagement on social media. Many times if a customer is facing a delay,

has a complaint, or missed their flight they may send a 140 character tweet directly to @JetBlue. My

recommendation is jetBlue take this one step further and actually link some of these success stories to

the SoFly page (or even the blog). Hubspot has actually recognized jetBlue for their customer service

success on Twitter, providing an example of a customer who tweeted his frustrated for paying $50 for a

standby flight. jetBlue had local reps find him in the airport using his social media profile and gifted him

a jetBlue backpack (Kolowich , 2014)

Proposed addition to SoFly site

Recommendations

33

Run a feed of SoFly content on the homepage

jetBlue’s homepage has a few areas that include rotating ads for getaways or reminders to sign up for

TSA PreCheck. Content from SoFly should have a small amount of real estate on the homepage. As we

saw through the analysis, TrueBlue visibility is high and a similar tactic could be used to increase

awareness of SoFly enough to improve the current 80% response rate that travelers are unaware of the

page. The survey also told us that visitors are most inclined to click on infographics (66% preferred this

type of content). Placing an infographics that links to SoFly, on the homepage, could help built

awareness.

Link SoFly participation with TrueBlue account via app

TrueBlue has a badge program to earn points for personalized and customizable trips, destinations, etc.

It’s like a fun game to add small allotments of points to your TrueBlue account to use for future flights.

jetBlue should expand this to allow TrueBlue members to earn small numbers of points for submitting

photos on SoFly, completing a survey, or tagging other social media users in posts. Further, adding SoFly

functionality to the JetBlue app brings the page to a place where a user may feel more comfortable

engaging: on their smartphone that is already connected to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.!

34

At the start of Q1 jetBlue can see that not all of the customers who understood the benefits of the

TrueBlue program were actually motivated to sign up. Further, if a customers reported being motivated

to sign up they didn’t actually take the action to actually do so. If I were a communications director

looking at this data in Q1 and Q2 I would hypothesize that there wasn’t an inspiring ‘call to action’ for

customers to sign up for the program (maybe they are motivated but say they will do it later and not

return for example- an attitudinal measurement tool could help here).

At the end of Q2 jetBlue launches a promotional campaign giving an incentive for visitors to sign up for

TrueBlue by offering them 10,000 bonus points if they join by the end of the year. We see drastic growth

as the marketing of the promotion helped raise the degree of understanding of the program and

motivation to join, converting motivated viewers into TrueBlue members as a much higher rate.

KPIs Used:

Attitudinal: Degree of motivation to sign up for TrueBlue loyalty program online

Attitudinal: Degree of understanding of the benefits of TrueBlue loyalty program

Behavioral: % growth in TrueBlue membership sign ups online

Benchmark (internal): TrueBlue membership growth per quarter

Dashboard Visuals

Visual 1

35

@JetBlueCheeps is an account managed by jetBlue that publishes vacation packages and discounts via

Twitter. Here we are measuring the number of @JetBlueCheeps followers (how wide is their reach) and

the number of vacation packages purchased through clicking through this Twitter account. jetBlue is also

measuring the perception of how enjoyable a jetBlue vacation is (if customers don’t find vacationing

with jetBlue exciting, valuable, and aspirational- they won’t purchase). In July, jetBlue ran a contest

asking followers to post their Getaway vacation photos on the account.

Once this promotion started we see a drastic increase in followers and purchases through the link. The

ROI appears to be high from the campaign! From an attitudinal perspective, the perception that jetBlue

vacations are enjoyable grows noticeably. The visual imagery of a photo communicates with the

customer in a highly engaging way- appealing to their senses. Photos of other travelers builds

community and, in turn, strengthens the relationship between followers and the brand. We also see

that the promo campaign resulted in sales exceeding the internal benchmark from July-October. Sales

dropped below the benchmark during the last quarter of the year and followers plateaued. Further

analysis on the longevity of a campaign like this could be useful for jetBlue to measure how long an

audience stays engaged with a Twitter promo campaign.

KPIs Used: Attitudinal: Perceived level of enjoyment of the jetBlue vacation experience

Behavioral: Number of followers on @jetBlueCheeps

Behavioral: Number of @jetBlueCheeps deals purchased through Twitter link

Benchmark (internal): Benchmark umber of @jetBlueCheeps deals purchased through Twitter link

Visual 2

36

Appendix 1: jetBlue.com Company Survey Email

37

Appendix 2: Heuristic Assessment

Scoring: On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the least effective and 5 being the most effective) score the

following:

jetBlue Southwest Alaska Airlines

Homepage clearly shows the airline loyalty program and visitors know the airline has a program quickly after visiting the website. Output KPI: Number of times loyalty program is listed on the homepage

5 4 3

Homepage includes high engagement through external social media channels Output KPI: Richness and number of links to external social media resources

3 3 2

Homepage clearly labels travel alerts Output KPI: Number of ways the site customers can check travel information

4 2 2

Airline blog is easy to find and content is updated frequently with interesting content. Output KPI: Variety of content and frequency of posts on the blog

4 5 3

Items with additional costs are clearly labeled and customers are aware early of what is included in their flight. Output KPI: Location, timing, and number of prompts for ‘extras’ during purchase process

4 2 4

Website provides clear instructions on how to book a trip and includes multiple places to book flight on the website Output KPI: Number of ways to book a flight through the website

5 4 4

Airline’s brand is clear and consistent throughout the website Output KPI: Influence of brand compared to competitors

5 3 2

The website provides a variety of ways for customers to add hotel, car rental and packages to their trip Output KPI: Number of product options to purchase on site

5 4 3

Website provides a clear and easy way to seek customer support and get answers to frequently asked questions Output KPI: Ease of use of the site and quality of content

3 3 5

Travel promotions and discounts are enticing, engaging and easy to use

Output KPI: Number of ways to book travel on the website

5 4 3

Total (out of 50) 43 34 31

38

Appendix 3: Survey

Q3

6.25% 1

0.00% 0

18.75% 3

25.00% 4

0.00% 0

6.25% 1

18.75% 3

18.75% 3

0.00% 0

6.25% 1

  16

Please take a few minutes to look around the jetBlue homepage (www.jetblue.com) and rate your agreement with the following

statements Answered: 16  Skipped: 0

43.75% 43.75% 12.50% 0.00% 0.00%    

10­ I am loyal to one airline only 9 8 7 6 4

5­ I prefer 2­3 airlines and try to fly them as much as possible 3 2

1­  Airline makes no impact on my flight purchase decision

Loyalty importance:

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

  – 10­ I am loyal to one airline only

–

9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 4 – 5­ I prefer 2­ 3 airlines and try to fly them as much as possible

–

3 – 2 – 1­  Airline makes no impact on my flight purchase decision

–

Total –

Loyalty importance:

–

ExportCustomize

The jetBlue homepage...

It is easy to understand h...

Flight updates and travel...

From visiting the homepage...

From visiting the homepage...

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

  – Strongly Agree –

Mostly Agree –

Neutral – Mostly Disagree –

Strongly Disagree –

Total – Weighted Average –

The jetBlue–

Q4

Q5

43.75% 7

43.75% 7

12.50% 2

0.00% 0

0.00% 0

  16

  1.69

81.25% 13

12.50% 2

6.25% 1

0.00% 0

0.00% 0

  16

  1.25

37.50% 6

37.50% 6

18.75% 3

0.00% 0

6.25% 1

  16

  2.00

50.00% 8

18.75% 3

25.00% 4

6.25% 1

0.00% 0

  16

  1.88

37.50% 6

31.25% 5

18.75% 3

12.50% 2

0.00% 0

  16

  2.06

PAGE 2: Sofly

How familiar are you with jetBlue's SoFly interactive webpage?

Answered: 15  Skipped: 1

0.00% 0

6.67% 1

13.33% 2

80.00% 12

  15

Please take a few minutes to look around the jetBlue's Sofly page

(www.jetblue.com/Sofly) and rate your agreement with the following statements

Answered: 15  Skipped: 1

The jetBlue homepage conveys a clear brand identity:

–

It is easy to understand how to book a flight:

–

Flight updates and travel alerts are clearly communicated:

–

From visiting the homepage, I know jetBlue has a loyalty program and how to sign up:

–

From visiting the homepage, I know I can book vacation packages through jetBlue

–

ExportCustomize

Very Familiar  Somewhat familiar Not very familiar

Never heard of it before this survey

?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

  – Very Familiar  –

Somewhat familiar –

Not very familiar

– Never heard of it before this survey –

Total –

?–

ExportCustomize

It is clear JetBlue want...

The variety of content is...

The type of content is...

The site is easy to...

After exploring fo...

Q6

66.67% 10

13.33% 2

33.33% 5

13.33% 2

0.00% 0

Q7

53.33% 8

33.33% 5

0.00% 0

13.33% 2

0.00% 0

  15

  1.73

33.33% 5

33.33% 5

13.33% 2

13.33% 2

6.67% 1

  15

  2.27

20.00% 3

33.33% 5

20.00% 3

20.00% 3

6.67% 1

  15

  2.60

20.00% 3

46.67% 7

26.67% 4

0.00% 0

6.67% 1

  15

  2.27

20.00% 3

13.33% 2

26.67% 4

26.67% 4

13.33% 2

  15

  3.00

Looking at the Sofly site, what type of content are you most interested in clicking

on (select all that apply) Answered: 15  Skipped: 1

Total Respondents: 15  

Comments (0)

After viewing the Sofly site, how motivated are you to:

Answered: 15  Skipped: 1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

  – Strongly Agree –

Mostly Agree –

Neutral – Mostly Disagree –

Strongly Disagree –

Total – Weighted Average –

It is clear JetBlue wants to engage with their customers:

–

The variety of content is engaging:

–

The type of content is interesting to me as a customer:

–

The site is easy to navigate:

–

After exploring for a few minutes, I am motivated to explore more of the Sofly site:

–

ExportCustomize

jetBlue infographics...

Quotes from real jetBlue...

Photos from various jetB...

Submitting my own photo to...

Sharing a travel tip v...

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Answer Choices – Responses –

jetBlue infographics (i.e. how many bags checked, how many flights per year)–

Quotes from real jetBlue customers–

Photos from various jetBlue locations–

Submitting my own photo to jetBlue–

Sharing a travel tip via Twitter of Facebook–

ExportCustomize

Very Motivated Somewhat motivated Not very motviated

Not at all motivated

Submit a photo

View the photo gallery

Share travel tips through...

Share travel tips through...

Participate in the 1 questi...

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Q8

Q9  

6.67% 1

20.00% 3

46.67% 7

26.67% 4

  15

13.33% 2

20.00% 3

53.33% 8

13.33% 2

  15

0.00% 0

13.33% 2

46.67% 7

40.00% 6

  15

0.00% 0

0.00% 0

35.71% 5

64.29% 9

  14

6.67% 1

26.67% 4

46.67% 7

20.00% 3

  15

Of the new content jetBlue could add to Sofly (listed below), please rank them in order of which you personally think will have the most impact on customer

engagement, and which will have the least impact

Answered: 15  Skipped: 1

66.67% 10

26.67% 4

6.67% 1

0.00% 0

0.00% 0

0.00% 0

  15

  5.60

6.67% 1

13.33% 2

26.67% 4

6.67% 1

6.67% 1

40.00% 6

  15

  2.87

6.67% 1

40.00% 6

26.67% 4

13.33% 2

6.67% 1

6.67% 1

  15

  4.07

20.00% 3

0.00% 0

20.00% 3

20.00% 3

26.67% 4

13.33% 2

  15

  3.27

0.00% 0

13.33% 2

20.00% 3

40.00% 6

13.33% 2

13.33% 2

  15

  3.07

0.00% 0

6.67% 1

0.00% 0

20.00% 3

46.67% 7

26.67% 4

  15

  2.13

Not at all motivated

  – Very Motivated –

Somewhat motivated –

Not very motviated –

Not at all motivated –

Total –

Submit a photo

–

View the photo gallery

–

Share travel tips through the Facebook link

–

Share travel tips through the Twitter link

–

Participate in the 1 question surveys

–

ExportCustomize

Discounts and deals listed...

Pictures or tweets from...

Examples of how jetBlue...

Contest entrance by...

Ability to submit ideas...

Bios/stories of jetBlue...

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

  – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – Total – Score –

Discounts and deals listed within the posts

–

Pictures or tweets from celebrities flying jetBlue

–

Examples of how jetBlue solved customer problems through social media

–

Contest entrance by completing surveys

–

Ability to submit ideas to jetBlue

–

Bios/stories of jetBlue crewmembers

–

ExportCustomizeShow Benchmark

How likely is it that you would recommend the Sofly site to a friend or colleague?

°                              

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Answered: 15  Skipped: 1

73% 11

20% 3

7% 1

­67

0

­50 50

­100 100

­67 NPS

Detractors (0­6) Passives (7­8) Promoters (9­10) Net Promoter® Score

39

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india-133060153.html

JetBlue Airways Corp. (n.d.). Reuters. Retrieved from:

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Jetblue.com. (n.d.). Alexa. Retrieved from http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/jetblue.com

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service-twitter

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Communication Assessment Project (CAP)

Instructions Updated:

To assess TOTAL Company website: www.total.com

Assignment Instructions:

This project involves the application of Katie Paine’s assessment methodology, as described in her book Measure What Matters, to the assessment of a communication vehicle or campaign.

REMEMBER:

o Reflect on the course and the textbook and revisit the question: WHY MEASURE? o Take time to review the Originality Report. o Are your sources properly cited? o Be especially careful with internet sources. APA requires direct quotes to have a page or

paragraph number or a specific location on a website (e.g., "About Us"). o Make sure your reference list is in proper APA form.

Assignment Sections:

1. Description of communication vehicle or campaign and communication and business objectives (400-500 words):

o Brief description of the communication vehicle or campaign o 2-3 well-defined communication objectives and rationale for selecting

them o Explanation of how the communication vehicle design, content and/or

functionality support the objectives – include 1-2 screenshots

2. Audience analysis targeted by communication activity (400-500 words) 3. Description of internal and external benchmarks (400-500 words)

• Internal benchmarks (goals, trends, etc.) • External benchmarks (competitor performance, best practices)

4. Definition of key performance indicators in KPI Matrix (300-400 words)

5. Measurement tools and key data (400-500 words) -- Design and deployment of one measurement too

6. Analysis of results and recommendations for improvement, including (400- 500 words):

 Discussion of how measurement results help assess specific KPIs  Recommendations for improvement based on measurement results and

best practices

IMPORTANT NOTE: In evaluating the communication Assessment Project (CAP), an additional score will be assigned to the quality of writing, organization, and graphics, and depth of research.

FORMAT: Word document, single-spaced, proper APA documentation and reference lists.

To exceed the ‘satisfactory work’ level, students should reference at least 5 sources in the paper, in addition to course materials. Raw data tables and measurement tools like survey questions should be placed in an appendix at the end of the paper. As part of this project, students must design one measurement tool. If measurement data already exist, the student must consult with the instructor regarding the appropriateness of these results for the CAP. Since this is a research project, we will strictly apply the APA guidelines for documentation and citations.

Crisis Case Study Presentation

Based on the definitions and readings throughout the semester, you will work independently to create a short PPT presentation providing an example and analysis of what YOU consider to be a Good or Bad PR campaign for a crisis situation for the following crisis: Gillette #MeToo Controversial Advertisement

The idea of the Case Analysis is to:

• examine the real-life crisis • show a clear understanding of what took place • critique the company or organization in terms of how the crisis communication

was managed. • You are to analyze what was done well and what perhaps could have been

orchestrated better and why. • ADD EXPLANATION NOTES FOR EACH SLIDE

Be sure to include:

• a short history of the company, the crisis and the handling of the crisis • any supporting materials (links to a video, visuals, web site, articles, etc.

necessary to describe the issue and its response) • the theories used, the publics targeted and the key messages • the type of MASS Media coverage it received (national news, industry news

(print, online), morning/late night TV (with examples) • the types of conversations it evoked on Social Media (with examples) • RESULTS as of today.

Use the textbook, other course material, as well as independent research to support your arguments. Use correct spelling/grammar and cite your references. The presentation must use PowerPoint and it should be approximately 12 slides. - Discuss all specifications identified above and all issues raised by the case in a focused, thorough and organized manner. - Be creative – use your own ideas while referring to discussions and readings; don’t just rehash the case history. Paper Evaluated on 5 Rubric Aspects: Grammar; Clarity; Organization; Analytic Quality; Recommendations