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360 degree Social Media for Brand Management and Engagement

Belson Coutinho
e-Commerce & VP - Innovation -Jet Airways
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Belson Coutinho
Based out of Mumbai, Jet Airways (NSE: JETAIRWAYS) is an aviation company currently having a market cap of Rs.3,117 crore.

Undoubtedly, digital platforms including social media have made a significant impact to the marketing strategies not just in the aviation industry but other industries as well. Marketing campaigns through these platforms are not only transparent but also measurable, almost real-time and the conversation is largely driven by consumers. It is imperative to have a presence on social media as how Jet Airways has started in early 2010 and is now spread over seven platforms, viz: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, Foursquare and Pinterest. This is apart from our sales initiatives where we use search engine marketing, affiliate and re-marketing programs to drive online sales. It is seen that each of these platforms provides specific opportunities for brand management and engagement.

With reference to social media engagement, it is to be noted that in order to sustain a social media strategy it is important to listen, engage and respond to fans and followers; and this is the core principle behind our social media initiative which we follow even today. An instant and personalised response is a key aspect which is a differentiator of any social media strategy and we are pleased with the results so far. Apart from using the social media platform to create brand advocates, it is also important to effectively use these platforms for customer support. This gives us a great opportunity to enhance brand reputation and deliver a high level of customer service. It is extremely important to have a conscious engagement and communication with guests that is instant and transparent.

Analysing Comments

Online Reputation Management (ORM) is another key focus which needs to be monitored as it is the brand reputation across multiple digital platforms. Comments tracked across all social media/digital platforms are analysed to identify positive, negative and neutral sentiments. This exercise gives insights to understand the needs of the guests and their opinions which in turn help to take corrective actions to provide a better product and service.
We are one for the very few airlines which use these digital platforms to connect with our fans and followers not just virtually but in real world as well through highly engaging offline events and this is followed suit by others as well.

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