Delta Air Lines Doesn’t Want to Be Pigeonholed as a Transport Company
Photo Credit: Delta takes its brand positioning seriously. Pictured is the interior of its newest widebody jet, the Airbus A350. Delta Air Lines / Chris Rank
Skift Take
Over the past couple of decades, most U.S. airlines have focused on transporting customers from point A to B in relative comfort. Delta wants to go beyond, hoping passengers will view it as a trusted consumer brand. If they do, Delta may be able to command an even bigger revenue premium over its competitors.
Is a major global airline a transportation company meant to shuttle passengers to their destinations on time? Or is it a consumer brand, like Apple or Starbucks, that connects with customers on a more emotional level?
Historically, most U.S. airlines have positioned themselves as transport experts, though some increase spending on customer experience and marketing as profits permit. But last week, at an investor day in New York, Delta's executives sought to persuade the financial community their business is less an airline and more a consumer brand with a deep (and potentially more lucrative) connection to customers.
"This is increasingly not an industrial transport brand," chief marketing officer Tim Mapes told analysts. "It is one that we ourselves view as a trusted consumer brand."
In another industry, that's normal talk. Visa isn't just a payments company, and while Starbucks has fine coffee, it's probably not tasty enough to justify its substantial price premium. But cust
