A deck for Southwest Airlines - Creating Legacy and Loyalty.

1. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
FOSTERING LOYALTY
AND CREATING A
LEGACY BRAND
Sydney Burns
sydneyburns29@gmail.com

2. Who we need to engage - millennials.
● They only want to do business with accountable companies: They “believe
that companies and businesses only think about their immediate profits. They are
not concerned with what tomorrow will bring and what the damage of their relentless
search for capital will do to future generations.” - Deloitte Research
● Family trumps all: A 1997 Gallup survey found that 9 in 10 children (a population
comprised entirely of Millennials that year) reported high levels of closeness with
their parents and were personally happy with that relationship.[This means getting
home is a priority now they are in college away from their family, or just
starting their lives away from home.]
● They will need an affordable, but reliable airline for years to come: Millennials
grew up in a time of great economic uncertainty. Research shows that entering the
labor market during a recession can result in substantial earnings losses that persist
for more than a decade, with negative effects lasting longer for college graduates.
https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/gx-dttl-2014-millennial-
survey-report.pdf [2014]
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/
millennials_report.pdf [2014]

3. When it comes to connecting
families, nobody beats Southwest.
Why not start a conversation with
the one group of people who is
constantly growing in size?
COLLEGE STUDENTS.

4. Emotion trumps all.
Let’s speak to the generation that was raised on
Southwest, and still deeply depends on Southwest to
bring them home because Southwest is the most
affordable, familiar, and humble airline brand
they know.
Millennials need an airline that is easily accessible
and honest. They make themselves at home on the
flight back home with Southwest.

5. “They are also always the
cheapest flight between
here and San Diego, so it
makes visiting my parents
easy. Last minute tickets
are even easy to get”
- Thea Brown, 22
CAN’T BUY ME LOVE:
MEMORIES WITH SOUTHWEST
They were the airline where you would get on the
plane and the flight attendant would make a joke,
or she'd be wearing bright lipstick and fun jewelry,
or he would rap about the pilot. So when you are
going somewhere and you are excited, it's so fun
to start your adventure or your journey with an
airline that is JUST as excited as you are to get
you to your destination.
I learned how to travel alone with Southwest. I got
my little wings pin when I would visit my
grandmother, and was scared to fly alone. They
made me feel at home. As I got older, I learned to
book my first flight ticket with them too. They have
a lot of firsts for traveling in my life.
I was introduced to Southwest by my mom. She
was a single mom and needed a cheaper option
with great baggage rates for all the stuff she
brought with her on trips. In a way, it’s like
Southwest helped my mom out - they were there
for her when she needed to fly, and made it easy.
A lot of millennials use Southwest, but to them SW is more than just a cheap option. It’s an
experience that gives them the same warm, fuzzy feeling coming home does.

6. “Southwest attendants - and
even pilots - occasionally joke
around or sort've spice up the
safety instructions: it makes
the whole thing a lot more
enjoyable. I remember this
time the pilot - who sounded
like a radio show host - joked
we were going to Chicago,
when in fact we were going to
Ontario (CA): I was eleven, so
I freaked out, but the guy next
to me explained he was joking.
The last time I was on
Southwest - when I flew home
for Christmas - a flight I've
done upwards of 20 times.
The pilot cracked jokes, and
when we landed, he came out
wearing an electronic dancing
Santa hat - and then placed on
the head of a passenger next
to me. People were laughing,
just good cheer all around.
They are the kind of folks who
feel like family.
Stephen Boynton, 23
SOUTHWEST STORIES

7. “I have no choice but to fly with
them on trips to LA and San
Diego since they beat out their
competitors! To me, Southwest is
a very cost efficient airline but
really lacks a brand or a unique
experience. Just another typical
airline to get you from point A to
point B.” Dan Chesmore, 24
“Yeah, southwest is great
but now that I think of it, they
don't have a brand” Sarah
Gurbach, 26
Looks like an
opportunity.
HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT
THE BRAND [what brand?]
Southwest needs to unite their brand image with the feelings
of the people who use them most. These college students have
their reasons for staying loyal to Southwest, so let’s keep them
engaged by being a catalyst for sharing their most cherished
Southwest memories.

8. The Rebrand -
looks friendly,
trustworthy, and
warm
Customers love
Southwest, they
trust Southwest to
bring them closer to
their loved ones.
UNITE THE REBRAND WITH THE CUSTOMER’S
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Where our
message
needs to be

9. Speak to the generation that looks to Southwest for a
familiar, familial feeling….
...the generation that trusts and depends on Southwest to
bring them to what matters most - family.
This way, they will be more likely to show future
generations that the way home begins with Southwest.
LEGACY STARTS WITH LOYALTY