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September 27, 2005
Southwest's new cause: Wright is wrong
This summer, Southwest Airlines employees have been busy decorating airport gates around the country with homemade banners, signs, paper chains and glitter. And it's not even Halloween yet.
Instead, Southwest is lobbying customers to help abolish the Wright Amendment with its SetLoveFree.com campaign. In 1979, Congress passed this federal law making it illegal to fly from Love Field to points beyond the states surrounding Texas. It was meant to protect Dallas' other airport, Dallas-Ft. Worth International, but has primarily been a lollipop for D/FW and American Airlines.
This summer, Southwest asked gate agents to dream up creative ideas to engage customers about the grassroots effort. Employees responded like fired-up high school spirit cheerleaders, creating homemade signs that showcase the company's Kelleherian humor. Not more than a handful of Fortune 500 companies would encourage employees and customers to aid in their federal lobbying efforts by creating a jail metaphor with a spoof of the Aretha Franklin song "Chain of Fools."
But that's one of the reasons why Southwest continues to create passionate loyalty.
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» Set Love Free from AdPulp
According to Church of the Customer, Southwest Airlines is lobbying customers and staff to help abolish the Wright Amendment with its Set Love Free campaign. In 1979, Congress passed a federal law making it illegal to fly from Love Field... [Read More]
The SW counter at the GSP airport had paper cutouts of hula girls (and guys), tiki lamps and a big "Just Married" banner on the wall for a perfect blend of fun, engaging imagery and the suggestion of vacation travel. Everybody who walks by seems to really like it. As clever as it is simple.
I read this entry just a day after taking an American Airlines flight and reading their spin in the seat back magazine.
I have to admit that I am sympathetic to the DFW/American Airlines argument that Southwest should move it's operation to DFW if it wants to expand. Their argument simply makes good business sense.
However, I also have to admit that the SW approach will probably attract public support because it appears more organic, more natural.
Good lessons in this - being right and having a well-crafted argument is not always as effective as being wrong and getting the "people" on your side.
This is a perfect example of a well-executed guerilla marketing campaign, which taps into customers’ loyalty and emotion to help support and advance a company, brand, product or service in an unconventional way. A company’s guerilla marketing effort is validated when the company is able to showcase how it can best serve its customer base by satisfying a need or desire, and customers understand what the company is offering and respond by giving the company exactly what it wants.
In this instance, Southwest Airlines is advocating that it can better serve its customer base with the reversal of the Wright Amendment. Customers and Southwest Airlines employees understand this and agree with it, and are encouraged to showcase their loyalty in a visible and uncommon way. I think this campaign gets extra kudos for informing its customer base about a legal issue that affects the airline and its customers, and does so in a way that awakens and motivates people to have their voices heard on a political matter.
Southwest wants the repeal of Wright because it's best for their company bottom line. This guerilla marketing campaign is fine, but it's on behalf of their company, not the community. It seems the best thing for Dallas-Ft. Worth, however, would be to have long-haul flights all consolidated at DFW.
IMHO, this campaign illustrates the power of the internet. In the past, American Airlines, with its multi-million dollar budget for lawyers, politicians, and advertising, has been able to spin all kinds of tales, playing on the public's ignorance.
This time around, people see the Wright Amendment for what it is, an odious piece of special interest legislation designed to benefit American Airlines at the expense of Fort Worth, Dallas, and the rest of North Texas.
The rest of the U.S. got airline deregulation in 1978... it's time for Congress to finish the job.
