Southwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines

Stephanie Colpo, Lauren Dixion, Shannon Pagels. Julie WalshStephanie Colpo, Lauren Dixion, Shannon Pagels. Julie Walsh

Customer Service Key to Customer Service Key to SouthwestSouthwest• The mission of The mission of

Southwest Airlines is Southwest Airlines is dedication to the dedication to the highest quality of highest quality of customer service customer service delivered with a sense delivered with a sense of warmth, of warmth, friendliness, individual friendliness, individual pride, and company pride, and company spirit.spirit.

Happiness = $Happiness = $

• Life at Southwest: Life at Southwest: Happy Employees= Happy Employees= Happy Customers. Happy Customers. Happy Customers Happy Customers keep Southwest Flyingkeep Southwest Flying

Leadership at SouthwestLeadership at Southwest

• 10 Directors, 2 Female10 Directors, 2 Female

• 2011 Marked the 2011 Marked the company’s 39th company’s 39th consecutive year of consecutive year of profitabilityprofitability

• 2011 Total Operating 2011 Total Operating Revenue= $15.7 Revenue= $15.7 BillionBillion

Southwest SocialSouthwest Social

• Extremely active on Extremely active on company branded company branded social sites, their “Nuts social sites, their “Nuts About Southwest” blog About Southwest” blog and Conversations and Conversations ForumForum

• More than 2,000,000 More than 2,000,000 likes and 60,000 people likes and 60,000 people talking about the talking about the corporation on a daily corporation on a daily basisbasis

Southwest SocialSouthwest Social

• More than 300 videos More than 300 videos surround their Rapid surround their Rapid Rewards ProgramRewards Program

• Posts vary in Posts vary in frequency with at least frequency with at least one post a day, every one post a day, every dayday

Magazine Rankings, Fast Magazine Rankings, Fast FactsFacts• Airlines routinely left Airlines routinely left

off “Best Places to off “Best Places to Work” ListsWork” Lists

• Southwest is stronger Southwest is stronger in reputation rankings in reputation rankings than brand rankingsthan brand rankings

• Highest Rank: 4 on Highest Rank: 4 on Fortune’s Fortune’s Most Most Admired 2011Admired 2011

Magazine Rankings, 2012Magazine Rankings, 2012

• Ranks 10 on Ranks 10 on Fortune’s Fortune’s Most AdmiredMost Admired

• Ranks 26 on Harris Ranks 26 on Harris Reputation QuotientReputation Quotient

• Ranks 51 on Ranks 51 on Reputation InstituteReputation Institute

Magazine Rankings, Year Magazine Rankings, Year over Yearover Year

• Declined from 4 to 10 Declined from 4 to 10 in in Fortune’sFortune’s Most Most AdmiredAdmired

• Declined 2.28 points in Declined 2.28 points in Harris’ Reputation Harris’ Reputation QuotientQuotient

Where Southwest Is...Where Southwest Is...

• 1 in Brandindex’s 2011 1 in Brandindex’s 2011 US Buzz Rankings for US Buzz Rankings for AirlinesAirlines

• Top ranking by Top ranking by Forbes Forbes Brands American Men Brands American Men and Women Desireand Women Desire

• Glassdoor.com’s 50 Glassdoor.com’s 50 Best Places to WorkBest Places to Work

Where Southwest is Not...Where Southwest is Not...

• InterbrandInterbrand

• BrandZBrandZ

• Fortune’s Fortune’s Best Places Best Places to Workto Work

• Boston Boston College/Reputation College/Reputation Institute’s CSR Institute’s CSR RankingRanking

Southwest = Media Southwest = Media DarlingDarling• Southwest stands out Southwest stands out

among the “villains”among the “villains”

• Tone of coverage is Tone of coverage is positive to neutralpositive to neutral

• Positive reputation, Positive reputation, continued growth, continued growth, customer-service customer-service focus focus

News OutletsNews Outlets

• Features or mentions Features or mentions in numerous elite in numerous elite media outletsmedia outlets

• NYT, WSJ, Forbes, NYT, WSJ, Forbes, Fortune, CNN, Fortune, CNN, MSNBCMSNBC

• Hometown pubs catch Hometown pubs catch every detailevery detail

Coverage FocusCoverage Focus

• Airline Industry NewsAirline Industry News

• SWA Financial NewsSWA Financial News

• SWA Business SWA Business OperationsOperations

• Flight-Specific Flight-Specific IncidentsIncidents

Social BuzzSocial Buzz• Despite operating in a Despite operating in a

negatively perceived industry, negatively perceived industry, Southwest receives mostly Southwest receives mostly positive sentiment (84% positive sentiment (84% favorable)favorable)

Negative sentiment has never Negative sentiment has never reached above 17% in the reached above 17% in the past yearpast year

Most conversation occurs on Most conversation occurs on Twitter (mentioned in 343 Twitter (mentioned in 343 tweets per day, or 14 tweets tweets per day, or 14 tweets per hour)per hour)

Social ComparisonSocial Comparison

2,462,335 2,462,335 likeslikes

2,462,335 2,462,335 likeslikes

1,308,495 1,308,495 followersfollowers1,308,495 1,308,495 followersfollowers

8,244 likes8,244 likes 8,097 8,097 followersfollowers

324, 929 324, 929 likeslikes

378,269 378,269 followersfollowers

9,677 likes9,677 likes 35,612 35,612 followersfollowers

Do you feel the LUV?Do you feel the LUV?

RecommendationsRecommendationsReputation Reputation • Boost their R&D and Boost their R&D and Innovation effortsInnovation efforts

• Continue to tout their CSR Continue to tout their CSR Green InitiativesGreen Initiatives

Public RelationsPublic Relations•Maintain and continue to Maintain and continue to improve current reputationimprove current reputation

•Maintain close relationships Maintain close relationships with local mediawith local media

•Continue to address negative Continue to address negative news as soon as possiblenews as soon as possibleSocial Media Social Media

• Expand to additional platformsExpand to additional platforms

• Establish Southwest member Establish Southwest member exclusivesexclusives

Thanks for the LUV!Thanks for the LUV!