Recently, I purchased two round-trip tickets to Orlando via JetBlue. Due to several great past experiences, I prefer to fly JetBlue whenever it’s logistically and economically possible. The day after booking my flights I received a promotional email offering 20% off flights if I booked travel by a certain date and within a particular traveling window. The flights I’d booked the day before fell into that window. I contacted customer service and within twenty-four hours (on a Saturday, nonetheless) I received a response that they were crediting me with the amount I would have saved through the promotion to be used on future travel.
Impressed with the quick response, I took to social media to express my appreciation. I posted a wonderful comment on their Facebook wall as well as responded to a fellow community member who was harshly trashing the brand’s customer service. My enthusiasm was met with silence.
No Like.
No Comment.
No Engagement.
Digitally, JetBlue missed a moment. It was an opportunity for their brand to humanize a relationship with a genuine brand advocate and they let it pass by.
Today, engaged customers drive sales.
- Consumers speak positively about brands during word-of-mouth conversations 66% of the time (WOMMA)
- 81% say posts from their friends directly influenced their purchasing decision (Bigcommerce)
The era of the brand advocate isn’t coming — it’s here. Consumers want to feel included and understood, but most importantly they crave connection. The best customers are self-identifying opportunities for companies to focus, grow and improve with their loyalty and passion. The best brands will use that direct channel to their advocates to foster those relationships.
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