Introduction
JetBlue Airways is one of the major low-cost airlines in North and South America. When an airline like JetBlue becomes a large corporation, some might wonder what growth strategies the company employs. Apart from the fact that the business was founded more than 20 years ago, it is interesting how JetBlue manages to stay relevant in the airline market. This essay will analyze JetBlue’s strategies through the marketing mix’s product and promotion elements.
JetBlue’s Product and Pricing
JetBlue Airways offers an extensive range of products at various price points. The main product in the line is a flight ticket on one of JetBlue’s planes. On the company’s official website, nine types of airbuses are presented to control customers’ expectations regarding the flight. Each aircraft used by JetBlue has basic facilities and over a hundred seats per fleet; some of the planes provide entertainment (TV on the back of the front seat, Wi-Fi, etc.). Flight tickets are the company’s main products, as it is an airline corporation; nonetheless, they are also products with geographical features.
Consequently, the product line and pricing are diversified according to location, destination, and aircraft type. JetBlue also offers non-standard products such as hotel, cruise, and car services. The main page of the company’s website provides the following product combinations: flight and hotel, flight and cruise, and flight and a car. The range of products and services that JetBlue Airways provides demonstrates that an airline’s growth can transform it into a substantial tourist business.
JetBlue’s Promotion and Brand Positioning
With the development of the Internet and social media, JetBlue Airways’ promotion strategies have also changed. The company operates a website that showcases all its products and services, making it easier for customers to purchase the products. Hence, the website serves as a promotional tool for JetBlue. Nevertheless, an essential promotional strategy that JetBlue established decades ago and continues to use today is brand positioning. Any business must present the right image to the masses, as the company’s attractiveness and sales depend on its brand.
Waller (2020) wrote in his book Personal Brand Management that JetBlue made an excellent market entrance with its brand positioning because, at the time, the airline market already had giants. Waller (2020) says, “JetBlue introduced itself as the airline with the most amenities and perks for the average traveler. […] For this reason, JetBlue is perceived to offer better and more variety of snacks for economy class travelers.” (p. 68). In other words, JetBlue’s innovative promotional strategy of positioning itself as a better airline for the average traveler (the majority of the population) enabled the company to remain in the market to this day.
Conclusion
To conclude, JetBlue Airways’ marketing mix elements, including product and promotion, encompass a range of products and services, as well as a strong brand positioning. As presented on the website, JetBlue offers a product line that includes flight tickets, car rentals, cruises, and stay rentals. All products vary in price and can be purchased individually or in combination with one another, depending on geographical location.
The company employs both traditional and modern promotional strategies. JetBlue introduced its brand positioning when the company was founded, and the website offers all necessary services (including payment) through both old and new promotional methods. Due to the key marketing elements mentioned, JetBlue Airways remains a significant player in the airline industry.
Reference
Waller, T. (2020). Personal Brand Management. Management for Professionals.