Jetblue Marketing Plan

I. Executive Summary:

Since its founding in 2000, Jet Blue has been a very successful airline. It was one of few airlines to not only weather the post-9/11 recession, but expand during it. Even after reporting its first quarterly loss in 2006, it's "RTP" (return to profitability") quickly put the company back on track. Because of Jet Blue's success, this marketing plan focuses primarily on the promotion aspect of the marketing mix, making only relatively minute changes to Jet Blue's product, price, and distribution strategies.

The primary focus of this marketing plan is to attract new customers to Jet Blue, and then continuing to provide industry leading customer service in order to retain those new customers as loyal patrons. JetBlue's target demographic is changing and expanding rapidly. The success of this marketing plan depends on JetBlue's ability to reach out to young adults, as well as older, tech-savvy social consumers, looking to get away to some of the most popular vacation destinations, while still staying connected and entertained. This must be done while staying true to JetBlue's culture of providing absolutely hassle-free service for the lowest fares possible.

Technology plays a big role in JetBlue's marketing plan. In order to keep its consumers satisfied during flights, JetBlue has been on the forefront of technological innovation in the airline industry. In order to keep younger and more tech-savvy consumers satisfied however, JetBlue must continue to push forward, including options to offer Wi-Fi connectivity during flights, among other things. In addition to this, examples of forward-thinking can be seen in other aspects of JetBlue's marketing plan, including more organic meal options and re-imaging the company to fit into a more hip, tech-savvy culture. With these plans in effect, JetBlue is in a prime position to penetrate new markets, and increase its market share in other, more traditional ones. All of this helps JetBlue to achieve its goal of transforming the flight experience. JetBlue hopes for its flights to be more than just a burden that must be tolerated to segue from one destination to another, but rather an experience that can be appreciated and looked forward to along with the trip itself.

In order to get the word out about JetBlue's new efforts, promotion must be geared more intensely towards those new consumers that JetBlue hopes to bring in. To accomplish this, this marketing plan calls on an emphasis on cheaper non-traditional advertising techniques, including viral and guerilla ads. JetBlue can use online mediums of communication such as Facebook and Twitter to quickly and efficiently communicate with millions of potential consumers that fall into the target markets that have been identified. A presence at events or locations typically frequented by these consumers is also necessary for the plan to succeed. High-profile parties or sports events are just some of many opportunities for JetBlue to increase its hold on young thrill seekers likely to be most affected by this marketing plan.

JetBlue plans to use these new tactics to shift its marketing plan and maintain and improve upon the level of success it has seen to date. Through these efforts, JetBlue hopes to reach the financial goals it has set for itself, which include maintaining a certain growth rate, reaching a higher level of profitability, and developing a more competitive position in the airline industry. These efforts will put JetBlue in a position of take more of a leadership role in this market and ultimately increase market share and the value of the company.

II. Mission:

Jet Blue's mission is to bring humanity back to air travel . Through increased focus on technology innovation for our customers' benefit while significantly improving our efficiency and productivity Jet Blue is in prime position to lead the industry in the coming years.

III. Goals:

Non-financial

1. Generate new consumers of our product followed by their continued use as a result of great customer service.

a. The overarching goal of our marketing plan is to ensure that new customers are introduced to Jet Blue.

b. Jet Blue has a history of putting the customer first, so we will expect for that tradition to continue and lead to a high customer retention rate.

2. Develop Jet Blue's recently added products and services by offering the best deal for the best price.

a. Jet Blue has recently begun servicing Colombia, Jamaica, Montego Bay and non-stop NY-LA trips.

b. Continue the tradition of promoting these new routes through low fares

3. Establish a strong technological approach to new advertising techniques

a. Focus on viral , guerilla and "word of mouth" strategies

b. Expand and strengthen web 2.0 presence and utilize social media tools

4. Continue to meet customer demands

a. Develop our new services (leather chairs, XM radio, organic meals)

b. Maintain active in listening to our travelers and gaining feedback

Financial

1. Maintain minimum 22% growth rate for five years

2. Match Northwest's market share in five years

3. Improve profitability ratios

a. Improve Net Profit Margin to over 2.00% in five years

b. Create a higher return on equity of over 3.00% in five years

c. Continue stand-alone pricing strategy (if routes are not profitable, they're discontinued) to maximize yield to passenger

4. 2010 sales of 5,000 (mil)

IV. Core Competencies and Competitive Advantage

Although a relatively young company (founded in 2000), Jet Blue has already established itself as a model airline among its competitors. In the coming years, Jet Blue is expected to continue its development into one of the next generation of leading airlines. This is due to a set of core competencies that set Jet Blue one step ahead of most of its competitors, giving Jet Blue a competitive advantage that sets it up to make the most of the opportunities it will be given.

First of all is the experience and