“For those of you who haven’t been in a car since 1964, this is a seat belt.”
That was my introduction to the quirky, refreshing airline brand Southwest had built from a regional no-frills airline to a dominant and highly profitable player with the big wing brands like American, Delta, and United. As I listened to the obligatory safety briefing being presented in an offbeat, hilarious way, I was getting a firsthand lesson in how a brand can distinguish itself from a sea of sameness.
Southwest began as an intrastate airline in Texas in 1967, flying only within the state to avoid Civil Aeronautics Board regulations and offer cheaper fares than its larger competitors. By 1979 they were flying to regional locations and in the 1990s began flying to eastern and southeastern destinations. Beginning in 1973, Southwest was profitable for 47 fiscal years in a row, impressive for any company, but particularly for the mercurial airline industry.
“If the cabin should depressurize, a margarine cup will drop down in front of you. Place the cup on your face and breathe. If you are travelling with a child, or someone who is acting like a child, place the margarine cup on your face first and then theirs.”
From the beginning Southwest built a brand on being different. They fly only one kind of plane, the Boeing 737, to simplify maintenance. They make strategic purchases of fuel in bulk to reduce costs. They eschewed boarding zones and assigned seats and allowed passengers to check two bags for free. Ticketing changes were also free. Tickets were available online only through a Southwest website. The gate crews dressed informally in polos and khakis, and the flight attendants were given leeway to be entertaining with their safety reviews and other announcements.
Travelers embraced this irreverent brand and fueled its growth. Southwest is now the fourth largest airline in the U.S. and still profitable, but something strange is happening to their brand. They are becoming more like their competition and less like the contrarian upstart they once were. Seats are now reserved. Bags are no longer free. Tickets are now sold on other websites. It’s hard to measure, but there may even be less humor in their safety briefings.
The big airlines, Delta, United, and American, are all strong brands that command a premium for their services compared to no-frills competitors. Still, it’s hard to articulate a difference between them. Southwest built its brand by needling the big three airlines for their reserved seats, baggage fees and ticketing process. Now, having reached major brand status, Southwest is essentially disappearing into a homogenized big carrier brand. While their business decisions may be best for them and their shareholders, I will miss their original approach to air travel and a brand that stood apart from its industry.
“In the highly unlikely event of a water landing between here and Chicago, you will find a life jacket under your seat. Put it on and it will inflate automatically. For you over-achievers, you can blow on the tube as well. Afterward you may keep the jacket as a souvenir of Southwest Airlines”.
Perhaps it’s inevitable that a successful challenger brand will become more like the industry leaders as they grow. And Southwest is undoubtedly the best of the many airline brands that have sought to disrupt the airline industry. And perhaps they will retain some of the irreverence that differentiated them so effectively, if only in their entertaining safety briefings.