These basics don’ t sound like rocket science, but we’ ve been surprised by how many companies still fail to get them right. Social media can be used to reinforce all four, even as they make them more urgent. Look at how Virgin Atlantic Airways has used social media to buttress the branding basics.
The customer promise.
Customers expect innovation, fun, informality, honesty, value, and a caring attitude from VAA. This promise is reinforced at every customer touch point, from marketing materials and the call center to travel agents and, increasingly, travel websites. VAA scans these sites( along with less obvious ones such as Camping. com and Mumsnet. com) to learn what people are saying. Where there is misinformation, the company rarely has to provide a correction, because site visitors usually do so themselves. Like other companies, VAA uses social media to check that the brand promise is both understood and relevant. It also works to keep all its social media activities true to and in support of the brand values. For instance, the most-read section of its Facebook page includes travel tips from crew members— communication that comes across as honest, informal, and caring.
The most-read section of Virgin Atlantic’ s Facebook page includes travel tips from crew members— communication that comes across as honest, informal, and caring.
Trust.
Obviously, trust is mainly about operational execution— service delivery. But keeping customers informed when things go wrong can prevent a slipup from becoming a trust-
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