The 6X+S Model

SimpliFlying
Mar 31, 2023
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Our updated airline brand model presents a new framework for airlines to build lasting brands in the age of sustainability.

The airline industry needs a fresh approach to brand building

The airline industry is truly like no other. It is cyclical, incurs high fixed costs, faces uncertainties due to heavy dependency on fluctuating factors like weather and oil prices, and has a length of engagement with the customer that is rare in other industries.

Despite these unique features of airline brand engagement, most airline marketers apply the same generic marketing principles that are used for other consumer products.

And now there’s a new challenge on the horizon: the need to operate sustainably and reduce impact on the environment. How can airline brands become remarkable given this new reality?

Sustainability comes into focus

We believe an ideal airline brand model would account for the realities of business and the unique nature of the industry. The 6X model helps guide an airline’s branding approach by focusing on six key levers with sustainability an overarching consideration for each:

  • Brand eXpectation

    • How accurately and successfully an airline lets customers know what it has to offer.
      Case Study: United Airlines Chief Trash Officer

  • Brand eXternalities

    • Anything that affects customers that is not in the airline’s control.
      Case Study: Schiphol Airport CEO’s response to Greenpeace

  • Brand eXpression

    • How well the airline communicates with customers and staff.
      Case Study: Saudia’s in-flight sustainability lab

  • Brand eXecution

    • How an airline delivers on its promises.
      Case Study: Etihad Airways goes green

  • Brand eXperience

    • What it feels like to interact with the airline during travel, across all touchpoints, at the airport and in-flight.
      Case Study: Air France’s new amenity kits

  • Brand X-Factor

    • What it feels like to interact with the airline during travel, across all touchpoints, at the airport and in-flight
      Case Study: Air New Zealand Flight NZ0

Explore these concepts with accompanying case studies in our new whitepaper!