In a sea of competitors offering the same service, companies that want to survive (and thrive) simply have to put their unique stamp on goods and services. Essentially, they must do business differently.
So what exactly is "doing business differently"? A really good example comes courtesy of JetBlue, the airline that prides itself on offering a friendlier (and funnier) flying experience. Part of what makes the company so different is that they really do live up to their friendly image, and flying is therefore a bit less stressful. And TV at every seat does not hurt either.
But what really makes JetBlue different is their desire to take calculated risks.
Case in point: JetBlue recently announced that they'd be expanding their services at a time when other airlines are cutting costs and putting the brakes on new projects. Is this a mistake? If the risk is calibrated properly, my answer is "no." Why? JetBlue has done their homework, and that's the first step in evaluating whether or not a potentially risky move could spell disaster or not.
Nicole Wong of the Boston Globe profiled JetBlue on October 21st, revealing the company's plans to make Boston one of three cities integral to their expansion project. It's all due to the unique composition of the market in Boston: you've got a steady supply of students flying in and out of Logan every day, with no signs of slowing, and a solid amount of business travelers, such as myself. In addition, the article points out, there's a growing demand for shuttling groups to and from events across the country. Boston boasts successful sports teams on both the professional and college levels, as well as biotech companies moving key team members, both of which require a plane to get them where they need to go. For JetBlue, it's a lucrative market that has the potential to become even more so if they play their cards right.
But JetBlue isn't just expanding without doing a little maintenance. It appears they're willing to do what it takes to pull in customers that don't already rely on their 26 non-stop flights out of Boston, more than any other carrier out of Logan. Doing what it takes will, according to JetBlue, include boosting in-flight internet access, as well as doing a better job of promoting some of JetBlue's amenities such as refundable fares and substantially more flights than competitors. According to the Globe piece, JetBlue's Chief Executive, David Barger said, "The business customers are saying, 'Give me at least three [flights] a day, or four a day, or five a day,'". The customers spoke, and apparently, JetBlue listened.
I know from personal experience that it's hard to find a non-stop flight to a preferred destination out of Logan, but when I do find it, it's usually from JetBlue. In fact, I regularly fly from Boston to Austin, Texas, where GotVMail's second outpost is located. I've never been unhappy with JetBlue's services, so the idea that they're only going to improve upon them is exciting.
JetBlue's approach is reminiscent of that taken by Southwest Airlines, the airline that originally did things differently (an idea discussed at length in Mavericks At Work). Both JetBlue and Southwest take the institutionalized quality that other airlines often have, and make customer satisfaction and freedom their primary concerns. During times in our history when it seems like businesses are thinking of anything except the regular person just trying to visit their family or close a deal on a business trip, that's a pretty smart move.
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