• by Tanya Gazdik , February 10, 2011

It's no surprise that Southwest tied Delta for top airline in the 15th annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI).

Both airlines have conducted a plethora of customer-focus activities designed to delight and engage. Southwest went so far as to first post new "Bags Fly Free" commercials on its Facebook page in November in order to give its fans a sneak peek.

Southwest Airlines also is launching a new Rapid Rewards program, the carrier's frequent flyer program, on March 1 which will allow members to redeem their points for every seat, every day, on every flight with no blackout dates or seat restriction. Points won't expire with any earning activity in a 24-month time period.

"Southwest has always had more empathy for their customer and their frustrations, and now they've embraced that same philosophy in their loyalty program," says Gary Leopold, president and CEO of ISM, a marketing consultancy and advertising agency that specializes in problem solving for premier travel and lifestyle brands.

"It's a lesson for all brands," Leopold tells Marketing Daily. "Your loyalty program isn't an appendage to your brand story, so you need to be sure it captures the same spirit, style, attitude, convenience, service delivery, etc. as the other elements of your brand experience."

Delta's SkyMiles frequent flier program is the largest in the airlines industry, according to the airline. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground.

In January, Southwest Airlines upgraded its corporate blog, "Nuts About Southwest," to offer more ways for consumers to connect with the airline. The blog began in April 2006 as one of the world's first company blogs, according to the airline. It was originally launched as a means of giving customers a look inside Southwest's culture and operations by allowing users to interact and build personal relationships with the airline's employees.

The two airlines edged out last year's No. 1 pick, JetBlue, which dropped to third this year despite its continued attempts to engage and delight customers with such promotions as free exclusive "behind the gate" concerts.

The CLEI, which quantifies consumers' current engagement/loyalty levels across 530 brands in 79 categories tracked by Brand Keys, ranked Avis as the top rental car company for a second consecutive year. The company is already acutely aware of how loyal its customers are; in fact, it is basing an ad campaign on it. The campaign features customers complimenting employees who have exemplified Avis' "We try harder" customer service philosophy.

In an ongoing series of new ads, Avis will excerpt letters received from customers more than satisfied by their rental experience with Avis. The campaign debuted last month with a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal. Ads will also be placed in other print outlets and later in the year, the campaign will feature versions of these ads for broadcast and cable television, online media and out-of-home media.

The top hotels, according to Brand Keys, were InterContinental Hotels Group (luxury), Marriott (upscale), Best Western (midscale) and Days Inn (economy).

"Best Western just launched their new brand descriptor initiative, as a way to better address some of their product inconsistencies, and they've wisely got their Best Western Rewards working in lockstep offering members a chance to win points if they stay in hotels from each of the descriptor categories," Leopold says. "It's always smart to try and leverage your overall brand messaging through your loyalty program. Even if it might not truly drive much incremental business, at least they're being consistent in reinforcing their message."