Expert answer:Project Outline 10 page
Solved by verified expert:Based on the case proposal and research plan professors comments, and the example of Expedia campaign, Please write a 10 page research outline. Let me know if any questions. Topic is how AmEx use shop small Saturday to promote its credit card purchase. Please strictly follow the outline tips and the examples. The examples are very useful in terms of citations. Example attached。Format
Executive
Summary
Simply include a placeholder in the outline. The executive summary should be the last
piece of the paper you write.
Background
Outline the facts about the client’s organization, goals, and
capabilities—and the time frame of the case– that the reader will need to
understand your case.
Include only essential information.
Organize the information in an order that will be easy for the
reader to follow and understand.
Immediately following
each fact, cite the source or sources for evidence supporting the fact. While at this stage of the project you
do not need to write these citations in formal footnote/reference form, do
include enough detail about each source for your advisor to know where the
fact comes from. Write citations in
italics.
Identify any remaining gaps in background information that you are
still working to fill. Use a colored
font for notes about gaps.
The
Communications Problem or Opportunity
Define,
in outline form, the major communications problem or opportunity. Explain why this problem or opportunity was important
to the client, and how solving it would accomplish something of value for the
client.
Situation
Analysis
Outline the most important major conclusions you are drawing from
your research. Between five and ten
key conclusions might be right for a Portfolio case study, but you
may include more or fewer if you need to.
Organize the conclusions in an order that tells a story. The organization should be logical and
easy for the reader to follow and understand.
Consider grouping related conclusions together in sub-sections
with headings.
Under each conclusion, list evidence from your research that
supports that conclusion. List
these facts in a logical order.
Immediately following
each piece of evidence, cite the source or sources for it. While at this stage of the project you
do not need to write these citations in formal footnote/reference form, do
include enough detail about each source for your advisor to know where the
fact comes from. Write citations in
italics.
Identify any remaining gaps in supporting evidence that you are
still working to fill. Use a colored
font for notes about gaps.
Relevant
Experience From Other Organizations
1.
Outline other
relevant cases, explaining for each:
§ What
makes it relevant to your client’s situation, noting also how it might be
different from your client’s situation.
§ Key
elements of the other organization’s communications program (targets, message,
integrated tactics, etc)
§ Results
2. Immediately
following each piece of evidence, cite the source or sources for it. While at this stage of the project you do not
need to write these citations in formal footnote/reference form, do include
enough detail about each source for your advisor to know where the fact comes
from. Write citations in italics.
3.
Summarize
the learning a strategic communicator can take from these examples that is
relevant to your client’s case.
4.
Identify
any remaining gaps in supporting evidence that you are still working to
fill. Use a colored font for
notes about gaps.
Your
Client’s Communications Program
Outline the communications program your client actually employed
to solve the problem in this case, or to make the most of the
opportunity. Include information
about:
§ Target audience(s)
§ Objective(s)
§ Message
§ Integrated communications tactics
Under each element of the strategy, sketch in a rough outline of
why the client chose it.
Summarize the results of the communications program.
Cite sources.
While at this stage of the project you do not need to write these
citations in formal footnote/reference form, do include enough detail
about each source for your advisor to know where the fact comes from. Write citations in italics.
Note any remaining gaps in supporting evidence that you are still
working to fill. Use a colored
font for notes about gaps.
Results
Outline the key results of the client’s communications
programs. Frame the results in
terms of the objectives of the program.—that is, make it clear whether the
communications program did or did not meet its in-going objectives.
For each result, list evidence from your research for it. List these facts in a logical
order.
Immediately following
each piece of evidence, cite the source or sources for it. While at this stage of the project you
do not need to write these citations in formal footnote/reference form, do
include enough detail about each source for your advisor to know where the
fact comes from. Write citations in
italics.
Identify any remaining gaps in supporting evidence that you are
still working to fill. Use a colored
font for notes about gaps.
Your
Assessment
You do not need to include your assessment of the
case at this stage of the project. You
might want to include a placeholder for it in your outline, however.
Appendices
Note plans for any appendices you wish to attach to
the main body of the proposal.
TIPS
FOR OUTLINING
Use
simple, clear, complete sentences.
At this stage, engaging lead-ins, elegant prose, smooth-flowing
transitions, formally-cited sources, and the like are less important than
logical, easy-to-understand organization of the material in the case and
solid support for your thinking.
At this stage, there is no need to feel bad about gaps. Just recognize that you will need to
fill those gaps–ideally, by the first draft; certainly by the final
proposal.
Keep your outline to 10 pages or fewer.
case_study_outline_chenoweth__2_.docx
Unformatted Attachment Preview
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Marilyn Chenoweth
Portfolio Project
18 October 2012
Southwest Airlines’ “Bags Fly Free” Case Study Outline
Executive Summary
Placeholder
Background
Company Background
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In June of 1971 Herb Kelleher and Rollin King founded Southwest Airlines, originally a
commuter airline flying between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas (Gale Business
Insights, 2012).
Southwest’s primary business objective has always been to eliminate the unnecessary
“frills” offered by its competitors, thereby reducing costs for customers and making
flying an affordable means of travel (Gale Business Insights, 2012).
This case study will only analyze the years of 2008 and 2009.
By June of 2009, Southwest had become the largest air carrier in the United States,
boarding more passengers than any other U.S. domestic airline (approximately 70 million
passengers total) (Gale Business Insights, 2012).
As of December 31, 2009, the company had 537 active Boeing 737 aircraft serving 68
cities in 35 states (Gale Business Insights, 2012).
The airline’s top ten airports served included Chicago (Midway), Las Vegas, Baltimore,
Phoenix, Denver, Houston Hobby, Dallas (Love Field), Los Angeles (LAX), Oakland and
Orlando (Southwest Airlines, 2012).
Roughly 76% of Southwest’s customers flew non-stop during 2009. The average length
of a Southwest trip was 639 miles with a typical duration of about 1.8 hours. (Gale
Business Insights, 2012).
A Model for Continued Success
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Southwest has been profitable for 39 consecutive years, amid the airline industry’s trials
and tribulations, and consistently ranks as one of Fortune Magazine’s most admired
companies (Southwest Airlines, 2012).
Current CEO Gary Kelly attributes Southwest’s continued success to its employees and
its company culture. “Our people are our single greatest strength and most enduring long
term competitive advantage,” he says (Southwest Airlines, 2012).
Founder Herb Kelleher is a legend in the airline industry for doing things differently. In
addition to implementing a groundbreaking, low-cost model, he brought an “affectionate,
sometimes outrageous sense of fun to management” (CBS News, 2012).
Chris Mainz, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, says Kelleher was instrumental in
“creating a culture of a family environment.” He notes, “We focus on our employees
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first, customers second and shareholders third….We build our company from the inside
out and I think that is why we are so well known for our customer service in an industry
not typically known for good customer service” (Travel-Watch.com, 2012).
A case study on Southwest (written for the Human Resource Management Journal)
claims, “low turnover and high productivity suggest that the airline creates significant
value for employees.” Southwest’s culture fosters communication and teamwork. The
airline achieves higher productivity and employee loyalty by making its work
environment pleasant for all. Southwest encourages its employees to enjoy their work
environment. Employees who enjoy their work environment are more likely to deliver
better customer service. Better customer service lures more customers, resulting in an
increase in revenues for Southwest (Human Resource Management Journal, 1996).
David Lapin of Fast Company Magazine reflects, “Southwest gave its customers fun,
entertainment, and some genuine human care that compensated for their loss of the
tangible features and benefits. The secret, though, is that for this experience to feel
authentic, the company’s leader, Herb Kelleher, had to build an airline culture that had
the properties of fun, entertainment, and genuine care at the very core of its
soul…Southwest’s caring for people, both employees and customers, was not conceived
merely as a strategy for success. Southwest cares for its people because it believes that is
the morally right thing to do. People are not a means to an end (profit), but an end in and
of themselves (satisfied customers, happy employees). Success was the outcome of
caring” (Fast Company Magazine, 2012).
Southwest’s mission statement echoes Lapin’s point: “The mission of Southwest Airlines
is Dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of
warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company spirit” (Southwest Airlines, 2012).
Southwest’s quirky, yet caring culture is reflected in its humorous and creative
advertising. Past slogans have included, “Just Plane Smart,” “The Somebody Else Up
There Who Loves You,” “THE Low Fare Airline,” and “Grab your bag, It’s On!”
Operating from Love Field in Dallas, Southwest implemented “love” as the theme of its
earlier ad campaigns, serving in-flight “love potions” (drinks) and “love bites” (peanuts)
(Hoover’s Company Profiles, 2012).
David Parker Brown, owner of AirlineReporter.com, said Southwest is “your fun friend.”
No other airline has a cult following like Southwest and that cult following is largely a
result of Southwest’s commitment to friendly customer service (Interview with David
Parker Brown, October 2012).
James Boyd, Vice President of Communications for Singapore Airlines, argues that
Southwest has defined an equation for success: Employee Culture + Operational
Management = Key to Success (Interview with James Boyd, September 2012).
Joe Brancatelli of Wired.com argues that Southwest boasts seven secrets for success,
which touch upon both operational and cultural practices:
1. One Plane Fits All
Unlike its competitors, Southwest flies just one plane type, the Boeing 737 series. This
saves the airline millions in maintenance costs and allows it to run more efficiently.
2. Point-to-Point Flying
Most U.S. domestic carriers rely on the “hub-and-spoke” system, in which planes
basically pick up passengers from “spoke” cities, fly them to central “hub” airports, and
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then deliver them to other “spoke” cities. Southwest, on the other hand, typically flies
non-stop between two points, minimizing the time that planes sit on the ground at
crowded hubs where delays are common. The average Southwest aircraft is in the air for
more than an hour longer each day than a similarly sized aircraft flown by a network
carrier.
Simple In-Flight Service
Southwest offers just one class of service, and there are no assigned seats. It does not
serve meals (only simple beverages and snacks), nor does it provide in-flight DIRECTV
entertainment. These simple operations enable Southwest to unload a plane, clean and
replenish it, and board another full flight of passengers in just 20 minutes, compared with
as much as 90 minutes on a network airline.
No Frills, No Fees
Southwest prides itself on being “THE Low Fare Airline.” It only sells one-way fares. It
does not charge for reservations changes, nor does it charge for first or second checked
bags, a topic which will be addressed later on.
Strong Management
Southwest’s management ranks are “lean, but well compensated and, most importantly,
productive.”
A Relatively Happy Workforce
87% of Southwest’s employees belong to a union. Southwest has never had a strike, and
its staffers remain some of the highest paid in the airline industry.
Aggressive Fuel Hedging
In 2008, fuel prices accounted for approximately 40% of an airline’s costs. Southwest’s
aggressive fuel-hedging program, however, has saved it about $3.5 billion since 1999. In
the first quarter of 2008, for example, it paid $1.98 a gallon for fuel, approximately a
dollar less than its competitors (Wired.com, 2008).
Communications Problem and Opportunity
Problem
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In 2008 U.S. domestic airlines carried 4.3% fewer passengers than they did the year
before (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2009).
Airlines were struggling to survive because of high fuel prices, the sluggish economy,
heightened security concerns and disgruntled customers (IBIS World, 2012).
Forced to make up for lost revenue, many airlines (starting with American Airlines)
began charging passengers to check their bags (The New York Times, 2008).
By mid-2009, Southwest was grappling with the idea of charging passengers for checked
luggage. It was estimated that Southwest would earn $450 – $500 million per year by
charging for bags (Chicago Tribune, 2009).
In order to maintain Southwest’s reputation as the low-cost airline that always put its
customers first, CEO Gary Kelly decided against implementing a bag fee, forgoing the
hundreds of millions of dollars the company would earn in revenue (Air Transport World,
2009).
Kelly’s decision drew mixed reviews. He faced strong opposition from Wall Street and
industry analysts, many who believed Southwest would surely collapse by refusing to
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charge for checked baggage. Experts simply did not understand how Southwest could be
so bold as to forgo hundreds of millions of dollars in guaranteed revenue during a trying
economic time. In an interview with The Chicago Tribune, Robert Herbst, a commercial
airline pilot and founder of AirlineFinancials.com argued, “There’s no way Southwest is
going to pick up enough traffic to compensate for the amount of revenue that the other
airlines are garnering because of the baggage fees,” (Seattle Times, 2009).
David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, further defended the
baggage fees, telling CNN Money that they were vital to an industry struggling to
survive. “The first quarter for the industry is still a multi-billion dollar loss. I don’t know
of a business model that calls for a company to lose money. I fail to understand why the
industry is demonized for trying to return to profitability (CNN Money, 2009).
Anne Murray, Director of Integrated Marketing at Southwest Airlines, said the “Bags Fly
Free” campaign was a massive risk because Southwest could not predict whether it would
be successful. Southwest faced an internal struggle. On one hand, the company knew it
had a surefire way of increasing its revenues (by charging for checked bags). On the
other hand, the company felt hesitant to implement a program that did not align with its
customer service model (Think With Google, 2010).
Opportunity
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Kelly’s decision presented a communications opportunity for Southwest, who would
attempt to raise awareness that Southwest was not like other airlines (since it refused to
charge for checked bags) and increase preference for the Southwest brand among
travelers (Effie Awards, 2011).
Southwest and its agencies, GSD&M and Camelot Communications, agreed that they had
an opportunity to take a unique, customer driven position by relating to the everyday
traveler who had become disgruntled by the cost and hassle of flying (Effie Awards,
2011).
They would emphasize the fact that during trying economic times, Southwest had chosen
to remain true to its legacy by keeping travel affordable and accessible, while its
competitors had taken exactly the opposite route (Effie Awards, 2011).
Situation Analysis
Airline Industry Landscape
Financial Situation
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Up until 2008, the U.S. domestic airline industry was flourishing. According to IBIS
World, “Solid income growth and the weak U.S. dollar increased demand for travel
within the United States.” But “skyrocketing oil prices, the U.S. economic recession, the
global economic downturn in 2009 and the swine flu outbreak” caused everyday travelers
to become greatly disgruntled by the cost and hassle of flying (IBIS World, 2012).
In 2008 U.S. airlines carried 4.3% fewer domestic passengers than they did the year
before (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2009).
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Additionally, airlines began paying more for fuel than ever before. American Airlines,
for instance, paid 45% more for fuel than in the previous year, totaling a sum of $2.05
billion (The New York Times, January 2008).
To compensate for an increase in fuel costs, American Airlines began charging
passengers $15 to check their first and second bags. It was the first major U.S. airline to
implement fees of this nature (The New York Times, May 2008).
The majority of the domestic airline industry quickly followed in American Airlines’
footsteps and began charging for bags. Participating airlines included U.S. Airways,
United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines and Continental Airlines (CNN
Money, 2009).
Only two carriers, Southwest and jetBlue, did not impose checked baggage fees (The
New York Times, May 2008).
In 2008 and 2009 bag fees extended far and wide. Many travelers were paying as much
as $120 round trip just to check their bags (Southwest, 2012).
Eddie Jones, Problem-Solving Crisis Management and Communications Leader at
jetBlue, reflected, “It became a luxury not to pay for bags” (Interview with Eddie Jones,
October 2012).
To the majority of U.S. domestic carriers, checked bag fees made sense. The nine major
passenger airlines in the U.S. collectively lost $19.5 billion in 2008 and $3.4 billion in
2009. These airlines included AirTran, Alaska, Southwest, jetBlue, U.S. Airways,
Continental, United, Delta and American (The Wall Street Journal, 2009).
The checked baggage fees paid off. During the first six months of 2009, U.S. airlines
earned $1.24 billion in baggage fees, an increase of 267% over the previous year (USA
Today, 2009).
Consumer Sentiment
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A Mintel Oxygen report on the travel industry cited, “Consumer confidence reached an
all-time low in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the early months of 2009” (Mintel Oxygen,
2012).
Consumers cited feeling discouraged by the hassle of airline travel (check-in and security
lines, extended taxi and take-off periods, aircraft delays) and the myriad of additional
fees being applied to checked baggage and cancellation/reservation changes. As a result,
many consumers resorted to alternative forms of transportation (cars and trains) to save
both money and time (Mintel Oxygen, 2012).
According to James Boyd, there existed a “pent up frustration held by travelers toward
airlines”. In almost every other aspect of their lives, consumers had increasingly been
gaining control. The airline industry, however, was deciding almost everything for
passengers, from where they could sit to when they could eat to how much they would
pay for “extras,” like leg room, snacks, pillows and blankets, and, of course, checked
bags. This system of control provoked “a heightened sense of anxiety” among travelers,
said Boyd (Interview with James Boyd, October 2012).
Valerie Edmonds, Vice President of Weber Shandwick’s Travel & Lifestyle Marketing
practice, echoed Boyd’s sentiment by arguing that the atmosphere of 2008 and early 2009
“provided an inflection point for a ‘crisis of confidence’” (Interview with Valerie
Edmonds, September 2012).
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According to Rene Mack, President of Weber Shandwick’s Travel & Lifestyle Marketing
practice, the airline industry had become more focused on consolidation, regulation and
taxation than ever before. As a result, flying was no longer a “rarified experience for the
privileged few.” Rather, it was an “extremely efficient form of mass transportation…with
all of the niceties and perks of competitive travel effectively gone” (Interview with Rene
Mack, September 2012).
Competition
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In 2008 and 2009, Southwest was operating in an extremely competitive marketplace. In
the U.S. domestic market, its competitors consisted of other airlines and, to a smaller
extent, other forms of transportation and budding technologies like videoconferencing
(which enabled business executives to work remotely and thereby eliminated their need
to travel to important meetings, conferences, etc.) (Datamonitor 360, 2011).
Southwest Airlines’ domestic routes faced competition from many carriers, including
Alaska Air Group, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, jetBlue Airways,
Northwest Airlines, Mesa Airlines and U.S. Airways Group (Datamonitor 360, 2011).
According to Hoover’s Company Profiles, Southwest’s top three competitors are AMR
Corporation (American Airlines), Delta Airlines and jetBlue Airways (Hoover’s
Company Profiles, 2012).
The merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines intensified competition for
Southwest (Datamonitor 360, 2011).
Additionally, during 2008, Aloha Airlines, ATA Airlines, Eos Airlines, Frontier Airlines
and Skybus Airlines all filed for bankruptcy protection. Airlines functioning under
bankruptcy protection posed a threat to Southwest because they had the ability to come
back from bankruptcy as stronger competitors (Datamonitor 360, 2011).
Audience
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A Mintel Oxygen report cites that price was a top consideration for U.S. air travellers in
2009 (Mintel Oxygen, 2009).
Many domestic carriers acknowledged this consideration by simultaneously lowering
their prices and “unbundling” their services. Unbundling allows consumers to choose
what services they want to pay for, which translates to “more revenue for airlines on
items that used to come standard” (Mintel Oxygen, 2009).
Jeff Smisek, CEO of Continental Airlines argued, “We have historically served a pizza
with everything on it. Now we’re going to let people not only choose their own pie, but
order just one slice if that’s what they want” (Mintel Oxygen, 2009).
Flight schedules were also an important consideration for travelers in 2009 and not
surprisingly, many travelers reported they preferred flying nonstop. Price still proved the
most important consideration for travelers, however, which echoed their attitudes toward
air travel (Mintel Oxygen, 2009).
Unbundling services were popular because they provided consumers with financial
rewards and feelings of empowerment (since they could choose to pay for extra services)
(Mintel Oxygen, 2009).
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However, there was an opportunity for rebel airlines, namely Southwest, to challenge this
unbundling trend. A Mintel study reported that no fees for checked baggage (a result of
bundling) was a “top-four consideration” for almost half of respondents (Mintel Oxygen,
2009).
Relevant Experience
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Like Southwest, Avis Rent A Car differentiated itself in the marketplace by actively
calling out its competition.
In the 1960’s, Hertz dominated the rental car industry. Hertz’s primary competitor, Avis,
lagged far behind (About.com, 2012).
Robert C. Townsend, President of Avis at the time, once famously declared, “We do try
harder [than our competitors].” Avis’s advertising agency, Doyle Dane Bernbach,
capitalized on this statement and created one of the most famous marketing
communications campaigns ever produced (About.com, 2012).
The campaign’s tagline, “Avis Is Only No. 2, We Try Harder.” was innovative, sincere
and had a competitive attitude (About.com, 2012).
“If there’s one thing America loves, it’s a hard-working underdog. It [the campaign] also
painted a picture of Hertz as this uncaring, corporate behemoth, and Avis as the brave,
plucky David taking on the slow, cumbersome Goliath” (About.com, 2012).
The “Bags Fly Free” campaign also painted a picture of Southwest’s competitors (i.e.
American Airlines and United Airlines) as “uncaring, corporate behemoths” and
Southwest as the brave darling of the airline industry who was willing to take a stand and
speak out against its competitors’ policies.
Avis’s campaign was hugely successful. In 1962, it controlled just 11% of the market
share and struggled to make a profit. A year after the campaign launched, Avis became
profitable and by 1966, it controlled 35% of the rental car market (About.com, 2012).
Similarly, Southwest’s “Bags Fly Free” campaign helped the air …
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