{"id":926,"date":"2015-10-20T10:50:44","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T16:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flightlistpro.com\/private-jet-charter\/?p=926"},"modified":"2015-10-20T10:02:51","modified_gmt":"2015-10-20T16:02:51","slug":"private-jets-for-the-uber-economy-qa-with-xojet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flightlistpro.com\/private-jet-charter\/private-jets-for-the-uber-economy-qa-with-xojet\/","title":{"rendered":"Private jets For The Uber Economy – Q&A With XOJET"},"content":{"rendered":"

Private Jets For The Uber Economy
\nQ&A with Shari Jones, Chief Marketing Officer, XOJET<\/h1>\n

The Economist Group – Lean Back<\/em>
\nBy Mercedes Cardona
\n<\/a>October 19, 2015<\/em><\/p>\n

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing marketing: fragmented media, empowered consumers, evolving technology, or all at once?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s finding the right client and connecting with them with the right message, at the same time. That hasn\u2019t changed so much. What has changed is the pace of disruption and the tools we have at our disposal; also how our potential consumers are bombarded by so many messages and so many options.<\/p>\n

\"ShariJones\"<\/a>The onus on CMOs today is: How are you creating a message that is compelling and beautiful and aspirational and engaging, so that client will choose to see it? Also, using all the tools at your disposal to craft an experience. I\u2019m lucky I have the canvas of the jet to play with and the whole experience\u2014from my advisors to my client services\u2014in addition to the communications we\u2019re crafting to bring that messaging to life to them.<\/p>\n

What are some challenges specific to your brand: the world economy, generational change, consumer attitudes toward luxury?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Disruptions to our industry came a little later than disruptions in other industries, but we\u2019re seeing the same kind of meta trend. It\u2019s a shift from ownership. Traditionally clients would either buy a jet or buy a fraction of a jet. That\u2019s moved to more on-demand models, similar to the model we employ, where clients only use a jet when they want to use it and they only want to pay for what they use.<\/p>\n

The business model change has been probably the biggest one in the last three years. Accompanying that is how technology has grafted onto that, not to replace what is necessarily a high-touch experience\u2014because by definition luxury is high-touch\u2014but make it even better.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re participating in the sharing economy, but how are you approaching marketing differently than either other corporate jet companies or transport like Uber and Zipcar on the low end?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is fresh about what we\u2019re doing\u2014and you can see with our latest campaign\u2014is we\u2019re trying to bring a more modern approach to talking to high-end clients about what is a luxury product. A more fresh, approachable way, seeing it through the point of view of the client who would use our product every day.<\/p>\n

A lot of times luxury brands market almost two steps removed. We\u2019re trying to bring it closer and make it that much more intimate.<\/p>\n

On the flip side, on the lower end of the market you\u2019re seeing a lot of new entrants that are trying to do what Uber is doing in the private jet industry. That\u2019s fantastic for a certain segment of the market; but when you\u2019re talking about sophisticated clients who fly a lot\u2014just like with hotels and with other luxury products\u2014they are going to want to have a human connection.<\/p>\n

Speaking of technology, you launched a mobile site this year. Where does mobile fit into your marketing plan?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a travel brand, you want to be available to clients when they\u2019re on the move, by definition. Where mobile helps us is by creating a more seamless interaction starting the conversation; but invariably, it always goes to a human on the other side of the conversation. Whether it\u2019s requesting a flight or having a client profile that\u2019s at the ready for our advisors or our client services team, we\u2019re seeing it as an enabler, versus a replacement for that interaction.<\/p>\n

Your mid-year report noted\u00a0that you doubled your Facebook following. Where does social fit in with an upscale brand?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Social is interesting for high-net-worth (clients). Their social circles tend to be tighter, they\u2019re more business partnerships, relationships, friends, family. As we think about the social platform it\u2019s about engaging the community that surrounds that from an influencer or support function, or crews. There\u2019s a whole community about aviation and loving aviation that we also speak to and nurture.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for XOJet? How is your new brand campaign different than the \u201cTake Command\u201d effort you launched in summer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the next chapter in \u201cTake Command.\u201d With this new campaign we\u2019ve created video ads that are really fresh, looking from the passenger\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n