Marketers Grapple With Brand-Bashing ''Badvocates''

GM, American Airlines and others try to win over critics on the Web.

Forbes, October 23, 2009 — During General Motors' financial meltdown this year, politicians, corporate executives and journalists piled on to gripe about the auto-maker's business. Most of the chatter was expected, admits Christopher Preuss, GM's vice president of communications. What surprised company execs was the number of bloggers and social media hounds who chimed in to grouse about the car-maker and its vehicles.

NBC Universal Replaces CBS on American Airlines†

In-Air Programming to Come From Company's Broadcast, Cable Networks

Advertising Age, February 6, 2009 — NBC may still be no match for CBS in prime-time ratings, but the Peacock network just scored a major coup against its competitor by replacing the Eye network as the exclusive broadcast partner for American Airlines, the country's second-largest airline.

Innovation In a Recession: Necessary and All the More Possible

By Jennifer Dominiquini

Prophet, January 1, 2009 — While it is tempting to cut resources, slow down product launches, and refocus only on the core, companies that continue their commitment to innovation are more likely to reap great rewards.

Navigating Recession With CRM, Direct, Online†

Q&A: American Airlines' Roger Frizzell on Staying Steady in a Tough Economy

Advertising Age, December 1, 2008 — Roger Frizzell knows why you fly. He also knows you're frustrated by it. Not long after joining American Airlines as VP-corporate communications and advertising in late 2003 — a period of time he describes as the beginning of American's "turnaround plan" from its near bankruptcy earlier that year — he and his team came up with the "We know why you fly" campaign. In an interview with Advertising Age, Mr. Frizzell describes his outlook for the airline with a phrase every marketing executive seems to be using with great frequency: cautiously optimistic.

Fliers go for cheap fares, with a la carte fees for bags, food

USA Today, November 12, 2008 — More than half of US air travelers now prefer buying the cheapest available ticket, then paying fees for "extras" such as food and drink, preferred seating and checking bags.

American Airlines Flies With Facebook Widget

MediaPost Publications, March 26, 2008 — HOPING TO COZY UP TO consumers, American Airlines has launched a new marketing tool disguised as a Facebook widget. The Dallas-based carrier is looking to learn more about consumer preferences and buying habits.

The widget, dubbed Travel Bag, offers features that let Facebook friends share personal tips and experiences through tools like Favorites, Travelogue, and Trip-O-Vent. American Airlines hopes that by learning more about consumers, it will be able to provide relevant information about services and destinations, rather than deliver a bunch of postal junk mail or email spam.

Maybe a Lavender Web Site Wasn’t How to Attract Women

New York Times, April 17, 2007 — JULIE PFEFFER, who has traveled on business to more than 55 countries, was among many female business travelers not impressed with the announcement by American Airlines last week that it had started a Web site just for its female travelers, www.AA.com/women. “There are so many things that are infuriating about this lip-service nonsense that I can’t begin to list them all,” said Ms. Pfeffer, an executive with the emerging markets division of Artisan Partners, an investment management company.

Advertisers Find A Captive Audience: Travelers on Planes†

Wall Street Journal, December 20, 2005 — Talk about an ideal audience for an advertiser: The target customers are strapped in — literally. They're paying attention. They're actually grateful for your presence. And they're a good demographic.