First Mental Image (FMI):

Five airline baggage handlers standing on a tarmac, proclaiming that Southwest Airlines loves bags.

The ad establishes a solid theme with its first mental image. A baggage handler is a credible spokesperson for baggage.

The Message:

Simple and straightforward. Unlike most airlines, your bags fly free on Southwest.

Southwest successfully leverages the law of contrasting by attacking the competition’s nickel-and-dime strategy of charging for baggage.

Recall from an earlier post, I explained that decisions are not made in isolation. Rather, we look for the differences between our available options. And as a marketer, it’s your job to frame the buying scenario for the consumer. Which means, you must define your company’s position relative to the competition.

Southwest does exactly that. The company makes a single, powerful point and hammers it home repeatedly. Watch the ad several times, and you’ll appreciate the frequency with which Southwest makes the same point without ever losing the viewer.

Last Mental Image (LMI):

A graphic demonstrating the financial savings airline travelers can expect from flying Southwest, followed by the gung-ho statement, “Grab your bag, it’s on.”

A perfect ending to a persuasive ad.

Conclusion:

Southwest’s ad is clear, direct and persuasive. The company doesn’t complicate its message by being cute or fancy.

Rather, Southwest kicks the competition right where it hurts. And for those doubting the effectiveness of Southwest’s strategy, check out Jackie Huba’s blog post which reports that the company experienced an 8.8% increase in passenger miles for September, 2009. Comparatively, passenger miles were down for nearly all major airlines.

Finally, the ad’s message and imagery are marvelously congruent. Happy employees. Upbeat music. Confident message. Nicely done, Southwest.

But Southwest Airlines bucks conventional wisdom by removing the rules and regulations that handcuff its employees.

Take a moment to watch the videos that accompany this blog post. You’ll witness a Southwest Airlines employee who has been given the freedom to create a fun, memorable and authentic experience for the company’s customers and its shareholders.

And no better words drive home the importance of authenticity than those crafted by Levine, Locke, Searls and Weinberger from their book, The Cluetrain Manifesto.

“Most corporations, on the other hand, only know how to talk in the soothing, humorless monotone of the mission statement, marketing brochure, and your-call-is-important-to-us busy signal. Same old tone, same old lies. No wonder networked markets have no respect for companies unable or unwilling to speak as they do.

But learning to speak in a human voice is not some trick, nor will corporations convince us they are human with lip service about “listening to customers.” They will only sound human when they empower real human beings to speak on their behalf.

While many such people already work for companies today, most companies ignore their ability to deliver genuine knowledge, opting instead to crank out sterile happy-talk that insults the intelligence of markets literally too smart to buy it.”

Empower your employees and encourage them to create a memorable experience. Your customers will love the breath of fresh air. And be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how you plan on being more authentic with your customers.

* Thanks to my friend and colleague Charlie Moger for sending me this video.