Millennials are getting their own airline. But do they want one?
Air France has announced it will launch a new sister airline called Joon. But Joon is no ordinary carrier. The company states that the new brand will be aimed at (yes, you guessed it) Millennials, those 18-to-35-year-olds “whose lifestyles revolve around digital technology”. Later, after the brouhaha and wonderment, the spokesperson for Air France clarified that older people are also welcome aboard.
(Before we go any further, a little warning: I am about to use the “M word” a lot. Bear with me.)
What does “an airline for Millennials” really mean? Well, there’s very little information on that yet. According to the press release, the brand “has been entirely designed to meet the requirements and aspirations” of Millennials. We are assured Joon will not be a low-cost airline. Instead, “it’s a lifestyle brand and a state of mind.” So far, we’ve seen the visual identity of the brand and some sketches of cabin crew uniforms. More details will be revealed in September.
It’s no surprise that Air France has turned its gaze to this particular target group. For example, Millennials are the largest living age group in the US with 92 million people (now far more than the baby boomers with a paltry 77 million). As they enter their prime working years, their purchasing power is rapidly growing — even though they are predicted to be the first generation to be worse off than their parents.
According to the first reactions to Joon, people are dubious but interested. Joon has certainly drawn attention. But the newcomer has quite hefty challenges to overcome if it wants to gain a foothold amongst established carriers.
Here are two matters you (and Joon) should take into account when you are branding your service and trying to reach the Millennial generation.
1. Find the brand story
The last thing Millennials want is a brand targeted at Millennials. A brand that is too eagerly and obviously trying to reach young people feels obviously out of place. It reminds us of the guy from that “How do you do, fellow kids?” meme (originally from 30 Rock). Trying so hard to fit in comes over as pathetic.
Millennials seek authenticity: genuine brands that tell their own stories. Fakes are spotted from miles away, especially in the sky. Conjuring up an airline just to court a new target audience is not a true story.
The best brands might even play a little hard-to-get. We love Berlin because of its edges and find Italian culture delightful, despite the stubbornness of the Italians. The charm of a regular bar stems from an eclectic clientele and a bartender who is simultaneously rude and welcoming. Millennials don’t want their brands pre-digested. You must leave room for exploring and discovering. The best stories are written — over the counter — together with customers.
2. Use service design to stand out from the crowd
The sleek look and trendy cabin crew couture is a nice finishing touch but, the core of a brand is built up from all kinds of more mundane everyday encounters with the company. A modern, Millennial-friendly airline brand must rethink the standard customer service journeys of the consumer aviation business. Air travel is full of endless queuing and exhausting waiting that we all hate. This offers a huge opportunity for Joon to seize. The airline that can make the journey from your doorstep to your Airbnb flat smoother and more convenient will find its place in customers’ hearts — and wallets.
Considering the audience Joon is trying to address, this becomes even more important. Millennials are “Uber’s children” (a term coined by the UK agency, eatbigfish). They are expecting things that no one has previously expected. “If it works this way here, why not everywhere?”
When businesses like Uber make magic happen at the touch of a button, we look for the same sensation from other industries.
We’ve seen some improvements in the customer experience in air travel in recent years but there is still a lack of disruptive ideas.
For example, KLM has invested in a ubiquitous social media presence. Customer service works smoothly within a couple of tweets and your boarding pass comes right to your Facebook Messenger inbox. At the same time, the line between low-cost airlines and traditional high-end carriers has become thinner and thinner. Budget-friendly Norwegian has started offering free in-flight Wi-Fi while many older airlines provide it only as a paid service. Let’s face it, they should forget the complimentary cookie and give the passengers what they really want.
Joon will start operating medium-haul flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle this autumn, followed by long-haul flights in summer 2018. Despite my perhaps even pessimistic tone, I hope that the new carrier will be a success. The airline business desperately needs shaking up. But in order to do that, Joon must answer these two questions:
1. What is the story behind our brand?
2. Which standard airline services we are going to rethink completely?
If they manage to find new solutions to these two questions, Joon could soar to a flourishing future.
Let’s continue the discussion: contact us or share your thoughts via Twitter @mattilehto.
