Topic: Southwest Airlines Inc.

How Sustainable Is Southwest's "Green Plane"?

Southwest Airlines announced recently that it is launching a prototype "green plane," a Boeing 737 tweaked to include environmentally responsible materials and cut down on fuel use. It's a nice idea, but is it an honest effort or ...READ»

Effective Internal Marketing Strategies for All Businesses

Southwest Airlines is not just an airline, it is “THE low-fare airline.” For Southwest, its motto gives internal direction and guidance. It serves as a practical tool for employees and executives to make decisions that are in-line with the brand. Rallying your team around a single mission builds a cohesive brand identity that will differentiate you from your peers. It’s not just reciting “we are the low-fare airline,” that will make you “THE low-fare airline,” however. It has to be the…READ»

Framing a Travel Strategy

Travel policies aren't designed just to keep costs down. You also need to consider your team's needs, the system's ease of use, and convenient locations and schedules.READ»

Thank you Herb!

Every business magazine and business student knows something about Southwest Airlines (SWA). My favorite business leader, Herb Kelleher, who was so significant in making SWA the admired company it is today has retired as Chairman ...READ»

Your Customers Increasing Choice and Decreasing Attention Span Spells DANGER

No matter how fantastic a sales person you are, no matter how much training you have had, no matter who you work for or what you are attempting to market or sell, there is one thing that cannot be changed:  Across all business ...READ»

“Even You Can Draw It So They Quickly Understand, Kare”

In art class we were asked to draw a familiar object.  I picked something simple.  A tire.  No one could recognize it. And yet, after reading The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures I was able to ...READ»

How to Play Hardball

Stalk's decades of consulting experience have brought him to several strategies companies need to follow if they want to be hardball players.READ»

Is Your Company Up To Speed?

Does your strategy buck the conventional wisdom? Are you as committed to creating new leaders as you are to launching new products? Is your organization built for speed? Here are 10 make-or-break questions to evaluate your company's performance -- and 25 fast companies that pass the test.READ»

Recruiting 2.0 Tidbits

I write a lot about social media as it pertains to recruiting. Here are some interesting posts you might be interested in reading. Facebook removes network pages, bad news for recruiters How to get your own web 2.0 ...READ»

Are You (Adver)Game? II

FC Now reader Rob comments Most surprising was [Mindcomet CEO Ted Murphy's] response on hiring. MindComet is much more concerned with hiring a certain type of person, rather than a person with a certain type of experience. Paul said ...READ»

Five Companies that Fix their Story to Inspire Service

Branding as a strategy means little if the customer experience is not there. If your story doesn’t align with what you do, all of the clever tactics you can come up with to follow your lofty goal will not make the cut.Unless you can ...READ»

How to Make Love in the Office

Forget about loving your work. Try loving your coworker!READ»

Why Can't We Get Anything Done?

Stanford B-school professor Jeffrey Pfeffer has a question: If we're so smart, why can't we get anything done? Here are 16 rules to help you make things happen in your organization.READ»

Blogs Are Not Just Web Logs

A blog is the most important thing that you can create for yourself and for your company.  It provides an environment that promotes two-way communication with your customers, your prospects, and establishes you as a ...READ»

Meet: World Low-Cost Airlines Congress

Expect turbulence at this London conference (September 23 -- 24). We asked four airline execs for a flying tour of the summit.READ»

• Now September 2008
• Listen: Songs of Autumn
• Numerology: The Car Century

Airline Execs Talk Low-Cost Airlines Congress

Expect turbulence at this London conference (September 23 -- 24). We asked four airline execs for a flying tour of the summit.READ»

• Now September 2008
• Listen: Songs of Autumn
• Numerology: The Car Century

Building Trust with Transparency

Fast Interview: The co-author of "Tactical Transparency" on how companies can use authenticity and social media tools to reinforce their brands and create relationships with customers.READ»

• Tactical Transparency and Organized Authenticity

Build Your Innovation Tool Kit

On my flight back from Rochester the other night after delivering a workshop to a group of CEOs, I was reading a fascinating article titled "Culture in Action" by Ann Swidler. In it I read the following ...READ»

Michael Porter's Big Ideas

The world's most famous business-school professor is fed up with CEOs who claim that the world changes too fast for their companies to have a long-term strategy. If you want to make a difference as a leader, you've got to make time for strategy.READ»

The Year of the Cockroach

According to the Chinese calendar, 2002 was the Year of the Horse. From the perspective of American business, it was more like the Year of the Cockroach. Faced with the aftermath of a terrorist attack, a declining stock market, ...READ»

An Out Of The Sandbox Advertising Idea

It’s October! And, that means that those of us in the Midwest, are preparing for hibernation. It’s truly a bittersweet time of year. Yeah, the fall colors are nice. Yeah, we’ve got Brett Favre in Minnesota and we’re all ...READ»

Once upon a Brand: Part Two

The goal of a brand is to connect to the market with emotion and relevance. Make it an engaging, enjoyable experience; have a premise, point, obstacle/solution; and be memorable. Applying storytelling principles to a brand strategy ...READ»

How to Lead Now

Getting Extraordinary Performance When You Can't Pay for It.READ»

Technology: The Sun Rises in the Southwest

The air travel landscape is changing forever from what we've come to expect: cheap flights, frequent flights, and all-inclusive fares. The slow economy, the weak dollar, and high-priced fuel are all contributing to the big move ...READ»

Innovation Now!

Conventional wisdom says to get back to basics.

Conventional wisdom says to cut costs.

Conventional wisdom is doomed.

The winners are the innovators who are making bold thinking an everyday part of doing business.READ»