BrandStand » Confused Brands. Up in the Air.

September 9, 2009 | Jeff Cohn

Confused Brands. Up in the Air.

I recently had the opportunity to take a few days off, and chose to visit my favorite world capital, London. One reason I chose London was the availability of a business-class ticket using miles on Delta. Or was it Northwest? I’m really not sure.

To book my flight using American Express Membership Miles, I had a number of airline choices, including Delta and Northwest. So off I went to the Delta site to see what I could find. Nothing. Nada. Even on Northwest. After all, they are in the process of merging, right? That was followed by a visit to NWA.com, where, hurray, I had a long list of choices, including flights on…you guessed it, Delta.

They were Northwest flight numbers and were going through Northwest hubs, like Detroit, so I assumed I was going to be flying on Northwest. (You should know that I’ve used NWA for overseas travel before and really enjoyed the experience. Delta? Not so much.) I was pleased to see I’d be on my preferred carrier. They even told me to check in with Northwest.

Got to the airport in Denver and…no Northwest. Only Delta. Got on the plane, and everywhere I looked it said “Northwest.” Got to Detroit, formerly a NWA hub, and the signs all said “Delta.” Went to the Northwest WorldClub, and it’s now the Delta Sky Club. Flew on a plane that was supposed to be Northwest but, you guessed it, was Delta. Ok, that’s all about merger transition and signage. It must be a huge effort to manage this, and I give the folks at Delta credit for apparently managing this transition well.

My issue is about brand. That’s what I’m most interested in. I know Delta will be emerging as the dominant brand in the merger. Is that good or bad? Northwest had brand issues, but it also had some great brand promises that I enjoyed. Are they going completely away? What is the new brand promise of the combined carrier? Will the heritage of a great airline like Northwest be tossed away like rubbish, or will Delta keep the best elements of the NWA brand, only to enhance its own?

My solution to learn more? Talk to some of the in-flight staff on several flights who appeared to be Northwest folks. I spoke to about five different people, and asked if they were being indoctrinated in the Delta way. They all said yes, but were not convinced that was a positive. They felt that the service promise that Delta expected and was providing was less than what NWA expected. Several noted a significant reduction in service (e.g., decreased food service). Of course, their feelings and impressions could be rooted in their lack of knowledge about their own future careers, seniority, etc. I get that.

In the end, what I experienced about this merger was a solid shift in logos and signage, but a weakness in internal brand adoption. Perhaps Delta should focus a bit more on what their brand really stands for (they sure have a history of excellence from days of yore that could be resurrected) while they change the signs and livery. The point is, a brand is so much more than a sign or a logo. It’s the distinction that brand brings to the market and the relationship between the brand and its employees and customers. Ensuring a seamless internal brand shift is as important as a sign change—I would argue that perhaps it’s even more important.