Misplaced Poster Reminds You To "Generate Many Millions of Dollars" For JetBlue
Reader Adam noticed something strange about a poster at the JetBlue terminal at JFk...
My girlfriend and I had a layover at JFK last week. While I was waiting for her in the bathroom I started reading a poster that seemed to be prompting me to get a JetBlue American Express card.Well, that's hilarious.I say seemed because as it turned out this wasn't a poster prompting me to sign up for the credit card, but a poster prompting JetBlue employees to entice consumers to sign up for the card with a promotion offering a "complimentary" in-flight alcoholic beverage (the fact that this promotion expired in June 2006 isn't even the funniest part of this misplaced poster). What really caught my eye and woke me up out of my early morning layover haze with the final selling point - the why. Why should they encourage consumers to sign up for the card? To generate millions of extra dollars for JetBlue of course.
I for one wasn't sold to sign up with the thought of helping the airline make more money. How did this poster get placed there? And how long has it been there, since 2006?
This is a test using rich text formatting and html links. It's the generic "company" ad that should appear on all posts with the Company category if they don't have an ad attached to a specific company.
Post a comment
Comments:
lulz, I just called Byor Kim in Marketing and clowned him on his voicemail.
*Raises fist to sky* Damn you proof-readers, damn you!!
I'd bet money that this was a poster that was to be placed in an employee lounge or break area, not for the general public to see.
Wow Jet Blue bringing truth in advertising to a new level
it was most definetly a poster to be placed in an employee only area. note the bottom where it lists the V-file notice. This was supposed to be a rah rah poster to remind employeeds to remind customers to offer the card.
Ah, truth in advertising!
I'd expect to see in China, but not here
Carry the Luuhhhhrrrvv, people!
When I am on lunch break, I like to think about my job. I like to think about how I can make more money for the company I work for. When I go to sleep at night I like to dream about how I can make more money for my company too.
This poster does not belong in a public restroom, or a company break room. A break room is for taking a break.
dude's and dudette's we need to "carry the love" and all sign up!
I'm in if the bevererage is a yummy 2L bottle of Pepsi.
I think the new promo is a yummy 2 liter of Pepsi and a Heath Ledger movie of your choice.
NOTE: I don't see anything inherently nefarious in their claiming it makes money for the AirLine. It doesn't necessarily mean they are getting kickbacks or anything of that nature. They could simply be referring to additional sales of tickets they make on redeemed miles. Additional sales means additional revenue, means addtional money for the company. The money isn't even necessarily coming from the card holder, but from the card processing fees paid by retailers when the card is used. (OK, admittedly that money ultimately does come from the buying public, but not necessarily the cardholder specifically).
Why are people surprised about this? Did anyone really think the airlines were having people signup for these cards just for the fun of it?
Loyalty marketing and CC tie-ins are massive business for them.
that "Carry the love" slogan at the bottom kinda makes me stabby
I'm guessing the poster was placed by a JetBlue employee who was justifiably disgusted by the situation, and wanted everyone else to know how sleazy this airline is.
The poster itself doesn't strike me as particularly sleazy, nor do I think Consumerist is trying to claim that it is. The point of the story is that JetBlue made an amusing error by placing a meant-for-employees poster in a public area. It was a mistake, and a funny one. But this is a pretty standard poster for employee eyes.
And I thought all the money went to feed starving kittens and puppies.
This kinda makes me feel I'm wearing the glasses from They Live, except with the messages of "Obey" and "Marry and reproduce" being replaced by "Generate many millions of dollars."
Oh, they're getting kick-backs on this card, guaranteed. $40 annual fee + minimal payback in terms of miles. Doing the math, it's one of the worst return rates in terms of cash-back/rewards credit cards.
How about: "The JetBlue Card has the potential to lose many millions of dollars of revenue for JetBlue, as customers who are turned off by our practice of in-your-face solicition of a captive audience take their business elsewhere."
I have been trolling this site for a long time. Sometimes I am utterly baffled by what people think! I truly feel sorry for whatever company you guys work for if their bottom line is NOT your concern. Every company I ever worked for I went above and beyond to make them successful as it translated to better pay, benefits and raises for me. Not to mention the company stayed in business which means I could keep my job!
Obviously this is an employee only poster. Yes it is a Rah Rah type printing. What is wrong with a corporation encouraging it's employees to help generate revenue? Personally I have this card and I use it for any transactions requiring a credit card then I pay it off immediately. Not only do I get card protection I also earn miles for free tickets. Seems to be a win-win in my mind.
I feel it would be a short sited employee to not push these items especially when they don't actually cause the customer to incur any extra costs. Customer earns extra miles, Jet Blue makes revenue, employees get better pay or profit sharing. WHERE is the negative in this? Can someone please explain it as I apparently am blind?
To the people who are treating this like some sort of scandalous revelation, I'll let you in on an even bigger secret: All promotions are designed to make money. It doesn't matter if it's a co-branded credit card, a reward card, or a coupon in your Sunday paper. Even though they're generally saving you money, they're trying to get more money overall by getting you to buy things at their business that you either would've bought elsewhere or wouldn't have bought at all.
Seriously, this is how business works, and just because they're making money on a deal doesn't necessarily mean they're trying to screw you.
@Tracy Ham and Eggs: JetBlue is a business trying to make money and one time on a flight of theirs they ran out of the ham sandwich I wanted to buy so they're sleazy.
It is sleazy because they are trading a free drink for what they hope is a"millions of dollars' and pushing their employees to help them prey upon airline passengers to help them make those millions, yet they don'thave enough common sense to hide their predatory plan.
"Prey upon?". Umm...just say no. We are bombarded everyday with offers to sign up for this and sign up for that. It's become commonplace. I don't know of any business that doesn't try to intice it's customers to sign up for either more of their services or sign up for a co-branded service. Nothing "nefarious" here.
If you really feel "preyed upon", then perhaps you should stay home and protect your beautiful mind. ;)
@misstic: Marketing is almost all about trying to trick people into buying something they wouldn't have gotten in the first place. Just because it's commonplace doesn't mean it isn't contemptible.
And I think "preyed on" is a good phrase here: just like any good prey species, we as consumers have to be clever or strong or unappealing to ward off the marketing predators (and while they are unlikely to devour us, we've seen plenty of instances lately, with credit cards and mortgage loans and whatnot, where slick marketing has ruined the lives of those who couldn't fend off their charms.)
This reminds me of wehen McDonalds announced that they would be taking debit/credit cards. the day they went live, there were two sets of press junket stories. One that was consumer-facing explaining that it is easier to buy food now at Mcdonalds, etc. and One industry-facing that touted the research about consumer's elevated spening habits in the debit card enabled world.
Businesses are in business to make money, but it is an eye-opener to get a glimpse at their internal spin vs. their marketing spin.
As funny as it is that this was posted in the wrong place... seriously.... do you think they offer these cards because they want to give you a deal?
No, they have a captive audience and they are taking the opportunity to market to you.
I have no problem generating revenue for JetBlue.
I know they've been on an honesty kick since a couple of fiascos last year, but this might be taking it a little too far.
That said, the real advantage to the $40 i shell out for the JetBlue Card is that my TrueBlue points don't expire. The return rate, honestly, sucks if considered independent of this, but i like to squirrel away free tickets, what can i say?
You know, I realize that consumerist readers by definition are going to have an anti-corporation viewpoint. Surely, we are all against corporations boosting their profits at our expense... but ultimately, if there is a program which benefits (or aims to benefit) consumers and at the same time generates revenue, why is this a bad thing? Are you guys all waiting for free posicle day or less homework? It's not gonna happen unless it helps the bottom line.
While I find it amusing that they put this poster out for all to see, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the contents. Move along, people. Save the bitter rage for the next post where it will be truly justified.
@Cad06:
Damn the proofreaders? More like damn the morons who handed something to the proofreaders without telling them what it was for.
(done a fair bit of proofreading)
This is amusing but not so offensive. Lets not forget that creating a profit -- while not the only goal for corporations, is the primary goal.
Maybe they're just trying to reassure people that JetBlue will be financially stable and won't jack up prices or have crappy service because of financial constraints like United
I think this is actually refreshing and honest: a corporate Freudian slip. The fact they actually encourage their employees to generate extra revenue falls under the heading of "No shit."
@ErasmusDarwin: Your logic-filled removal of the blanket over my eyes hurts my soul.
Shame on you. Shame on you!
JetBlue = decent airline.
American Express = crappy company.
Net result = zero.
However, JetBlue posting this in a public area is just chock full of fail.
American Express=better than Chase.
No shit, really? jetBlue's in it to make money? I thought they were in it to support bunnies.
jetBlue already HAS jacked up its fares. They already lost my business to Virgin America when they wanted to charge $700 for a round trip ticket from New York to San Jose.
At least give them props for truth in advertising.
Oh shock, horror, a company admitted to running a marketing promotion designed to... oh, I don't know... it pains me to even type this... turn a profit for the company!
Oh, where are mah pearls. I need to clutch mah pearls! And someone fetch me a fainting couch, I feel lightheaded. My poor, delicate sensibilities!
Are they thinking out loud again?
I'm taking bets and giving 2:1 on this being a prank of some kind.