One of my major class projects in an MBA class was comparing American Airlines with Southwest. While both were in the same industry, there were so many contrasts, especially in Southwest’s “quirkiness”. If I had that same assignment today, I would be stumped.
I flew Southwest last week and was saddened to see that they have become generic. It’s now reserved seating. It costs to check bags. The flight attendant uniforms could be from any airline. There were no jokes or lighthearted announcements. Not all the fares are refundable. Everything was like everyone else.
Contrast that with Las Vegas, which was one of the most authentic and branded places that I have been. There was nothing generic about the Strip — it had all the size, scale, uniqueness, and bluster of any city I’ve seen. Someone described it as “5 miles of Times Square.” Only there could someone spend literal billions to build a giant guitar-shaped hotel and have it fit right in. Vegas promotes itself as “access to excess” and wears the brand proudly.
Think about your organization and its brand. Have you capitulated to pressures and blended in, or have you embraced your own distinctiveness even though it may not appeal to everyone? You can’t have it both ways.
