Boeing: A Lesson in Benefits-Based Marketing

Hats off to Boeing for the successful launch of its 787 ‘Dreamliner’ this week. The company has done an excellent job in marketing it new product (and in developing the product) based on the needs of the marketplace. This sounds like a ‘no duh’, but consider what you heard about the new Airbus: it’s big. Boeing peppered the media with knowledge about it’s product: customers will feel more comfortable in a higher humidity cabin with larger windows and more headroom. Airlines will realize cost savings because the plane is more fuel efficient. Noise pollution will be reduced because the plane is quieter. Airbus: big, big, big.

The jury’s still out on the plane, since it hasn’t flown yet, but, for now, Boeing shows that concentrating on a lot of less glamorous benefits pays off even when the competition has a much…bigger…story.

NPR’s story on the launch shows how a benefits based PR approach can pay off in the news. (Link)

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