ATLANTA, Aug. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting with the
fall 2015 semester, Delta Air Lines will launch alliances with nine
universities across the country that go beyond traditional stadium
signage to embed the airline and its employees in campus and
alumni events, academics and career recruiting and counseling, all
in an effort to become a lifelong travel partner to future
customers.
By employing a team of college seniors, Delta has gained direct
insight into the needs of its next generation of customers.
Students' feedback following an eight-week intensive internship at
the airline's Atlanta headquarters
formed the foundation for Delta's groundbreaking approach to
university partnerships.
"College students are a savvy group of consumers," said
Jeff Robertson, Delta Vice President – Product Development,
Sky Clubs and Marketing
Communications. "By creating campus and alumni events that
incorporate our people, our unmatched focus on customer service,
leadership and more, we will give students and alums the
opportunity to really get to know our airline. Ultimately, we
believe this will position Delta as their trusted partner over a
lifetime of travel."
Delta's new university partners include: Duke University, The University of Florida, Indiana
University, University of
Michigan, Michigan State
University, University of Notre
Dame, The Ohio State University,
Penn State University and University of Wisconsin. The airline also has
existing partnerships with Boston
College, Georgia Institute of
Technology, University of
Georgia, University of
Minnesota, University of North
Carolina, and Syracuse
University.
"When we met with the Delta team to explore ideas for a
partnership, it quickly became clear they were thinking
differently," said Scott Correira, President of Notre Dame
Sports Properties. "Delta is moving past the traditional events and
logo placements and working with us to create valuable and
impactful programs – to engage with students, alumni,
fans and staff at a higher level than traditional
partnership programs."
The airline will engage students through unique, hands-on campus
events. These include:
- Delta employees providing hands-on help as 10,000 new freshmen
arrive for Michigan State Sparty Move-In Day Aug. 30. Delta employees will offer luggage
carts, refreshments, and complimentary care packages to help
students settle into their new digs.
- Lighting up the Delta Celebration Grill, built by the Delta
TechOps team to look like an aircraft, at select football season
tailgate parties for SkyMiles members and those who sign up onsite.
Tailgates will feature College Football Legend appearances, a
social photo capture and sharing hub, lounge space with feeds of
college football games and more.
- Delta being front and center for Midnight Madness and the
start of the 2015-16 college basketball season at universities such
as Michigan State and Duke.
- Partnering with local alumni association chapters to
participate in football watch parties with food and beverage
specials and premium branded items for SkyMiles members.
Participants will have the opportunity to win trips to a home
football game during the 2016 season.
The campus events reflect feedback the airline gained from
interns this summer.
"During this internship, it was clear that our campus insight
was highly valued and it felt like we really contributed to Delta's
college engagement plans," said Catherine
Doyle, senior at University of
Michigan. "I can't wait to see all of our hard work come to
life on campus this fall."
Ohio State student Maddie Collins said: "The ability to see Delta
Air Lines from an intern's perspective has been a priceless
opportunity. I am eager to witness this unique relationship unfold
and strengthen on campus. So much thought went into the upcoming
events, and it is refreshing to rely on such an excellent airline
when travel is necessary. Also, the plane grill will be all the
rage. I am excited."
In addition to on-campus events and activities, Delta will
support select students for study abroad or alternative spring
break travel, allowing students to participate in volunteer
activities worldwide. Details of this program are to be announced.
Delta also will be on campuses showcasing the benefits of a career
with the airline while also providing valuable career path lessons
to students.
While Delta's unique approach to this university audience has
been informed by the students themselves, media partner, LinkedIn,
provided insight on connections between the airline's existing
corporate customers and the colleges and universities from which
they graduated. That information helped the airline prioritize
which universities to approach.
In addition to programs launching this fall, Delta is exploring
ways to continue to reach beyond athletics with opportunities to
complement academics with events such as C-level executive summits
at select schools and more robust on-campus recruiting
programs.
Delta Air Lines serves more than 170 million customers each
year. Delta was named to FORTUNE magazine's top 50 World's Most
Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired
airline for the fourth time in five years. Additionally, Delta has
ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for
four consecutive years, a first for any airline. With an
industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection
carriers offer service to 332 destinations in 63 countries on six
continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees
worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft.
The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and
participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture
with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with
Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta
offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and
markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia,
Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita.
Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities,
global products and services, and technology to enhance the
customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional
information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as
delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta,
Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.
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SOURCE Delta Air Lines