From Chapter 11 to America’s most awarded airline

It’s hard to imagine that less than a decade ago Delta Air Lines was a company dealing with seemingly insurmountable economic challenges. In a turbulent post-9/11 economy, the airline was grappling with record-high fuel prices, a takeover attempt and nearly 18 months of bankruptcy. Delta management understood that incremental organizational improvements alone would not be enough to turn the business around. Instead, they opted for a partner in Lippincott who could guide them through the next chapter: moving and motivating 80,000 employees worldwide around a new shared vision and laying the foundation for a world-class airline.

Just as Delta was facing economic challenges so, too, were its customers. The market downturn had left passengers searching for value and affordability. Yet the passenger experience had gone largely unchanged and new experiences that were redefining other industries weren’t flowing through into air travel.

So, we helped establish a new standard for the travel experience. We emboldened the new Delta in its visual expression, with a powerful red symbol and supergraphic. This new identity was translated onto aircraft and in major terminals virtually overnight.

We then worked with leadership to craft an end-to-end customer experience vision. Our shared vision included curated terminal environments and a reimagined flight experience, complete with thoughtful amenities and emerging technologies such as in-flight Wi-Fi and the Fly Delta app. And to bring it all to life, we engaged employees throughout the organization, training them to deliver on the Delta brand through key service behaviors.

Additionally, part of our research aimed to help leadership prioritize investments in the customer journey. We learned that business travelers represent a large share of Delta’s revenue. Enhancing the brand experience for this segment became a priority. We streamlined the check-in process for business travelers and modernized the Delta Sky Club. We also looked at touchpoints that all passengers could enjoy, including turning the gate into a destination of its own, even occasionally surprising customers with a free snack cart for canceled flights, and, once on board, offering premium in-flight entertainment.

Many of these customer engagements may seem routine today, perhaps even standard. But less than a decade ago, their arrival forever changed the industry. Spurred by innovations like these, Delta would bounce back from bankruptcy to become an undisputed leader in both profitability and customer satisfaction among U.S. carriers.

Delta has since become a leading force within the global airline industry. Ranked third among its airline peers on the Fortune 500 list in 2007, Delta claimed the top spot in 2010. In 2015, Delta posted nearly $41 billion in revenues, up 6 percent from the previous year. Serving more than 180 million passengers each and every year, Delta continues to build off the brand vision we created together to meet the changing needs of its passengers.