Dr. Rapaille and Song Airlines in The Persuaders

Dr. Rapaille has used his three-step process to address the marketing world for many years. The idea that humans experience products in steps can be applied to different industries and used to develop new packaging, motto's, and appearances.

Rapaille states that human’s experience:
1. Past Reason
2. Through Emotion
3. To the Primal Core

He is trying to link product purchases to the emotional underlying of a persons life. Stage 1 is used to get the consumer on topic mentally. He uses simple questions regarding their purchases and certain products to focus a person’s view. After a short break for his subject, Rapaille begins stage 2. In order to gain an understanding of the human subconscious, Dr. Rapaille uses stage 2 to confuse his subjects and take their minds off the topic at hand. He often asks them audience to tell him a story about the topic at hand as if he has no previous knowledge. Finally, stage 3 takes the consumer back to the first time they purchased a product and implores them to remember the environment they experienced. He uses these three steps to get in touch with human emotion behind purchases and to figure out the “code” that characterizes each industry. For example, he states that the code in the SUV industry is domination and that the mind set of Americans towards cheese is one of death. Cheese is not depicted as a live dairy product, but rather a dead artifact that rests safely in a bag inside the refrigerator.

Song Airlines constantly tries to create a unique atmosphere around its product and in turn instill brand loyalty. Through outlandish advertising, the company takes a different approach to filling airline seats, and generates a hip, trendy experience. When looking at characteristics such as cheap flights, we can see that Song Airlines is comparable to the modern day Ryanair Airlines.

However, I disagree with the approach the company has taken and the dollars spent in order to inspire the so-called “song” attitude. The company has gone to such measures to make this experience that commercial advertising has left out important features used to inform the alleged consumer of their product. Disregarding the idea that an inner mall shop for an airline is slightly absurd, a perfect example of the company’s uninformed consumer is the man who repeatedly questions whether Song is just a glorified travel agent.

Song Airlines have done some parts of their business model correctly, in my opinion. At the time of its inception, the American economy was still on the rise, giving way to vacations for families and young adult spontaneous holidays. The idea of chic, trendy flights for vacationers that are looking for luxury before they reach their destinations was on par with consumer views in that year. In addition, the brand loyalty they built seemed to have worked, at least on a small scale, due to the testimony of certain patrons during the video. Almost synonymous with the Macintosh attitude many have adopted, Song Airlines was able to get consumers to view them in a positive light and believe their product to be superior.

On the other hand, I believe Song Airlines have placed some of their ideals in the wrong industry. It is great that they are able to create pull amongst their consumers, but I don’t believe the airline industry to be one in which this is a great tactic. Vacationing families may be inclined to frequent Song’s services, but these families are not vacationing enough for the company to successfully count on routine holidays. One year a family may decide a ski trip is in order while the next year they may stay home to save money. Short run book keeping will put Song Airlines in a red light under a the failing brand that is Delta.