Individual Case Report 2
Introduction
Canada's second-largest airline, WestJet Airlines Ltd., has used social media to strengthen
customer relationships, create its brand, and increase income. A flat 2016 budget, though,
puts the business in a difficult choice: should it use Pinterest or Snapchat as its next social
media tool? This paper offers practical suggestions in line with WestJet's goals and
limitations, assesses the appropriateness of Snapchat and Pinterest, investigates an evolving
platform, and reviews WestJet's social media development.
Background of the Company:
WestJet's social media approach developed naturally in 2008 when an employee set up an
unofficial Twitter account to advertise seat sales. During the 2009 Sabre reservation system
crisis, when social media acted as a real-time customer service lifeline amid major
operational disruptions, this grassroots campaign became vital (Ivey Publishing, 2016).
Realizing its possibilities, WestJet expanded to sites including Facebook, YouTube, and
Instagram and hired committed personnel to organize its social media activities. The
company actively ran seven platforms by 2015, organized around three strategic pillars:
customer service (addressing guest concerns), revenue support (direct sales via promotions),
and brand engagement (developing emotional ties through campaigns like the 2013
Christmas Miracle).
Yet, WestJet’s progress on social media was coincidental with increasing operational
pressures. The airline’s margin over cost differentiation advantage of Air Canada was cut in
half in 2015, from 30% to 10–15%; potential losses due to loss in demand from Canada’s
economy downturn, both of which worried about profitability (WestJet, 2014). Despite these
problems continuing to rear their heads, social media was still an economical means to set
themselves apart, leading to immediate sales (the $1 million in the 2012 Kargo Kids
campaign), and fostering customer loyalty. WestJet also had to make do with limited
resources in the face of 2016 budget freeze and had to choose new social media platforms
that could support growth at zero additional expense. This context explains why choosing
between Snapchat and Pinterest is so important because it shows how committed WestJet is
to uphold their “culture of care” while still encouraging innovation, on a budget.
Problem:
Last year’s flat budget on social media marketing has put WestJet in the position with a
strategic question to answer: WestJet must choose between Snapchat and Pinterest about
social media expansion when limited resources prevent the use of both outlets. This decision
is critical because:
1. Financial Constraints: A tight budget situation renders it impossible for WestJet to
distribute resources between the two platforms while retaining the existing levels of
social media operations (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
2. Economic Pressures: With its head in the noose of depressed oil prices and an
exhausted dollar in 2015, Canada succumbed to a run of economic woes that highlight
the need for efficient marketing procedures and quantifiable return on investment
(Ivey Publishing 2016).
3. Competitive Positioning: WestJet viewed the threat of social media as an
increasingly important low-cost brand differentiation and customer loyalty retention
strategy: 30% dropwise to a narrower 10–15% cost advantage by the year 2015
(WestJet, 2014).
4. Audience Targeting: Snapchat and Pinterest target distinct groups of users
(Snapchat:<< 70% female, 45% aged 18–24; Pinterest: 85% female, 26% aged 25–
34). It is very important to select the platform that caters to WestJet’s goals and
includes improving customer service, generating revenues, and strengthening brand
relevance (Smith, 2016).
5. Risk of Obsolescence: WestJet would be forced to choose between the early
embracing of new untested social media platforms or waiting until they become
mainstream as emerging tools like Instagram Stories (introduced in 2016) open room
for creative content (Matney, 2015).
Limited resources mean WestJet needs to focus efforts at one platform which offers the most
value off all the current social channels, rather than using all current social channels.
Analysis
1. Platform Demographics and Audience Alignment

Snapchat:
o
Demographics: 70% female, 45% aged 18–24 (Exhibit 11).
o
Audience Fit: Focuses on reaching out to millennials and Gen Z, groups that
WestJet currently isn’t paying attention to when its current social media
strategy involves the use of Twitter and YouTube (majority of the audience is
male); Facebook and Instagram attract older females, the main user base here.
The seniors’ females are already properly represented on Facebook and
Instagram.
o
Case Evidence: Virgin America decides to post authentic, behind the scenes
content through Snapchat, the same value-laden strategy by which WestJet
humanizes its brand under flag of “culture of care” (Drescher, 2015).

Pinterest:
o
Demographics: 85% female, 26% aged 25–34 (Exhibit 11).
o
Audience Fit: Overlaps with WestJet’s existing female-dominated platforms
(e.g., 71% of Facebook users are female).
o
Case Evidence: Southwest Airlines uses Pinterest for travel inspiration, but
WestJet’s “Christmas Miracle” campaigns rely on emotional storytelling,
which may not translate as effectively to static pins (Elran, 2015).
2. Content Strategy and Resource Efficiency

Snapchat:
o
Ephemeral Content: Supports real-time engagement (e.g., flight updates,
flash sales via Snap codes) and low-cost, spontaneous posts (e.g., employeegenerated stories).
o
Cost: Minimal investment required; leverages existing staff for quick video
production (Matney, 2015).

Pinterest:
o
Curated Content: Requires high-quality visuals (e.g., destination guides,
travel tips), demanding time and creativity to maintain boards.
o
Cost: Reuses existing assets (e.g., campaign photos), but ongoing curation
strains limited resources (Smith, 2016).
3. Brand Alignment and Competitive Differentiation

Snapchat:
o
Strengthens WestJet’s “fun and caring” identity through authentic, behind-thescenes storytelling (e.g., Wow Air’s employee-centric snaps).
o
First-Mover Advantage: Only four airlines used Snapchat in 2015, offering
differentiation (Drescher, 2015).

Pinterest:
o
Aligns with aspirational travel content but risks blending with competitors like
Southwest.
o
Proven ROI: Companies like Nordstrom generated $1.7M in sales from
Pinterest referrals (Smith, 2016), but airline success is less documented.
4. Emerging Platform: Instagram Stories (Griffith, 2015)

Overview: Launched in 2016, Instagram Stories combines Snapchat’s ephemeral
format with Instagram’s 500M+ user base.

Fit for WestJet:
o
Leverages existing Instagram presence (36% female, 64% male users) while
testing ephemeral content.
o
Reduces platform fragmentation by consolidating efforts.
5. Success Criteria

Short-Term:
o
Engagement: Snapchat’s 6B daily video views (2015) offer higher immediate
reach (Matney, 2015).
o
Cost Efficiency: Snapchat’s in-house content aligns with $0 budget
constraints.

Long-Term:
o
Brand Loyalty: Snapchat fosters real-time connections, critical during
economic uncertainty.
o
Revenue Growth: Direct sales via Snapchat promo codes (e.g., Kargo Kids
generated $1M in 2012) (Ivey Publishing, 2016).
6. Risk Assessment

Snapchat: Risk of low adoption mitigated by rising user growth (100M daily active
users in 2015).

Pinterest: Higher competition and uncertain ROI for airlines.
Conclusion of Analysis
Snapchat helps to support the image of WestJet, identify underutilised consumer groups and
carry out campaigns within spending limits. Pinterest’s approach is rather quite comparable
with other platforms, and differentiation of the website is not pronounced. Instagram Stories
is where the risk is mitigated, though that still requires constant attention.
Recommendations and Action Plan
1. Prioritize Snapchat for Immediate Launch (Drescher, 2015)

Why: In no way does Snapchat just complement WestJet’s authentic, fun, and guestfacing brand; it appeals to an under-served cohort of young adults (18–24 years), and
allows for real-time, cheap communication.

Action Steps:
o
Content Strategy:

Behind-the-Scenes Stories: Highlight West Jetter’s (e.g., flight
attendants, ground crew) to humanize the brand.

Flash Sales: Promote limited-time seat sales via Snap codes (e.g.,
“Scan our Snap code for 20% off flights to Vancouver!”).

Real-Time Updates: Share flight delays, weather alerts, or holiday
travel tips.
o
Resource Allocation: Assign one social media team member to manage
Snapchat, repurposing content from existing campaigns (e.g., holiday
promotions).
o
Timeline: Launch by Q1 2016.
o
Success Metrics:

Track promo code redemptions (e.g., $50K in direct sales within 3
months).

Measure engagement (e.g., 10K daily views, 500 shares/month).
2. Delay Pinterest Adoption (Elran, 2015)

Why: The audience on Pinterest resembles those found WestJet’s more traditional,
female-oriented sites such as Facebook, Instagram, but creating targeted content is not
an option for WestJet seeing that they are operating on a $0 constraint.

Action Steps:
o
Reallocate Visual Assets: Use Pinterest-friendly content (e.g., destination
guides) on Instagram and Facebook to test demand.
o
Revisit in 2017: Reassess if budget increases or if competitor activity on
Pinterest intensifies.
3. Pilot Instagram Stories as a Low-Risk Experiment (Griffith, 2015)

Why: Instagram Stories (launched in 2016) combines Snapchat’s ephemeral format
with Instagram’s 500M+ user base, reducing platform fragmentation.

Action Steps:
o
Repurpose Snapchat Content: Post Snapchat stories simultaneously to
Instagram Stories.
o
Test Engagement: Use polls or Q&A features to interact with followers (e.g.,
“Which destination should we feature next?”).
o
Timeline: Pilot in Q2 2016.
o
Success Metrics: Monitor views (target: 5K/story) and follower growth (5%
increase in 3 months).
4. Leverage Employee Advocacy for Organic Reach

Why: WestJet’s “culture of care” can be amplified through authentic, employeegenerated content.

Action Steps:
o
Employee Training: Host a 1-hour workshop on creating short videos/stories.
o
Incentivize Participation: Feature top employee content on WestJet’s official
accounts.
o
Timeline: Roll out in Q1 2016.
5. Metrics and Accountability

KPIs:
o
Customer Service: Reduce response time on social media by 15% (current
baseline: 30 minutes).
o
Revenue: Attribute $200K in annual sales to Snapchat promo codes.
o
Brand Engagement: Achieve 1M+ impressions on viral campaigns (e.g., a
2016 holiday initiative).

Reporting: Monthly reviews by the social media team to adjust tactics based on
performance.
Preferring to choose Snapchat, postponing Pinterest activities and wisely leap into Instagram
Stories has a potential to help WestJet increase its online footprint without any expenses.
Promoting participation of staff as well as close performance indicators is the way to
maintain success in social media.
Conclusion
WestJet in 2016 sought to balance creative growth a prudent budgeting in trying times of the
economy through its social media planning. Snapchat offers WestJet a way to reach younger
consumer groups in an authentic and timely manner and keep WestJet close to its core
“culture of care” values. WestJet delays Pinterest and wisely rolls out Instagram stories to
avert dups and platform proliferation. This tactic, supported by employee engagement and
continuous performance tracking, induces consistent growth in service distribution, financial
returns and customer loyalty, which improves WestJet’s position in the competitive Canadian
Airlines environment.
References
Drescher, C. (2015, November 7). Get an inside look at airlines on Snapchat. Condé Nast
Traveler. Retrieved from https://www.cntraveler.com
Elran, A. (2015, October 14). 6 businesses that are using Pinterest to their
advantage. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com
Griffith, E. (2015, September 17). Pinterest hits 100 million users. Fortune. Retrieved
from https://fortune.com
Ivey Publishing. (2016). WestJet: A new social media strategy. Richard Ivey School of
Business Foundation.
Matney, L. (2015, November 9). Snapchat reaches 6B daily video views. TechCrunch.
Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com
Smith, C. (2016, March 9). By the numbers: 270 amazing Pinterest statistics. DMR. Retrieved
from https://expandedramblings.com
WestJet. (2014). Annual report. Retrieved from https://www.westjet.com