Episode #814
Ugly Is the New Sexy: What You Can Learn From Southwest Airlines
October 23, 2018

In episode #814, Eric and Neil discuss what you could learn from Southwest Airlines. Tune in to hear which tactics you should rip from this company.

Eric and Neil have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

  • [00:27] Today’s Topic: Ugly Is the New Sexy: What You Can Learn From Southwest Airlines
  • [00:50] Titles are key, which is why they titled this episode as such.
  • [01:04] Neil tries to avoid Southwest, because he finds they are always delayed.
  • [01:40] Eric’s last Southwest flight was delayed and problematic.
  • [02:10] When Southwest first launched, they focused on serving three cities in Texas.
  • [02:27] It took Southwest three years to get rolling and gain more customers. The first flights were sparsely populated.
  • [02:44] The lesson here is to niche down at first.
  • [02:54] Southwest has a hub and spoke model of business.
  • [03:20] The airline does a lot of layovers, which allows them to ensure fuller flights and better prices.
  • [04:15] You can either be efficient or offer exceptional service, but you can’t have both.
  • [05:05] Southwest is not the best priced airline, but they have a “cool atmosphere” and free alcoholic beverages.
  • [05:45] Optimize for efficiency, but allow for mistakes/refunds.
  • [06:15] Think of your business as a funnel and check for leaks.
  • [06:42] That’s it for today!
  • [06:48] Go here to see how many downloads the show is getting. Also rate and review to help Eric and Neil meet their goal of 1 Million downloads per month. Hopefully, we’ll see you at the live event in L.A.!

Leave some feedback:

  • What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below.
  • Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.

Connect with us:

 

Discover Latest Episodes

Episode
The $100M Marketing Strategy In An AI World
June 27, 2025

In this special throwback episode, Eric Siu joins the Digital Social Hour Podcast by Sean Kelly to reveal his game-changing strategies. From acquiring companies around the world to building AI tools t...

Episode
Should You Build or Should You Buy?, Why In-Person Yields Incredible Results (And How To Do It), Why You Must Be Having An Epiphany Each Week Right Now
June 26, 2025

In this episode #2995, Eric Siu and Neil Patel discuss the strategic choice between building or buying businesses, the value of in-person connections, and the evolving importance of community and auth...

Episode
Real World AI Use Cases We’re Using
June 25, 2025

In this episode #2994, Eric Siu and Neil Patel discuss the wide-ranging impact of AI, from its effects on brain connectivity to personal strategies for using it in daily life. They explore AI’s role...