Strengths
Branding – Social Focus
While BlackJet has made a not toward the social benefits of semi-private jet travel, SocialAir will be the only one clearly focusing on that as a primary benefit, rather than a trade-off. SocialJet will clearly stand out from the crowd among ‘all the usual suspects’. Even Blackjet blends in with the typical jet charter companies because it presents an image that connotes exclusivity.
SEE – Rapid Expansion Plan
The issue that brought all the previous attempt down was the failure to achieve adequate trip volume to support a customer-satisfying frequency of trips. All companies seem to have believed that a steady-as-she-goes gradual membership growth plan was the right strategy. But they were mistaken. They ended up lingering at trip levels where Members could see the difficulty in booking trips when and where they wanted them. In time members grow disillusioned and drop out.
We, on the other hand, recognize that a certain volume level is essential and that the company must find a way to mount to those volume levels before Members have a chance to grow disillusioned. Futhermore, in the Staged Exponential Expansion (SEE) launch formula we have a mechanism designed to achieve exactly this type of growth.
PPC Expertise
A key factor in the marketing strategy will be pay per click (PPC) advertising on Google. An analysis of competition for the key phrase ‘private jet charter’ indicates that over 50 competitors are spending a combined $2 million/month on pay per click advertising, and have been for several years. That clearly indicates this is a lucrative area of promotion for this industry. As a professional search engine marketer making use of the totally unique brand image, I will be able to generate large numbers of prospects through PPC advertising. Black Jet has not yet even begun to advertise in PPC.
Web Development Expertise
Others who have entered this business have for the most part been from the aviation industry. However, as noted elsewhere, this is as much Membership community business as it is a travel business. The web applications, including the booking algorithms at their hearts, are a Critical Success Factor in this business. My extensive web and product development skills give us a major advantage in terms of developing one of the primary modes of engagement with our Members. I have already developed specs for several useful and engaging features, and have the expertise to develop them given enough man hours. And I have the resources standing by with those skilled man hours.
Back-story for PR purposes
At the appropriate time, the back-story for Social Air is going to be really interesting. Dane goes from being on the ropes financially to contenting for control of the semi-private jet sector within a period of months by leapfrogging over Jumpjet and Black Jet. Hometown Boy Makes Good. It’s a classic rags-to-riches story. Also, because everything about Social Air is revolutionary, there are news angles in virtually every area (social booking technology, SEE launch formula, lifestyle company, crowdsourcing, etc.) The involvement with Jumpjet is a rich vein of material for stories, especially if Jumpjet files some kind of law suit. Likewise, I intend to develop a history with Black Jet that will make excellent fodder for stories. We can reveal a new bit of insider information with each product launch to increase the overall buzz.
Surprise
When SocialAir announces it’s existence, Jumpjet, Black Jet and the entire jet charter industry won’t even see it coming. The industry will be reeling from the idea that this outsider web developer just cracked Jumpjets and Black Jets heads together and stepped into the prime position to develop this nascent ‘semi-private jet charter’ sector. The entire industry will because aware of SocialAir on Friday, August 30 when SocialAir announces the launch of Stage 2 – The Charter Stage in which the next group of 100 Member/investors join the community. This will be the equivalent of raising $1 million in funding and will put membership levels in the same range as Black Jet and Jumpjet. So that, combined with all the back-story material covered above, will make for plenty of press. Suddenly Black Jet and Jumpjet will be looking foolish and will indeed be totally unprepared to deal with the situation. Within just a few months, Social Air will launch Stage 3 – The Lift Stage, expand to 1000 excited, committed Members, and secure it’s place as the clear leader in the ‘semi-private’ or ‘social’ jet charter sector.
Weaknesses
Industry Inexperience
I have absolutely no experience in the aviation industry. That may be a problem at some point, but from my limited understanding it seems like the aviation end of the business is pretty manageable if I can find the right people to partner with. Currently I have tentatively identified Bill Wasserman, the Flight Planner for Jumpjet, as someone who is knowledgeable and who may be open to this opportunity. I am also perusing LinkedIn looking for potential partners in the industry.
Lack of Capital
I have absolutely no capital to invest, and in fact need to work more than full-time just to meet my financial obligations. Furthermore, I have never been very successful at raising capital. This has always been my greatest weakness, and indeed has been the key failure point in most of my ventures to date. To make this happen I will need to identify those people who have the capital and the will to invest.
Lack of Credibility
As noted above, I’m financially destitute, bankrupt, and living hand to mouth. I have particularly noteworthy accomplishments to my record. There is no reason to suspect that I would be capable of pulling off a venture like this. Of course, this weakness is also factored in to the strength of ‘surprise’ noted above.
Opportunities
Set up Head-to-Head competition in PPC/Press
If I can get both Jumpjet and Black Jet, (a very real possibility), I could start a campaign for Jumpjet setting them up as competitors to Black jet in the ‘semi-private jet charter’ space. Then I could respond as Black Jet. I could orchestrate this whole battle for the ‘semi-private jet travel’ market–enough to get articles written about it–all on those companies’ PPC budgets. Thus, I can soften the market up for Social Air when it appears as the clear leader in the ‘semi-private jet charter’ sector.
PPC Management
Pay per click advertising is a tremendous opportunity for Social Air. Because the brand is so radically different from every other company in the field, it can stand out clearly will remaining toward the bottom of search results. We can use sophisticated re-targeting techniques to laser focus on different types of visitors. PPC is simply a system to generate leads that can potentially be converted into leads. By leveraging our unique identity to get the lowest possible cost per click, creating compelling lead capture incentives to maximize conversion rate, and developing sophisticated re-targeting campaigns, we will generate enough leads to pre-sell out launch events.
Market Research Tactic
One clever way we can collect leads is the market research ploy, which really isn’t just a ploy. We will conduct market research for a ‘stealth mode’ company in the ‘semi-private jet charter’ space, conducting a market research. People who participate get to see the results. The questions are about which jet charter company they are leaning towards and which pricing model works for them. Once they answer the questions, they get to see the results for how all others answered. Then we proceed to ask them two more sets of questions, designed to lure them further into the concept under the pretense of answering market research questions. After they have answered six questions plus completed the contact form, we have a very clear picture of the each of these prospects. This market research ploy can be extended indefinitely or modified to become an industry analysis.
Crowdsourcing Launch Formula
The SEE launch formula is a crowdsourcing variant, and we can exploit the interest in that model to propel sales. This works from the perspective of adding crowdsourcing to the mix of press angles (see Back-story strength above). It also works in terms of pushing the SocialAir story out through the crowdsourcing community rather than just through the private jet charter community.
Threats
Huckster Image
Will Ashcroft of Jumpjet was called a P.T. Barnum character by The Business Journal. If things don’t go according to plans on the all-important charter Stage, I could be branded an interloper and a clown who is peddling smoke and mirrors.
Air Charter companies start ‘Going Social’
If the ‘semi-private’ and/or ‘social’ aspect of jet travel starts to catch on and a definite market segment materializes, other existing big players in the charter businesses like NetJets may decide to ‘go social’, developing their own version of the ‘semi-private’ model. At that point SocialAir could get lost in a crowd and be squeezed out by companies with bigger budgets and better name recognition.
Apathy
The Social Air business model depends on getting Members engaged and identifying with the Social Air club/community and for them to spread the word to their networks. If people simply wait around for Social Air to spend enough money on advertising until we build up the Membership basis, it may never happen.