JetBlue Challenges Potential Agencies Via Twitter

In a move likely meant to both gain some PR and test agencies’ resourcefulness, JetBlue senior VP-marketing and commercial, Marty St. George, decided to test agencies vying for its marketing account with the tweet:

“We’re pitching our advertising AOR. Curious on digital savvy …first test is how many of the agencies will find me on Twitter.”

He also hashtagged it #sneaky.

After splitting with JWT last year, the marketer is searching for a new agency of record (AOR).  St. George (whom can be followed at @martysg, for the record), is an MIT grad that has been at JetBlue since 2006.  JetBlue’s marketing strategy has relied heavily on the web and social media in the past few years; using Twitter as a customer service tool (with over 1.6 million followers),  Flickr to humanize the brand, and YouTube to inform and engage with customers. The airline made Ad Age’s America’s Hottest Brands list in 2009, and is recognized as a progressive marketer.

Whether St. George’s Twitter challenge is a PR stunt or an effective means of testing its interested AOR contenders’ true digital savvy is arguable – it takes more than just a Twitter handle to define “digital savvy”.  But at the very least, it will provide a clue on how resourceful agencies are in turning every stone when it comes to understanding their clients’ digital personas.  And ensure that many of us do the same research on our own clients.

[via AdAge]