American Airlines announced a new Web site last week with a goal of appealing to female travelers. Instead www.aa.com/women has rankled many a savvy business woman and skeptical blogger alike. American Airlines seems to have stumbled right out of the gate with the choice of lavender–as opposed to their traditional blue–for the site’s color-scheme. The color has since been changed–tag lines such as “Separate but lavender” were arguably not the sort of attention the airline was hoping would spread across the Internet in the wake of their announcement. But their attempt at niche marketing on the Web has so far produced more ire than excitement in the very niche the company is targeting.
In the NY Times article: “Maybe a Lavender Web Site Wasn’t How to Attract Women” one of the female executives quoted asks, “Why does AA feel that female travelers need things explained to them that male travelers don’t? Are we that dumb? That inexperienced in the ways of air travel?” Other remarks in the article and in the blogosphere at large were equally scathing. While some neutral reactions have surfaced, no one appears particularly taken with the new site.
As one blogger on www.blogher.org points out, the airline wants to hear feedback–but the changes she and other female travelers really want require more money than a change in the site’s color scheme or a list of “insider tips” on air travel. An American Airlines representative is quoted on www.blogher.com saying, “We had to start somewhere. There’s more to come.” Until then, I think I will stick to visiting their regular site.
