WestJet, the Canadian airline you probably never heard about until their Christmas Miracle video went viral has done it again. The airline’s content marketing strategy continues to focus on great stories and is akin to the GoPro youtube videos including Lion hugs and helping a paraplegic surf.
Now, I’ll admit a few biases in this one. First, I was born in Canada, so I have a soft spot for Canadian brands doing rockstar things. Second, during my bout with childhood cancer, I spent time at a Ronald McDonald House and my dad wasn’t able to stay with mom and I so this one is an emotional one for me. But here’s why this is so powerful.
Content marketing strategy: Stories with purpose
I’ve long been an advocate of content marketing that creates stories with purpose. This Father’s day video nails it. If you aren’t teared up by now or haven’t at least gone, wow, that brand got it, I’d be surprised. WestJet could have just flown the father to his family for free. But they took it a step further and embodied the concept of walk a mile in another mans shoes so now we’re getting two stories, that of the Marc Grimard, the transportation worker in Saskatoon as well as Medel Villena, a Customer Service Associate (although i think Advocate is the more appropriate word considering the level of high touch WestJet ‘s Villena provided.
Timing is everything
This video came out ahead of fathers day so obviously campaign timing was poignant. However, the timelessness of the video will make the story live on well past the shelf life of Hallmark cards for dad.
How about you? What content marketing have you seen telling stories with purpose? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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