tively, we helped to build a brand that is visually interesting but far from over the top. Its not trying to be hip or trying to be edgy. Its clean; its current. The other airlines are constantly rebranding, and they look and feel like big corporations. JetBlue doesnt; instead, you feel like youre flying with your family when you fly JetBlue." Johnson recalls having some of his first meetings with the JetBlue team on its planes, which at times had just finished flying a leg and hadnt been cleaned yet. "When we got on the planes, you can imag- ine what everyone in the meeting did, including the president-they cleaned the plane, and we helped do it too because we were a team. From the beginning its been this roll up your sleeves, were gonna build this thing together type attitude," he explains. Neeleman and his team designed JetBlues brand promise and have stayed true to that through its growth. "The brand is all about having fun when you fly, which from a product standpoint includes new planes, low fares, and television at every seat," says Neeleman. "From a company standpoint, it means that employees are nice to customers, being both lighthearted and friendly but also responsible and professional." The functional attributes are carried out so effi- ciently that they become emotional brand elements as well. DirectTV at every seat is like Elton John pounding the keys from below his piano. "The JetBlue brand promise dictates how employees execute at the various stages of the customer experience, from the time cus- tomers checkin at the gate to the time they land and claim their lug- gage. And consistency in the experience is key, or else the brand suffers," explains Neeleman. "The brand is so much deeper than any ad could convey; its about how to treat customers and how to treat employees, understanding that how you treat one affects the other." If JetBlue employees are the purveyors of the brand, then Neele- man is the steward of it. "We believe that the brands personality and promise has to come from the top for it to become ingrained throughout the rest of the organization," says Johnson, "and at Jet- Blue, the CEO believes it; he walks the walk and talks the talk, and     his commitment to the brand filters down to all 4,000 employees and millions of customers."     Fly with Personality   The human characteristics of the JetBlue brand come from David Neeleman and his personality; hes likeable and charismatic, both of which are traits of the JetBlue brand. Although he didnt start that way, today he is the leader of the brand-JetBlues front man-which comes naturally to the customer-oriented CEO. He likes to engage the public and gather information that he can use to improve his company. He rides the planes once a week, talks to customers, and asks them questions. Approachable, friendly, concerned, and inter- ested in what people have to say-thats part of the personality he brings to the brand. JetBlues personality can also be described as cool, a travel alter-