INTERVIEW WITH ALICIA TILLMAN, CMO AT DELTA AIR LINES

Exclusive interview with Alicia Tillman on Delta Air Lines’ bold approach to brand activation and innovation.

As a CMO, how do you stay focused on building long-term brand equity while also responding to the immediate demands of the business?

Alicia Tillman: “This comes down to organizational design and focus. You need to have people aligned to delivering against our current year plan. Your strategy, research and analytics teams should not just be focused on supporting the current business priorities but also on the long-term plan, notably on changing marketplace dynamics and how to stay ahead of it. Your brand management team should also have a balanced mix of short- and long-term brand investment initiatives."

Have you seen major shifts in how you approach brand activations in recent years?

A.T.: "In terms of AI, we have been focused on using it to aid in measurement and how we approach the overall ROI of marketing. We have been working with Alembic, a brand powered by Nvidia, that provides real-time data around the impact of our brand investments. Our first test-case for this program was with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and through this, we were able to draw deeper correlations between our Team USA campaigns and cash sales – allowing us to take those insights into future campaigns."

Are there any surprising behaviors, feedback, or trends you’ve seen emerge from recent activations or sponsorships?

A.T.: "We are in our second year of partnership with the WNBA as the league’s Official Airline Partner. The continuous climb in interest and fandom with women’s sports is an exciting and inspiring trend. As a proud partner of the WNBA, the NWSL and Team USA – we support numerous female athletes. It’s exciting to see more brands take part in women’s sports and we are proud that Delta continues to make meaningful strides with these sponsorships and lead the way with our commitments."

What’s the most memorable campaign you’ve ever led?

A.T.: "As we kicked off Delta’s centennial year in January, we knew we wanted to celebrate in a unique and unexpected way and our keynote experience at The Sphere did just that. We showcased Delta’s history, especially our people. Our employees are always going to be core to who we are as a brand and we look to the future to celebrate how technology will continue to enrich the human experience. Bringing this to life in such an iconic venue such as The Sphere was the beginning of what has been an incredibly exciting, formative, and innovative year for Delta."

As CMO, what personal advice can you give brand marketers?

A.T.: "Focus on the strengths you already have, and less on what you lack. We are all given incredible gifts, but we often spend more time chasing what we don’t have. The more you recognize where you excel and focus there, the more you will bloom."