Boeing Wants to Know Your Best Ideas

Boeing is getting the general public involved and enthused with their 7E7. It's a new marketing angle, departing from the company's usual focus on selling to airlines.

The traditional Boeing model was called, "push," in that the manufacturer built what the airlines indicated they wanted, and then offered it to the airlines. This tactic, called, "pull," is usually used for consumer products. This strategy encourages customer involvement. Examples include kids' breakfast cereals, or the fairly recent tactic of advertising prescription drugs directly to the general public, instead of the old ("push") strategy of demonstrating them to doctors.

Anyway, Boeing wants the public to be enthusiastic about their new plane, and one way to build customer awareness and enthusiasm is to get people involved at an early stage. To that end, you can "Name that Plane," on a dedicated website. Additionally, if you enter the sweeps, you can become part of Boeing's design team -- they'll send you updates, and ask you questions about what's going on with the newest big airliner in the world.

A couple notes: There are four names from which to choose; and "Sonic Cruiser" is not among them...

FMI: www.newairplane.com/USA/hi/index.htm