DALLAS: This week, American Airlines (AA) announced plans to launch BlackAtlas.com, a social network targeting African-American travelers, as part of a larger effort to increase brand loyalty within multicultural segments. The company hired Burrell Communications 18 months ago to help develop a strategy for the African American segment.
Stacey Frantz, strategy lead for African-American communications, explained that focus groups independent of customers and employees influenced the idea for a largely unbranded network.
"The AA research showed us that [heavy branding] would overshadow ...