How Delta’s Alicia Tillman is exploring experiential terrain for the brand

The past 12 months have been a year of firsts for Alicia Tillman. She joined Delta Air Lines as chief marketing officer last June. She orchestrated first-time Delta activations at South by Southwest, Art Basel and Coachella. And she created a Delta pop-up shop for cardholders and loyalty members at JFK Airport. The innovations are all part of Tillman’s roadmap to make consumers see Delta as more than just an airline. “We’ve seen Delta as a connector of people and ideas and we see the airplane as symbolic of that,” said Tillman, who worked at American Express, Capitolis and SAP before Delta. “But we also see opportunities on the ground as well to provide similar experiences to enable people to come together to share ideas and build relationships.” The strategy already appears to be proving out. Last month, Delta reported a 6% rise in first-quarter operating revenue to $12.56 billion. Next up, Tillman plans to continue to show up in unexpected places, particularly for female and Gen Z consumers, two groups Delta is focusing on through collaborations with The Female Quotient and Harvard. “It’s really impossible to tell a great story if you’re super disconnected from the audience to which you’re telling it,” Tillman said. “People are drawn to other people or brands because they feel relatable.” Read about Ad Age’s 2024 Leading Women here What advice would you give to your younger self? All of your sacrifice, focus and hard work will pay off—keep at it! What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken? I truly believe nothing remarkable is achieved without stepping outside of our comfort zones. For me, that includes moving my family to Atlanta, leaving behind our home state of New Jersey, to become Delta’s CMO. If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing and why? I recently received my honorary doctorate degree from my alma mater, Lycoming College, and it was such a proud moment that spoke to my passions. If I wasn’t a business leader, I’d love to be a college professor. I have always been drawn to academics, and the ability to train and inspire our future generations has always been a passion of mine. My childhood fun was always playing “chalkboard” with my imaginary students! What should the industry do to encourage more women and people of color into its ranks? At Delta, we believe that removing the systematic barriers and creating an equitable workplace is not only a responsibility of corporations but an obligation. In 2020, we began an intense focus on tracking equity gaps, with a goal to achieve stronger diversity representation at every level of the organization. This critical work highlighted where we have room for opportunity and where to invest, allowing us to take deliberate steps—like introducing a skills-first hiring approach—toward creating a more equitable business for all. How will AI impact your job in the future? The future of travel is connected and personalized, and AI will allow us to leverage advanced machine learning to tailor messages and offers based on individual customer’s profiles, travel history, and preferences. We’re exploring gen AI tools for dynamic content creation, such as personalized travel guides based on customer interests, and considering how we can leverage these tools to fuel unique and personalized content. Read about Ad Age’s 2024 Leading Women here

How Delta’s Alicia Tillman is exploring experiential terrain for the brand

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