The second Marketing Disrupted Online session of 2025 spotlighted Jetstar’s bold brand transformation, with Head of Marketing Jodie Rochetich in conversation with Thinkerbell’s Adam Ferrier. From tackling harsh perceptions to building “low-cost likeability,” this honest chat revealed how trust, consistency, and cheeky charm helped turn around one of the toughest reputations in aviation. Read more to see how smart strategy—and a little irreverence—can reshape sentiment and fuel commercial success. 

“If you don’t have likeability, you don’t have permission.”

That sentiment from Jodie Rochetich, Head of Marketing at Jetstar, says everything about the uphill battle the brand has fought and won in one of the world’s toughest aviation markets.

In the second 2025 session of Marketing Disrupted Online, Jodie joined Adam Ferrier (founder of Thinkerbell) for an honest conversation on what it takes to turn around brand perception without losing your commercial edge.

Spoiler: it’s not another promo. It’s not shouting louder. It’s doing the hard, strategic work of building trust, consistency, and fun.

Turning "Shetstar" into Strategy

When Jodie took the reins, Jetstar had a perception problem. Especially in New Zealand, where “Shetstar” memes and Adele-concert gripes dominated the narrative. The brand wasn’t just unloved, it was easy to take shots at. And in a country with a beloved national carrier, it was almost patriotic not to fly Jetstar.

But as Jodie put it: “We knew they might not love us. But we could get them to like us.”

They acknowledged the bad reviews, fixed their on-time performance, refreshed the brand platform, and launched honest, playful campaigns that showed things had changed.

Jetstar’s shift wasn’t cosmetic. It was cultural:

  • Stability over churn – A tight-knit, long-standing team that could drive sustained brand change.
  • From retail to real – Moving beyond fare-driven ads to brand storytelling that connected.
  • Radical honesty – Acknowledging they might not be your first choice but making a case for being a smart one.

Disruption with a Smile 

The result? “Low-cost likeability” and a platform rooted in value, humility, and a touch of cheeky charm.

From seltzers named after destinations to QR-code plane flyovers, Jetstar embracedirreverence without losing rigour.And theydidn’t shy away from their critics. Instead, theyquoted them.

A myth-busting campaign took real socialcomments and had actual Jetstar crew respond. This humanised the brand while correcting misinformation.

It was more than clever comms. It was strategy:

  • Use social and earned media to show the human side of the brand.
  • Not just sharing the numbers, but bringing them to life with stories that people can relate to.
  • Let front line staff tell the story, because the most powerful brand messages come from those living it every day.

And importantly, it worked. “We used to struggle to find positive comments,” Jodie said. “Now we struggle to find negative ones.”

From Fare-Led to Brand-Led 

Jetstar’s turning point wasn’t just creative. It was operational. When performance improved on-time arrivals, low cancellations, rising NPS it unlocked permission to play.

With that came “Take Off More”: a refreshed brand platform that reframed travel as emotional payoff, not just cost-benefit. It touched everything:

  • Visual identity – A bold orange-and-blue refresh.
  • Tone of voice – The birth of “Holiday Voice”, a consistent tone across ads, gates, and customer support.
  • Customer journey – Embedding marketing and customer service together to deliver a unified experience.

Jetstar didn’t go with the usual “brand onion.” Instead, they built a “brand toaster”,their own cheeky, Jetstar-style take on brand strategy.

That captured their personality and purpose in a way the whole business could rally around. It became the foundation for their refreshed platform, “Take Off More,” tying brand, behaviour, and experience together. Unusual? Sure. But it was aligned, understood, and actionable.

Data, Sentiment & Business Impact Jetstar

Jetstar didn’t wait for a viral moment instead they tracked steady progress.

Internal research. Net Promoter Score (NPS). Social listening. Brand preference. Month by month, it moved.

NPS in New Zealand? Now one of the highest in the group and up from the negatives. Planes full. Share price up. Staff and customers on board.

“We didn’t have a single lightbulb moment,” Jodie said. “Just consistency.And bravery.”

Where Mortal Comes In

Turning perception around takes more than brand flair, it takes knowing what really needs to shift. That’s why Mortal backs conversations like this one.

Most marketers know what the problem feels like. We help you prove it, fix it, and track it. With Mortal, your customer insights don’t live in static dashboards. They:

  • Bring to light the real blockers to loyalty and consideration.
  • Show where sentiment is soft and why.
  • Back bold marketing with behaviour-led data.

Because like Jetstar, it’s not enough to have a low fare. You need something else: clarity. Relevance. Permission to go big.

Final Thought

In Jetstar’s story isn’t just about humour, hospitality, or hashtags. It’s about strategy. About knowing when your brand needs to grow up or lighten up.

Disruption, after all, isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it just sounds like a New Zealander saying:

“…they’re actually pretty good these days.”

Let’s make your next move one people will like.

Source: Tim MacMillan, 9 July 2025