Kenya Airways’ New Social Media Strategy: A Digital Marketing Perspective Amid Customer Service Challenges

Kenya Airways’, the national flag carrier recent shift towards a more humorous and engaging social media strategy on X(Twitter). Lately they’ve adopted a playful tone, similar to budget airlines like Ryanair, with posts like a meme about waiting for a passenger named “Stella” and a witty response to a satirical cabin image.

However, this approach has sparked debate, especially given ongoing customer service complaints. Let’s dive in.

We used our social listening and brand media monitoring tool, Brand Moran, to do analysis of X posts with search words being #IFlyKQ and “Kenya Airways” between 1st April 2025 to 22 May 2025.

Here is a quick Snapshot of the sentiments

Check out the report here:

What’s Working (The Positives):

• Boosted Engagement: Humorous posts are gaining traction, with users actively commenting and sharing, like the “Stella” meme where followers joined the joke.
• Relatable Branding: This tone humanizes Kenya Airways, resonating with younger audiences who value authenticity on social platforms.
• Standing Out: In a competitive aviation market, a unique voice helps the airline differentiate itself, making content more memorable.

The Challenges (The Negatives):

• User Backlash on Tone: Many feel this tone is “cringe” and unbefitting a flag carrier, with comments like “Stop copying Ryanair” reflecting a demand for professionalism.

Please stop with this new trend of trying to copy Ryan Air. It is cringe and it isn’t character befitting a flag carrier. Have some original thought.

— June 25th (@Jasiri_TAD) May 19, 2025

• Brand Identity Clash: As a national airline, Kenya Airways is expected to uphold prestige—humor, especially about past financial struggles, feels misaligned to some, particularly after their 2024 profit.
• Customer Service Complaints Amplify Criticism: Users are vocal about unresolved issues, such as flight cancellations and refund delays, with comments like “Flights cancellation by KQ must have led to the delay” on the Stella post.
• Risk of Misstep: Humor is subjective, and joking amid service issues risks appearing tone-deaf, further alienating customers who expect reliability over wit.

What Does This Mean for Digital Marketers?

This case underscores the importance of aligning social media strategies with both brand identity and operational realities. For a national flag carriers like Kenya Airways, a playful tone can drive engagement, but unresolved customer service issues like those highlighted by users can overshadow these efforts, making humor seem out of touch.

Digital marketers and brands must ensure that social media strategies are supported by strong customer service to maintain credibility and trust.

What do you think? How can airlines balance a humorous social media presence with addressing customer service challenges? Have you seen brands successfully navigate this tension? Let’s discuss in the comments!