Social media is made up of stories. Lots of brands comment on those stories. Delta expands them.
Back in April, The X for Boys, an Albany-based organization teaching young boys life skills, shared a viral video about how to navigate airports. Delta saw it and left the below comment.
Behind the scenes, the Delta team was figuring out how to build on the viral video. They reached out to The X for Boys and put together a full day of programming for them at Delta HQ. The kids learned about Boeing 747s, how to evacuate in case of an emergency, and more. The videos that came out of that day have hundreds of thousands of views. Delta also surprised the team with with a $10,000 donation.
A viral video is chapter one of a story. The best brands help write chapter two.
No one knows this better than Jaz Daley, Social Media Community Specialist for Delta Air Lines. She’s responsible for writing those chapters for Delta. I talked to her about turning social listening into action.
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Rachel Karten: If you had to sum up Delta’s social media philosophy in a few sentences, what would it be?
Jaz Daley: Our goal is to lead conversations with genuine cultural insights and connections! We share our priorities through content that inspires travel in people’s everyday lives and opening their eyes to what’s possible with Delta. We want both loyalists and future SkyMiles Members to see us as not just an airline, but rather, as people who are equally excited to be part of their journey.
Rachel: I want to specifically focus on social listening and outbound community management. Delta has one of the strongest strategies I’ve seen. How would you describe your approach?
Jaz: People want authenticity and not just surface-level engagement. We focus on meaningful moments and real connections. Delta can amplify their stories—not overshadow them.
Rachel: An idea I’ve been circling a lot for 2026 is “Mister Rogers marketing”. People want posts that make them feel good. What role does kindness play in your strategy?
Jaz: Mister Rogers marketing works because kindness isn’t manufactured; it’s real. At Delta, our engagements and surprise-and-delight moments are never transactional. They’re about showing up authentically—whether that means providing flights or sending a wedding gift. We do this with one goal in mind: letting our customers know they matter to us. This approach is a complete reflection of the kindness and authenticity you see delivered by Delta team members every day around the world when at our airports, on our flights or over the phone.
Rachel: Can you share an example or two of how you’ve used comments to spread joy?
Jaz: A moment I’ll never forget was the “elves on the shelf” story. A grandmother flying back to LA with her grandsons’ elves and going all out to make it memorable. I saw it, engaged, and sent the boys surprise packages plus gift cards for their mom’s next Delta trip, all before Christmas!
Another favorite was Irvin and his dad. Irvin surprised his dad with Championship tickets, wanting to create more meaningful moments together after his dad’s health scare. Delta had the opportunity to provide flights and tickets for them to experience seeing their favorite team win.
Rachel: Do you have any numbers you track to gauge the success of your commenting efforts?
Jaz: Absolutely and if you don’t, please do it! We keep a tracker of each engagement so we can remember the story behind the video, how people reacted, and how the creator responded to us! And with the help of our Social Intelligence team, we’re able to understand how these moments add up to a deeper connection throughout the year.
Rachel: I want to talk a little bit more tactically. What tools do you use for social listening and commenting?
Jaz: Our approach is very personal and custom. Currently, our team scrolls our FYPs/mentions and comments that way. Sometimes it’s even searching on social platforms with various keywords to see what’s out there, and that has helped us to catch more stories.
Rachel: You’ll often leave a comment with a promise—like gifting flights for example. What sort of process do you have in place to be able to quickly make big decisions like that?
Jaz: I’m lucky to have a phenomenal member on my team who specializes in moments-that-delight. She’s my go-to collaborator when we need to book flights or move fast. And shout out to our leadership team who deserves major credit for understanding the urgency of social. We bring them the story and the “why,” and they trust us to run with it. That speed and support makes all the difference!
Rachel: What’s one thing you’re really thinking about or focusing on in 2026?
Jaz: I want to continue building stronger connections with customers. So many people are craving community and in-person experiences—whether it’s through run clubs, book clubs, or even those PowerPoint nights! One of my goals is to inspire travel in fresh ways, and Delta has the tools and initiatives to make that happen.
Rachel: What do you love about working in social media?
Jaz: Honestly, everything! I love the people, the creativity, and the electric energy. There’s always so much happening that I just want to be a sponge and soak up everyone’s creativity. Watching how everyone thinks so uniquely, yet collaborates so seamlessly, is incredible. Social is a world of endless possibilities, and that unpredictability is what I love most!
What I’m scrolling
I just registered for this free short-form video workshop series. There are lots of great sessions, but I am personally excited to hear Stephanie Shen, who makes brilliant videos for The New York Times Opinion, talk about video editing.
Substack interviewed George Saunders about AI. “Writing is the most precious way one person can communicate their essence to another person. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to get better at making myself present in my writing. Why would I want to sacrifice even one iota of that? Not even in an email and certainly not in a short story or novel.”
Tinashe's track list reveal is so good.
e.l.f.’s Social Media Coordinator posted a “how it started” vs “how it’s going” of herself on the brand account and got 37K likes. Ever since I saw this carousel from Heaven by Marc Jacobs I’ve thought that more brands should utilize old photos.
James Talarico’s latest post is a riff on the show House Hunters. I’ve noticed more politicians using familiar formats in their ads. Abdul El-Sayed nodding to Mad Men here and Mayor Zohran Mamdani referencing Chef’s Table here.
Away launched their Series 3 luggage with Colman Domingo. I asked Sarah Amidi, SVP of Brand at Away, how this launch encapsulates their approach to marketing. She told me, “Our approach to marketing reflects our approach to product: start with the traveler and be intentional about every choice you make. We’ve spent a decade building real authority in travel through our iconic product, and as we enter our next decade, we’re pulling that intention through all the ways we show up as a brand—connecting our products to the stories, truths, and people that make up the experience of travel.”
LA mayoral candidate Nithya Raman is starring in microdramas to sway voters. Variety reports, “The videos produced during the primary were campy and extremely wonky, pairing soap-opera plotlines with detailed discussions of Raman’s positions on public transit, tenant protections and rent stabilization. The videos racked up more than 850,000 views, according to the Raman campaign, making for some of the best performing content of the primary.”
Little Joy, a small coffee shop in Minnesota, is launching a recipe book specifically for cafes. The video announcement has one of the best hooks I’ve ever seen. Someone commented, “I don’t normally like marketing jump scares but if anyone could be the exception to that, it would be the little joy marketing team. Too good!” My interview with owner Cody Larson about the coffee shop’s social strategy remains a favorite.
Kate Berlant talking about algorithms is perfect.
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