SimpliFlying

Michael D'Esopo

Lippincott, a leading brand strategy and design consultancy, has worked with airlines globally, including Virgin Atlantic and most recently TACA Airlines. Lippincot helped TACA deliver a “calming trip†to their customers, the moment they stepped aboard the plane. They have also extensively helped Delta Airlines deliver a 360 degree brand experience, both internally and to the external customer.

I decided to take this opportunity to meet up with Michael D’Esopo, a senior partner at Lippincott’s Boston office, to get his perspectives on airline branding, and what makes for a truly successful airline brand. With 15 years’ experience in brand building, he revealed a number of gems, and you can view the full, uncut version of the interview right below.

Here’s a quick summary of Michael’s thoughts:

Here’s Michael D’Esopo, uncut!

So what do you think? Do you agree with Michael’s solutions for branding airlines? Let’s hear it in the comments section.

P.S: Special thanks to Kathleen Hatfield for tirelessly working to make this interview happen!

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“Airlines need to have more of their staff smiling in their interactions with passengers, to make them feel comfortable. All we need is a little empathy.†That’s one of the tips Patrick Hanlon shared in my chat with him yesterday, on how airlines can build stronger brands to weather this crisis better.

Patrick, the Founder and CEO of Thinktopia, has been a marketing practitioner for over 20 years. His book Primal Branding: Create Zealots For Your Brand, Your Company And Your Future was named “Best Read 2006†and recently chosen as one of the “Top 10 marketing reads†by Britain’s Drum magazine.

Brands as belief systems

In his book, Primal Branding, Patrick emphasizes the importance of brands as belief systems. In his interview, he gives the example of Apple, Nike and Harley Davidson as brands that have built a level of fervor around them that’s difficult to emulate. But it can be done.

Patrick shares ways in which airlines can get employees and customers to rally around the brand in difficult times, and practical ways in which to build a belief system. The key, he believes, is the “pick†concept.

Flyers need to “pick†the airline

Recently, Patrick had written an article in Advertising Age magazine, on how traditional “push†and “pull†strategies have lost their edge with consumers and marketers need to focus on the “pick†factor. The concept essentially revolves around creating such a compelling product and service experience that the consumer is forced to “pick†your business over the competition.

Patrick feels that airlines should embrace the concept of “pick†surprise. For example, if there is no food being offered on the flight, offer an apple. May be offer McDonalds vouchers for later use. But basically create an element of pleasant surprise to enhance the experience.

Listen to the interview, to hear Patrick’s thoughts on everything from why smiling flight attendants can mean cash for the airlines, and how airlines should take care of their brands post-merger. Feel free to share your thoughts too. Patrick feels that the brand is more important than the product, regardless of the economic environment. Is he right?

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Rohit Bhargava is the author of a recently released book called Personality Not Included and also the blogger of the very popular Influential Marketing Blog. Recently, when he was asked “what is one brand desperately in need of personality?”, his answer (unsurprisingly) was United Airlines. Here is what he had to say:

I couldn’t agree with Rohit more! Just look at their latest advertisements and you know that they’re trying to put lipsick on a pig. There is a huge disconnect between the picture they’re trying to paint, and the general consumer impression about the airline, which is formed by product experience, not just advertisements.

Talk is cheap!

In June, at a BrandSmart 2008 conference in Chicago, I had the opportunity to listen to and meet Dennis Cary, United’s SVP of Marketing (who’s just been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer). Though he’s an extremely talented professional, neither his speech about the latest premium passenger previlages nor his emphasis only on inter-continental First Class and Business Class resonate with the audience. Most of these audience were probably “cattle-class” domestic travelers who had to bear with long lines and long delays on the tarmac at United’s overcrowded Chicago hub. Similarly, the advertisements being aired to the average “six-pack Joe” do not resonate as well. United Airlines becoming is fast becoming one of those brands that we tend to gloss over, when we encounter any of their marketing efforts. So, what can United do?

Why is cattle class important? Because opinions matter.

Since United Airlines gets most of their revenues from premium passengers, it is probably logical to concentrate all their efforts (marketing or otherwise) on this customer segment. But what they don’t realize is that these passengers are small in numbers compared to those who travel in Economy Class. This means that more of these people are able to spread their opinions to others, and any marketer will tell you how important word-of-mouth is. So if a small number of pampered customers are keeping quiet (since they’re so busy anyway), and a large number of dis-satisfied customers are beating the drum about their experiences,  the overall result will be utterly negative. Hence, there’s a strong need for United Airlines to connect with their customers, premium or otherwise - as Rohit rightly points out. And how can they do that?

Get to know your customer, personally

United Airlines will only be able to communicate a brand image that is relevant and resonates with the customers if they understand their needs well. To do that, they need to interact with their customers, online and offline - as Rohit suggests. United doesn’t need to look to the likes of Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific to learn how to engage their customers. Right in their arena is JetBlue, which does a fantastic job of using the latest technologies to interact with their customers and engage them in a conversation.

Beyond using online social sites like Twitter and Facebook, United should also have people stationed at airport terminals to cater to customer needs. Once again, JetBlue was great at doing this by having staff stationed throughout their new Terminal 5 at JFK airport to help customers, since it’s only recently opened. Truly addressing customers’ needs exactly when they are in need would go a long way in building brand trust for United Airlines.

Employees as brand ambassadors

My only pleasant experience with United Airlines took place when I met a well-trained, fresh-on-board flight attendant. Such an experience seems to be a rarity these days, more so because of lack of training and welfare for staff, than anything else. I’ve been highlighting the importance of happy and well-trained employees often enough on this blog. When the staff if well trained, they become the ultimate spokesperson for the brand since they’re the ones who interact with the customer at every touch point - from call centers to the check-in counter. Having them believe in the brand and communicate it well can do wonders. Moreover, they can always be tapped upon for customer insights and feedback too. The essence of this lies in keeping them happy!

Rohit makes a good point that it’s “uncommon to have a brand with that much untapped potential”. I think the whole of US airline industry, with a couple of exceptions*, is full of brands with untapped potential. What do you think? Can the US airlines ever regain the former glory of the likes of PanAm? Is United really lacking a brand personality? Do you think Rohit is right? Let’s hear it in the comments section…

*I feel the couple of exceptions are Southwest, JetBlue, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines.

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Image by James Cridland via Flickr

When compared with other airlines in the region and around the world, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is by far one of the best in terms of product and service. The multitude of travel industry awards over the years is proof of this fact. But things can get contentious when SIA is compared against itself, over time and across products. Let me share a personal experience, and you be the judge.

Impeccable service, differing products

Since Singapore Airlines has converted their non-stop flight from Newark to Singapore to an all business-class configuration, I instead took their other flight from JFK to Singapore, via Frankfurt earlier this month. Upon boarding SQ26 from JFK, I wanted to charge my laptop, but realized that there were no power points in Economy on board the 747 aircraft, as was the case in my previous flights on the A340 aircraft. Moreover, the in-flight entertainment (IFE) system did not work for my whole row throughout the flight from JFK-SIN. Having only flown the Executive Economy from EWR-SIN on all my prior flights from New York to Singapore, this came as a surprise.

A week later, on my flight from Brisbane, Australia to Singapore, the IFE was not even on-demand, with no personal movie controls. Ironically, the Krisworld magazine page demonstrating the IFE functions showed the passenger how to pause and play the movies (see picture below). This caused much confusion among the passengers near me, as they kept requesting the stewardesses for help. Being SIA Girls, they helped as much as they could. The in-flight service was impeccable as usual.

The important question here is what, if any, efforts were made to set the right expectations among the passengers prior to the flight, to minimize confusion or even disappointment? Furthermore, how was the feedback gathered and acted upon?

Singapore Airlines Krisworld magazine showing an on-demand system

Setting the right expectations

To find out more, and to get a balanced picture for this article, I got in touch with SIA’s Corporate Communications folks. I shared with them my experience and had a reply within days, both from the US and Australia offices. I was pleased to see that my concerns were genuinely addressed in the response.

Regarding managing expectations on the New York to Singapore flight, here’s what I was told:

In addition to realizing that different expectations were set for the passengers by the way of differently naming the product, I felt the pain of the airline industry with regards to fleet renewal. The Boeing 747 I traveled on should have ideally been replaced by the Airbus A380, if not for the delivery delays. The Boeing 777-200 I traveled on from Brisbane will soon be replaced by the Airbus A330 aircraft. I personally can’t wait to experience the new SIA products on these planes. Here’s what the SIA folks had to say:

Taking feedback seriously and acting swiftly

It is one thing to respond to customer feedback promptly, but acting upon that feedback is just as important. This is an area SIA aced in as well.

Here’s the response I received regarding the Brisbane flight, demonstrating how swift action was taken:

When I probed further regarding feedback mechanisms, I was also told that SIA is…

I was impressed by the response, but didn’t want to take it on a face value. Hence, I scoured various aviation forums, blogs and websites trying to find some evidence that SIA indeed responds to customers whole heartedly, and I found a gem of an example. In Nov 2006, an aviation enthusiast had asked SIA the reasons for changes in their livery, and received very concise responses. Now, that is truly remarkable - to be able to dedicate resources to handle customer (or soon-to-be-customer) inquiries in the earnest.

So, is Singapore Airlines still a great way to fly?

Even though there were product differences in some of the planes, the feedback responses I’ve received as well as the best-in-class service certainly makes me want to go back to fly with SIA again. But let’s do a quick brand evaluation on SIA based on these incidences, using relevant levers from the 6X branding model.

Brand eXpectation: There was certainly an effort to set differing expectations for different products, but a slightly better job could have been done of informing passengers about the differences (after all, I probably wasn’t the only passenger surprised on that flight). Score: 8/10

Brand eXperience: SIA would get full marks for service, but the fact that the IFE system failed to work as expected would pull down the product experience points.  Score: 7/10

Brand eXpression: This relates to how well the company interacts with the customers pre and post-flight. This, as evidenced above, certainly deserves top rating. SIA has hired good Corp. Comms people, and set high standards for them to achieve. Score: 10/10

Brand eXternalities: As I realized, SIA and other airlines have to deal with externalities like the delay of new aircraft deliveries. This requires them to prepare in advance for such events, be resilient in case things go wrong, and manage customer expectations well. Here, from what I’ve learnt from the above interaction, SIA doesn’t do too badly as well. Score: 8/10

A total score of 33/40 is still very respectable, especially since we haven’t taken into account Brand eXecution and Brand X-factor - both of which SIA is likely to ace. SIA is indeed, still a great way to fly.

I’ve given my verdict. What do you think? Where is the room for improvement? What can others learn from SIA? Let’s discuss…

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Image by msmail via Flickr

Some of us have jobs important enough to fly business class frequently. Are the rest of us destined to be packed into cattle class unless we pay an arm and a leg for business? Not really, even when it is generally getting more difficult to earn and claim Frequent Flier miles.

But frequent fliers are often pampered by the airlines in a variety of ways. So why not try out a few interesting techniques to be taken good care of in the air? Here are five ways the clever people earn and use their miles, especially for upgrades.

1. Just Fly It!

The fastest way to earn an upgrade is to earn miles, especially if you fly frequently. A return trip from Singapore to New York on Singapore Airlines economy class generates nearly about 20,000 miles, not far from the 30,000 miles needed for a one way business class upgrade, or a free economy ticket to Hong Kong. Stick to one major airline, or network such Star Alliance or One World. Do take note that super discounted fares may appear attractive but do not usually qualify for miles accruing.

2. Splurge on Regional, upgrade on International

Passengers may want to consider paying to fly premium on regional routes and using miles to upgrade on international routes. This is simply because the costs are so much more manageable. The actual price difference between an economy and business ticket begin to widen with trip distance. Yet flying comfortably is so much more important on long hauls. Splurging on regional and upgrading on international reduces costs substantially. However, this would not work if the majority of the sectors that the passenger is intending to fly are long haul.

3. Swipe your way to an upgrade

Co-branded credit cards are common and available across the globe for major airlines. Singapore Airline’s most premium credit card, the American Express Singapore Airlines PPS Club Platinum card, earns a mile for every dollar spent. To earn a trip from Singapore to Hong Kong, the card holder would have to spend S$30,000 for a return ticket on economy class. While credit cards can be useful to top up that few thousand miles that you need for your next Business ticket, depending on credit card alone for a fee ticket, or even an upgrade could take ages.

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Airlines often showcase their First Class products to set themselves apart, and attract masses’ attention. After all, it provides great brand leverage, as many people aspire to get there one day and fly First. But First Class is either a dying flying style, or has gotten more exclusive than ever before, depending on how one looks at it. With the relentless piling of more luxury and space to the in-demand and lucrative business class, a number of airlines have done away with First Class on many routes. This article hunts the remaining First Class products where the very best is offered to the most privileged. First Class provides the passengers with what is the scarcest, and thus most exclusive, on-board an aircraft – Privacy, Space and Novelty.

Emirates Airlines First Class

First available on its A340-500, Emirates’ suites presented a novel idea of flying – enclosing the passenger with a door to create ultimate privacy. Although the seat is smaller and narrower compared to the newer SIA’s suites, Emirates’ suites are more elaborately furnished and still one of the world’s finest way to fly. Emirates wins my applause in providing showers for First Class passengers on-board their A380. Safety issues aside, I cannot recall how many times I had wanted a shower on a long flight before I settle down to sleep. A novelty with a strong dose of practicality – one of the few things rarely seen from Emirates in these days. Privacy: 9/10, Space: 7/10, Novelty: 9/10

Smaller but very tastefully decorated private suites on Emirates

Singapore Airlines First Class Suites

Available only on the A380, the Singapore Airlines Suites are slightly wider and larger than Emirates’, the pioneer to a room-suite seating concept on a major commercial airline. The 35in-wide seat transforms into a 27in by 78in bed. The ultra rich can opt to book one of the two pairs of adjacent suites and transform a pair of suites into a huge room with a double bed. The doors, however, are translucent and do not extend to the ceiling.  Privacy: 8/10, Space: 9/10, Novelty: 9/10

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Qantas became the third airline to take delivery of the Airbus A380 aircraft last Friday, after Singapore Airlines and Emirates. Qantas has ordered 20 A380 planes from Airbus, the first of which will enter service from October 20, initially flying between Sydney/Melbourne and Los Angeles but in January next year expanding to the Sydney-Singapore and Sydney-London routes. But the fanfare and buzz is nothing close to that generated by Singapore Airlines’ first A380 flight to Sydney or Emirates’ A380 flight to New York City.

Given the significance of being one of the first few airlines to operate the Airbus A380, and since it will once be the 2nd largest operator of the A380, it’s a mystery why Qantas has not capitalized on this event to build its brand further. Moreover, given the recent negative press generated by the string of Qantas safety lapses, there is an urgent need to repair the damage done.

How did Qantas miss this golden opportunity?

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It is always good to learn from the best - and when you think of the most memorable brands in the world, Starbucks ranks right at the top. Like Ritz-Carlton, Starbucks can offer key lessons in branding to airlines, many of which often don’t cost a lot to implement and can create great leverage for the brand.

What does the brand stand for?

In his book, A New Brand World, Scott Bedbury - the former Chief Marketing Officer of Starbucks - details how he personally led the creation of the formidable Starbucks brand. This is how he explains the Starbucks core identity.

Similarly, airlines need to understand that they’re not in the business of just transporting people point A to point B. Even freight companies like Fedex and UPS talk about principles like on-time delivery, rather than transportation. The first thing airlines need to realize is they will only survive in the long term if they deliver a decent pleasant flying experience - after all, passengers can be on-board the plane anywhere from one hour to twenty two hours (I’ve been on one!). As it is, going through security and immigration before getting on the plane is extremely stressful. They need to feel cared for and enjoy the in-flight experience.

Airlines like JetBlue in the US do it well, with their on-board amenities and convey the message across well too, with their “Flying - That’s why we created Jetting” campaign. Just like Starbucks, it talks about delivering an experience, and not so much the basics of transportation. Singapore Airlines talks about bringing back the “romance of flying” - which is indeed becoming a novelty these days. Simply put, these airlines know what their core brand identity is, and work to deliver an experience that is consistent with it.

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This is a touching letter, from a flight attendant’s perspective, which was first published on Airliners.net. We felt compelled to share it.

To the Flying Public: We’re sorry

We’re sorry we have no pillows.
We’re sorry we’re out of blankets.
We’re sorry the airplane is too cold.
We’re sorry the airplane is too hot.
0AWe’re sorry the overhead bins are full.
We’re sorry we have no closet space for your oversized bag.
We’re sorry that’s not the seat you wanted.
We’re sorry there’s a restless toddler/overweight/offensive smelling passenger seated next to you.
We’re sorry the plane is full and there are no other seats available.
We’re sorry you didn’t get your upgrade.
We’re sorry that guy makes you uncomfortable because he “looks like a terroristâ€Â.
We’re sorry there’s a thunderstorm and we can’t take off.
We’re sorry we don’t know when it will stop.
We’re sorry you’re crammed into a space so small that if you were an animal PETA would protest.
We’re sorry our plane has no music or video entertainment for your 3 hour flight.
We’re sorry we ran out of your favorite soda.
We’re sorry there are no more sandwiches.
We’re sorry that Budweiser costs $6.
We’re sorry we don’t have diapers for your baby.
We’re sorry we don’t have milk for same baby.
We’re sorry you can’t hang out by the cockpit door waiting to use the bathroom.
We’re sorry you can’t hang out at the back of the airplane.
We’re sorry you have to sit down and fasten your seatbelt.
We’re sorry you have to put your seat up for landing.
We’re sorry we don’t know when we’re going to land.
We’re sorry we don’t know whether your plane to (substitute any city in the world) will be waiting for you when we land.
We’re sorry we’ve been diverted because we ran out of gas waiting to land.
We’re sorry for these and so many other things that we have absolutely no control over but which we are held accountable for EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Please understand. Flight attendants are not the enemy. We share your space. More than anyone - we want to have a nice, pleasant travel experience.
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A Virgin America boarding pass

In a recent blog post, Cam Beck at MarkeringProfs.com mentioned that he had attended a workshop by Stephen Anderson and Travis Isaacs on effectively organizing information. The result of that class was an airline ticket redesign Cam and friends did, as shown below. Cam went on to suggest in his article that once unnecessary information has been removed, there enough space for a special offer for the passenger too! Personally, I feel the both the re-designs below are an immense improvement from the existing ticket designs. So how can these better designed tickets help increase brand affinity?

Original airline ticket

Ticket 1: Re-designed air ticket

Ticket 2: Re-designed ticket with offer

Three ways air ticket re-design can increase brand value

We all recognize that an air ticket is one of the few ways that an airline brand physically interacts with the customer. So what’re some ways airlines can leverage on this?

Surely a simple ticket re-design cannot solve all of an airline’s problems. But small steps can certainly be taken to make the passenger happier.

What do you think? Do you think this will work? Or is it over-optimistic?
What happens when e-tickets and e-boarding passes is all that exists and there are no boarding passes to be printed out?
How can airlines still use this as a means to increase brand affinity?

Let’s discuss…

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