Image by jackol via Flickr

.

This is what I call daring branding! Air New Zealand has just come up with an advertisement that features the airline CEO and staff appear in nothing but body paint. The point they’re trying make is that “they’ve got nothing to hide” with their all-in prices, as opposed to budget carriers. The fares Air New Zealand advertises include baggage allowance and refreshments. In an age of rising ala-carte styled pricing, this is indeed refreshing.
A brand pushing the envelope
Air New Zealand has a history of fearless innovation – be it the introduction of an in-flight conceirge at a time when other airlines were cutting service levels, or now this advertisement, which is bound to catch people’s attention. And with all the buzz such videos create on social media these days, there’s a very high chance of this going viral too! Who would mind that? Probably just Air New Zealand’s competitors.

The carrier says that the aim is to differentiate Air New Zealand from competitors “who …

On September 12, 2008, Air New Zealand flew from Auckland to San Francisco in what 270 passengers believed was just a regular flight. But just before take-off, they were informed that they were part of an experiment to fly green.
By the end of the flight, the experiment cut waiting time, trimmed flying time, saved 1,200 gallons of fuel, eliminated 30,000 pounds of harmful carbon emissions and took a quieter landing approach at San Francisco International Airport, according to the LA Times.

Flying “Green” to lower costs
In an era when airlines are struggling with high costs, Air New Zealand demonstrated to that there is no need to ruin already floundering airline brands by nickel-and-diming customers in order to increase profits. Flying green saves substantially more costs compared to increasing profits by measures like charging a baggage fee. In fact, cost savings from less fuel consumption might just be passed to the customer by some airlines in the future.

Moreover, building an environmentally friendly brand resonates better with customers better too. In December, Air New Zealand plans to fly a Boeing 747 jumbo …

Image via Wikipedia
When airlines across the world are cringing due to rising costs and reacting in a knee-jerk manner, hurting both employees and customers, Air New Zealand (ANZ) has taken a bold step in customer service practices and introduced an in-flight concierge on board. The concierges will commence their new roles flying the airline’s London to Los Angeles route, and later operate on flights out of New Zealand. The concierges will be providing a range of services, from travel advice to assistance with onward bookings, to all Air New Zealand’s passengers in the plane, regardless of the class they are in. They will be dedicated to assisting customers with questions and will have no additional roles.
Great for customer retention
This initiative by ANZ is worth a standing ovation. It reflects tough adherence to company standards, even in times of crises. It is such distinguishing services that will make the customer feel the center of the universe – a key to success in service industries. Hotels like Ritz-Carlton to a great job at doing this, …