Eshin Direct

I saw the recent Cathay Pacific TVC on TV today for the first time and I really shouldn’t comment on it because of professional considerations, especially if my commentary is negative. It shouldn’t really matter since I was my redundant from my company already anyway, so what is the worse that could happen? Well, aside from hearing, “You’ll never work in this industry again”. Critique is good though, since it helps lead to improvement right? Of course, then there are those big advertising egos to deal with.

I’ll be honest. The TVC did nothing for me. It’s harsh but it really didn’t. For me it was a case of it could have been any campaign, any airline, any time. What distinguishes CX from the other airlines?

Well, a number of Skytrax Awards were flashed up as copy on the TV and not really part of the money and effort that was spent in creating the TVC. While the accolade of being voted Best Airline of the Year by passengers is a worthy one, it sort of is a cheap copout for an ad agency to use that as a selling point. Now we are relying on endorsement of an external accolade to bring out what CX excels at? The ad agency’s job is to bring out the unique selling points of the brand. The proposition that is presented to the customer should be a reason to buy. A simple reason to buy should be presented. Accolades acknowledge that that something is perhaps going right, but what is going right? The job of the marketing communications is to highlight what is going right. That CX won “Best Airline of the Year” by Skytrax tells me nothing about what they did right.

But why do I focus on the accolades when it was just flashed up as some copy? Because it was the only distinguishing factor that the marcomms communicated about CX. Sure, they highlighted things about the airline that are interesting. Flying to over 800 destination in a given time frame is absolutely rivetting news but you sort of expect that from a major international airline. Showing happy faces that are flying on board CX is also nice to know. But why are those happy faces happy? For all I know, they are happy because the passengers just got married. Lots of lovely shots of the airline and the airport don’t really distinuish the brand from any other either. Sure, maybe professionalism and an over stylized environment but which other major airline isn’t doing that?

There was nothing really in that TVC that made me either believe that “I can fly” or that “Now You’re Really Flying”. They haven’t told me why I’m really flying if I fly with CX. It’s an okay tagline which has promise but at the moment, I’m not sure why I’d be really flying any different than if I flew with British Airways, Virgin or Singapore Airlines. I’m being a little unfair since I know that quite a bit of tactical work goes into selling the idea behind “Now You’re Really Flying” but shouldn’t the TVC sell the airline’s strong points?

The relaunch was a wasted opportunity. The airline had a chance to take a leadership role from the SARS outbreak. It previously focused on people and service but this tripe was the best that they came out with? Coming out from a period that their staff were on the front line of an unknown potential epidemic, faced job losses as a result, negativity from the overzealous press who demonized air travel, faced possible stigma over being in “high risk” category, weren’t encouraged to wear masks until the crisis was in full swing, all of which was on top of the high demands of the nature of the job, there was much more opportunity for the brand to evoke feelings of admiration and leverage respect.

The front line staff, the pilots and the cabin crew, remain the key to many airlines. Singapore Airlines relies strongly on its Singapore Girl to deliver its brand values. In a way, it’s easier to manage expectations since when you get on board, you meet the Singapore Girl. Everything else from there is moot to a certain degree. How have my expectations been brought up when I hear that “Now You’re Really Flying”. Prove it please when I step on board. Managing the expectation using people and service means that I know what service I can expect when I step on board. It has the ability to set at a level that I can expect it. I’m not saying that CX should say that their staff should bend over backwards for you because I know they don’t. But if the understanding for the tough nature of the job, especially recovering from this recent crisis, is brought to the fore, than maybe I can appreciate more the service that I do get. How am I really flying?

CX knows this. They recently paid a bonus to all their employees to thank them for their efforts during the troubled SARS period. The recent online Smile activity where they encourage people to send in pictures of a “smile” that CX was involved in generating is along the right directions since it celebrates the warmth and care that the staff are able to do. There is a reason to believe. But the TVC fell short on delivering any reason to believe.

So to finish my rant, and thankfully I can’t get fired for saying this, is that the TVC was nice but didn’t do anything for me in terms of the CX brand. It could’ve been anyone except for that annoying “I can fly” theme. Sure, working for the ad agency in question as the strat planner, I perhaps should have done more. But internal structure arrangements and relationships meant that I couldn’t really have done more. For that I include myself in my damning critique of the agency in question. It’s a shame though, because I do have an affection for the CX brand and I do believe that it can be more than what we are currently delivering But sometimes in order to improve you have to look critically at yourself, your company and your client too.

Tags: Marketing Rants