What’s in a name?
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Posted Date: 01/03/2008
Issue: Executive & VIP Aviation International March 2008
Publication: Executive & VIP Aviation International
The private jet industry has been of age for some time in the US; but in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, this exclusive slice of the aviation industry is still in adolescence, despite the huge growth spurts and growing pains being experienced by the manufacturers. As the number of business jets delivered augment and charter fleets swell, private charter operators are assuming some of the characteristics of the airlines; albeit that they do not fly a schedule.
With balance sheets bulging and increasingly money-hungry business models to fund, it would do some private charter operators no harm to look to the airlines for some clues as to how to promote themselves, keep their assets flying and ensure longevity. Perhaps if the airlines have got anything right – and this is truer of the large network carriers than the low cost airlines – it is that they have been especially successful at building brands. It is fair to say that some of those brands became a little tarnished with the last aviation cycle downturn in 2000 but, by and large, most of us have an association with the big airline brands – British Airways, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific and so on – and so too should the executive travel market have an association with charter operators’ brands over time. But many charter operators – especially in Europe – have kept their heads under the parapet for years and are a long way from associating themselves with any concepts in the minds of the private passenger. So where does a charter operator – with an eye towards establishing brand – start on this branding journey?
Lesson one
“First you have to start with the old prejudices,” comments Peter Knapp, Executive Creative Director, Europe and Middle East, at Landor Associates Branding and Design Consultants. “Historically, private jets have been seen as part of the playground for the rich and famous. So private charter companies come loaded not with a prejudice so much as with an association to a lifestyle that equals luxury and glamour.” He continues: “If the charter operators are now trying to make this a credible commercial alternative to passengers flying out of mainstream airports on the main airlines, they have to somehow debunk the notion that this is just for the exclusive set.”
This, says Knapp, is the challenge of trying to popularise the notion of private jet or VLJ travel. “These operators are battling against exclusivity and luxury,” he comments. “The brands need to suggest that private jet travel is accessible, more common place and a credible alternative to queuing up at hub airports. People are seeing that VLJs can be a real business alternative and many corporations are seeing that too. I think this could be seen as a real business tool.” Knapp predicts the VLJ operators will be first in the queue for advice on branding. “A lot of companies will have an interesting product but that product can be very similar across a number of operators,” he warns.
Lesson two
That brings us swiftly on to our next lesson: how to express a difference between charter operators when the aircraft are similar and are flying from similar destinations. “The brand is going to be central to describing: what you can expect; what the style, personality and tone of the service will be; and even to build up an expectation of the positioning of the price point,” remarks Knapp. He continues: “A successful brand is built upon differentiation and relevance. ‘I am different from Brand B, C, D and E and I am relevant to the customer because I offer something that they want.” He says “preference”, “loyalty”, “difference” and “relevance” are the four key words of which a charter operator should take notice when establishing a brand.
When asked whether charter operators should set a timeframe in which to build a brand or whether it is sufficient to deliver a promise over time, Knapp responds: “I think you have to say ‘in this timeframe I will deliver a brand’ but you have to buy into a brand strategy and its implications, and then deliver against this very rigorously.”
Lesson three
What might a brand entail? “The purpose of a brand is to create preference and then loyalty,” responds Knapp. “A brand is a reason to choose and then a reason to go back and stay loyal. That is why you have a brand in the first place.” Essentially a brand is a promise.
Knapp is at pains to point out that a brand is not a logo; that is simply a badge. It can help in building a brand but it does not deliver value to the business. “A brand is a much more sophisticated business asset,” he says. Knapp admits that this sector has thrown up very few brands until now. “They all trade with very similar looking products with very similar looking names,” he says. “It is a market with incredibly little differentiation in it. Only a few names stick out; but are they brands or are they just interesting names? This is a very undeveloped market in terms of branding at the moment.”
When asked whether the name itself assists in the development of a brand, Knapp says: “Yes. It’s not the be all and end all but it’s one of the first signals of what you might expect the brand to be.” He explains that the name may refer to exclusivity, efficiency or value for money (witness “easyJet”). “The name does count as part of building the anticipation of what’s expected of the brand. But the name is not a critical component of success – think of ‘Mercedes’ or ‘Orange’. The brands have been built despite the curiosity of the name.” However, any charter operator that has the opportunity to make its name work for it when building the brand, should very much grasp the nettle.
Branded
So where does this leave us? As an established charter operator who is perhaps adding fleet but has not really harnessed the value a brand can deliver until now, where should we start in the process of addressing our brand? “You have to look at what the customer proposition is and then find a way to express that most accurately,” responds Knapp. “The good news is that this market is incredibly undifferentiated so those who get to market early with strong brands will be in a dominant position.” What can a brand do for the bottom line? “A brand is critical in terms of being a business asset. It is a reason to choose.” Knapp is confident the private jet industry will embrace branding. After all, airlines are brand builders and he is confident that this will follow amongst the private jet set.
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