A new report has stated that business aviation must do more to ‘improve its image.’
The survey of business aviation professionals was conducted by the international communications agency Citigate Dewe Rogerson, which has a specialist team focusing on the business aviation sector.
The findings from the study are published in a new report entitled ‘The Growing Importance of Branding in Business Aviation.
The study revealed that just 9% of business aviation professionals believe the industry is ‘very effective’ at communicating its many benefits such as its contribution to economic growth and its creation of jobs.
Key findings from the report include:
When it comes to the wider mainstream media, two thirds feel the sector only gets media coverage when there has been a crash or scandal. 56% feel the recent publication of the Panama Papers had a negative impact on the industry’s image, and just 13% believe the sector did a respectable job in defending its reputation during this period.
In respect of individual organisations working in the business aviation sector, only 11% of those interviewed think companies have been ‘very effective’ in developing their brands.
44% of business aviation professionals interviewed believe companies operating in the sector are hampered by the poor image of the industry, and only 35% think senior management at these organisations take their brands seriously enough
Over the next three to five years, 34% of business aviation professionals think brand profiles will become ‘much more important’ in the sector, and 31% think their importance will increase ‘slightly’.
In terms of why they believe this, 47% say it’s because competition in the sector will increase, and this is followed by 45% who say it’s because customers and business partners are becoming more demanding and discerning about who they work with or buy from. Some 38% say it will increase because there will be many new customers coming into the market, and 33% believe companies will need to strengthen their brands to help fend off new entrants to the sector.