The airline with claims of having a "service other airlines talk
about" winged its way to the top of Asian Brand News' new Top 50 Asian
Brands Poll.
Singapore Airlines was an expected winner.
Its only real competitor was the second-placed Cathay Pacific.
The Hong Kong carrier - its image bruised by last year's dispute with
pilots - tailed SIA in the overall rankings, which was based on two core
measures: brand familiarity and quality stakes.
Created after the former Malaysia Singapore Airlines was dismantled in
the mid-60s, SIA has over the years communicated its image with
relevance, consistency and clarity.
The strategy was born out of necessity. Singapore's small population
base meant that the carrier's survival essentially depended on overseas
markets - a game plan which required it to invest heavily in product,
service and marketing.
Even when the financial typhoon hit Asia in the late '90s, SIA continued
pumping in investment dollars that translated into plenty of buzz and
awards.
As rivals - Cathay, Thai International and Korean Air among them - cut
back on service, marketing budgets and routes, SIA relaunched its three
classes, broke new ad campaigns, introduced new services and invested in
Virgin and Air New Zealand as it prepared for the growing globalisation
of air travel.
"We are fortunate that the airline takes a long-term view in terms of
building and maintaining its position," said Mr Robert Kay, director of
Batey Ads, SIA's long-term advertising agency, which created the
Singapore Girl icon.
"Too many clients in times of adversity have not had the courage to ride
out the downturn and communicate the essence of the brand."
Which may explain why SIA's score on the quality measure was almost
double that of Cathay Pacific's - the only other airline that did well
on this count.
- The full report on the Top 50 Asian Brands Poll appeared in the
September edition of Asian Brand News, which is available only by paid
subscription.
For more information, please contact Ms Iris Tang at (852) 2577 2628 or
email subscrib@media.com.hk.
