Created by Batey/red cell in Singapore, this is the first completely new strategic 'stewardess' campaign in five years. The 'Singapore girl' will appear against a backdrop of exotic locations, with more vibrant colours and backgrounds, coupled with fast-paced images, said SIA manager of passenger marketing for Australia, Dale Woodhouse.
He said the airline's point of difference remains the 'Singapore girl' and her epitome of excellent in-flight service, backed up by focus groups and research which showed a clearer sense of the airline's branding in Australia than other foreign carriers.
"Singapore Airlines comes through again and again as having the best in-flight service as exemplified by the 'Singapore girl', so it makes sense to have her at the forefront of out advertising and marketing," said Woodhouse.
The campaign has been developed to run globally, but Woodhouse said it was up to management in each country to decide whether they want to run the campaign as part of their annual advertising programme.
As for Asia-Pacific, he expects it will be on-air in all major markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo.
Aimed squarely at the AB market, the TVC will be supported by print advertising in business and high-end lifestyle magazines. In Australia, SIA is expected to spend an estimated US$721,000 over the next year on the campaign.
Challenges facing the airline include competition from the other major carriers and low-cost airlines, containing fuel costs and the cost of distribution. The industry has also been engaged in an aggressive price war, something that Woodhouse said is "hard to resist once your competitors start discounting and something SIA only does when it is essential in protecting its market share".
The airline posted a net profit for the year ended March 31, 2004 of S$849 million (US$497.4 million), a 20 per cent drop on the year before.
