Ill-judged and arrogant – why Qantas will not win over anyone with ‘Meet the Sydneyporeans’
Qantas' well-meaning campaign to promote its return to Singapore stopovers badly misjudges the sense of betrayal and disappointment Australian expats felt when the carrier moved to Dubai four years ago, writes Landor's Nick Foley
Qantas recently surprised a number of its lapsed frequent flyers by announcing it will once again start using Singapore as its stopover point for flights from Australia to the UK, ditching its four-year relationship with Dubai.
It is not unusual for an airline to alter its flight path or schedule. However, when the said flight path has substantial history attached to it, and is fondly referred to as the ‘Kangaroo route’, the reintroduction of such a service may be met with some raised eyebrows from those who care to remember Qantas turning its tail fin on Singapore in favour of the desert state back in 2012.
To make matters more intriguing, Qantas have connected the reactivation of its Sydney-Singapore-London flights with an online campaign titled ‘Meet the Sydneyporeans’.
So what is a Sydneyporean? Perhaps it’s a Singaporean who was left grounded in Sydney when Qantas slashed its services to the Little Red Dot four years ago? A quick search of the newly-coined expression reveals it is what Qantas has dubbed Singaporeans who have chosen Sydney as their new home.
To capitalise on the ‘Sydneyporean’ theme, the airline has released three well-produced episodes that follow the lives of some Singaporeans now residing in New South Wales.
While the campaign does help make Sydney feel more familiar to new visitors, it does however hit turbulence given the context of how Qantas has treated Singapore since 2012.
As an Australian expat now residing in the Lion City, it feels as though Australia’s international airline might have badly under-estimated just how ripped off most of us ‘Singa-Aussies’ feel about Qantas’ short-lived affair with Dubai.
This may come as a surprise, Qantas, but by no means are we anywhere near the point of ‘forgive and forget’. Call me traditional, but if you want to make up with an old flame, I believe you need to consider that old-fashioned notion of an apology first. Sure, it might have been too much for Australia’s then-Prime Minister, John Howard, to grasp, but Victoria Bitter (VB) provided a textbook case study in marketing when it made a heartfelt apology to Australia’s beer-guzzling public back in September 2012.
For those who can’t recall, VB had reduced its alcohol content to 4.5 per cent in order to lessen the amount it was paying in excise duties to the Australian government. VB’s loyal subjects were less than amused by this tax-minimisation antic and, eventually, the brand’s custodians made the wise decision to return the alcohol content to 4.9 per cent. – although, not before saying a genuinely well-intentioned “sorry” to the disgruntled masses.
So, if an apology by an iconic, successful brand like VB is good enough for Australia’s favourite beer, why are we not seeing a similar approach by the country’s national flag carrier? At best, it may because the airline is blissfully unaware of just how jaded a number of expat Australians feel about Qantas dumping Singapore.
At worst it’s due to a trait that has beleaguered the airline in recent years; arrogance. Regardless of which it is, Qantas would do well to realise that brands are just like friends. When they behave unexpectedly and disappoint us, we stop trusting them. And here’s the thing about trust: it can take years to earn, but can be gone in the swipe of a boarding pass.
So while all may not be lost for Qantas, they have deeply misjudged the Singa-Aussie sentiment if they think they can win back our hearts and minds through all this well-meaning, but ultimately disingenuous chitter-chatter about Sydneyporeans.
Nick Foley is the president of Landor South East Asia, Pacific and Japan
What an absurd article. The campaign is clearly directed at Singaporeans who might holiday in Sydney or Australia. Not Aussie expats. It has nothing to do with the re establishment of the Singapore hub. Qantas is thriving because it took some tough decisions and called the bluff of a few entities along the way. The airline has nothing to apologise for.
ReplyCouldn’t agree more with The Dude’s earlier comment. This is a ridiculous article. I’m an Aussie expat and I’ve got far greater things to worry about than holding a grudge with Qantas and ridiculing a campaign that’s directed at Singaporean, not Aussie expats. Who are these jaded Aussie expats living in Singapore you talk about that just can’t forgive and forget Qantas? Time to find some new mates, Nick.
ReplyI had the exact same thought as I skimmed….first i thought….who gives a F… where an airline sets up offices as long as it flies where i want.
ReplyThen I saw where the author worked. Those are the guys who design hugely expensive logos for a million bucks.
Hey there “The Dude” – If loyal Singaporeans wanted to visit Sydney they’d prefer to fly SQ or Scoot (if needing a budget choice), any day. It’s clear that Changi Airport (the world’s best) is simply being used as a hub by Qantas (after they discovered that racist Aussies don’t find Arab hub destinations very appealing these days). If Qantas really wanted to drive international visitors to Sydney, surely they would target a more populous nation?? You missed the point of this article, which is about gaining credibility and trust as a brand, by maintaining integrity, and consistency – and the repercussions on the brand and customer loyalty by flip-flopping tactics based on short-term opportunism.
ReplyYou’re obviously living in a dream world, with no knowledge of rapidly evolving consumer behaviour (thanks to the internetz).
These days there is scant brand loyalty….one only needs to look at SIA’s dwindling use, even among diehard singaporeans. Consumers
Replycan get whatever they want with a few clicks. Who cares where the hubs are….my objective is to get a flight to Oz and back at a price and service level I can afford….please don’t turn this into a highbrow discussion because it’s elementary level stuff.
Not everyone is after cheap and cheerful my friend. Others do prefer to pay for quality, consistency, safety, and on-time departures, with a brand they trust (especially when travelling for business). I used to fly more often with Qantas before they swapped to using inferior aircraft on the Sydney/ Singapore route, with fewer flights to choose from, and inconvenient flight times. Pretty simple stuff, I agree. Let’s hope the airline gets it right this time, and can offer an alternative level of service, that is worthy of competing against the quality currently offered by SQ.
ReplyThe short read: Entitled expat demands an apology from Qantas to help alleviate his first-world problem.
One of the strangest things I have read on this site.
ReplySeems like some of the readers may have missed the point 😉 This is a light-hearted look at how Qantas fell in love with Dubai but is now trying to win back Singapore. All is fair in love and war 🙂
ReplyI don’t see how this is lighthearted.
ReplyIt’s a rant wrapped in a brand loyalty piece.
Good to see someone calling Qantas for what they are. The service has not been the same since Qantas partnered with Emirates. Great to see Qantas now putting on more flights to Singapore.
ReplyNow there are lots of airlines to choose from when flying to Australia. Great to see QANTAS dropping by Changi Airport again. We have missed you.
ReplyWelcome back Qantas. We’ve missed you. Singapore is so much better than Dubai!
ReplyHey Loyal Singapooor Resident you may want to address your own racism before highlighting that of another nation’s which is in and of itself a raciest act no?
ReplySeems like Foley is the only one so affected by this *rolleyes*
I don’t think anyone else in SG gives a damn. Personally, I like the Sydneyporean series, it’s a great way to showcase some of the must-visit places in Sydney…I know I am definitely going to visit some of them on my next trip there. Flying Qantas though is a different story…unless their fares are competitive with Scoot or AirAsia.
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