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BA marketing role a poisoned chalice?

Posted in Marketing, Branwell Johnson, Latest reporters' blogs August 3rd, 2007 by Branwell Johnson

 BA’s long touted possible new strapline “Upgrade to British Airways” looks unlikely to see the light of day – especially as the public’s more likely to see it as “Get ripped off by British Airways” now the price fixing cartel issue has broken wide across the media.

And what a poisoned chalice to hand to newly arrived marketing director Katherine Whitton, who started this week. Every year BA has to stumble through some crisis from baggage handling strikes to extra security measures delaying flights but this PR nightmare is one of its own making.

The cartel scandal has already had an outing in June last year and resulted in commercial director, and one time marketing director, Martin George resigning last October.

At that point it was stressed that while the price fixing occurred on his watch he had nothing to do with it and let’s hope US regulatory authorities have no reason to go after him with criminal charges. It is rumoured that some BA bigwigs could face such charges.

However, the original coverage was very much kept to the business pages. Now it’s across the board as eager media commentators point out that passengers have been hit in the pocket and you can bet Michael O’Leary will be making capital out of this.

It’s going to be hard for BA to have any price led marketing campaigns taken seriously right now. Maybe it is better to bring on that branding campaign but make sure it’s ever so ‘umble, in the words of Uriah Heep. Grand boasts and extravagant gestures are not going to cut it right now.