Case Study – Facing Some “Home” Truths (PLG1)
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Analyze the following case study from the Hunt Library: Baumann, C., Bretherton, T., Troy, S., and Taksa, L. (2017).Ā Facing Some ‘Home’ Truths: Brand Backlash and the Case of Qantas.Ā (Links to an external site.)Ā In SAGE Publications.
The case describes the challenges associated with building and maintaining a brand through promotional branding efforts. After reading the case study, address the following topics:
- Three key stakeholder groupsāQantas corporate interests, workers, and customersāprovide qualitative commentary about Qantas and its recent marketing. How do their perceptions differ? Are there any areas of shared understanding or perception of the Qantas brand held by all stakeholders?
- While the sentimental narratives of homecoming and family reunion have been long-standing features of Qantas branding since the 1980s, based on the stakeholder commentaries presented here, the āFeels Like Homeā campaign has failed to connect with many key aviation industry stakeholders. Why has this disconnect occurred?Ā Identify the strengths and weaknesses in the āFeels Like Homeā television campaign approach used by Qantas to re-invigorate the brand.
- A gap appears between corporate representations and understandings of a brand (the brand āidentityā held by a company) and diverging stakeholder perceptions of brand (brand image) that can have significant implications for the success of an advertising campaign. In the context of this case study, how can qualitative analysis of these different commentaries help to shed light on the gap between ābrand identityā and ābrand image?ā
- Summarize the major decisions involved in developing an advertising campaign. How might Qantas have approached its advertising campaign differently?
- Visit the Qantas News Room and evaluate the role of public relations (PR) as a component of the promotional strategy.
Requirements
Include the following requirements in your case study assignment:
- Title page with your name and assignment number and title.
- References usingĀ current APAĀ (Links to an external site.)Ā in-text citations.
- Written in essay format with at least three sections: a 150 word introduction, body content, and a wrap-up or summary.
Facing Some āHomeā Truths: Brand Backlash and the Case of Qantas
Case
Author: Chris Baumann, Tanya Bretherton, Troy Sarina & Lucy Taksa Online Pub Date: January 04, 2017 | Original Pub. Date: 2017 Subject: Brand Management & Strategy, Organization Studies, Strategic Management & Business Policy Level: Intermediate | Type: Indirect case | Length: 3235 words Copyright: Ā© Chris Baumann, Tanya Bretherton, Troy Sarina, & Lucy Taksa 2017 Organization: Qantas Airways Limited | Organization size: Large Region: Australia and New Zealand | State: Industry: Air transport Originally Published in: Publisher: SAGE Publications: SAGE Business Cases Originals DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781473999022 | Online ISBN: 9781473999022
Ā© Chris Baumann, Tanya Bretherton, Troy Sarina, & Lucy Taksa 2017
This case was prepared for inclusion in SAGE Business Cases primarily as a basis for classroom discussion or self-study, and is not meant to illustrate either effective or ineffective management styles. Nothing herein shall be deemed to be an endorsement of any kind. This case is for scholarly, educational, or personal use only within your university, and cannot be forwarded outside the university or used for other commercial purposes. 2020 SAGE Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
This content may only be distributed for use within Embry Riddle Aeronautical Univ. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781473999022
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Abstract
This case study explores the complex challenges associated with building and maintaining a national and iconic brand. Stakeholder perceptions of organizational behaviour can have signif- icant implications for the success or failure of a brand campaign. In this case study, the authors examine qualitative commentaries on the Qantas āFeels Like Homeā television advertisement campaign in order to shine light on how different industry stakeholders perceive and construct meanings of brand. This case study also demonstrates how qualitative analysis and techniques can be used to provide expository insights on the differences between brand identity and brand image.
Case
Learning Outcomes
This case will help students to:
ā¢ understand the challenge of effective brand management in the aviation industry; ā¢ undertake a systematic branding analysis and understand the role of qualitative (narrative) analysis; ā¢ highlight and evaluate the integral role of effective media management; ā¢ analyse the Country of Origin effect on emotional attachment to brands; and ā¢ understand the role branding can play within an organizationās overall marketing strategy.
Identifying the Context: Is Qantas Experiencing Some Turbulence?
A range of commercial, industrial and political events have created challenging times for Australiaās most icon- ic airlineāQantas. Since 2010 the airline has taken radical steps in an attempt to protect its market position. Due to increased deregulation of the aviation sector, Australia has been subject to an āopen skiesā policy, with an influx of international competitors as well as resurgence in competition between a small number of domestic airlines. This trend towards āderegulated skiesā is global due to bilateral aviation agreements forged between countries. As shown in Figure 1, the competitive pressure has reduced Qantasās market share from 28.6% in 2005 to 15.7% in 2015. There is also evidence that internal management strategies adopted by the organization in response to these pressures have weakened the positive reputation the airline previously had with its Australian customer base.
Figure 1: International passengers by major airlines 2014ā2015.
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Source: Aviation: International airline activity 2014ā15, Statistical report, Department of infrastructure and Regional Development. Retrieved from https://bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/files/International_airline_ac- tivity_FY2015_m.pdf
Figure 2 provides a summary of key events in the Qantas timeline since 2011 including: large-scale job cuts and redundancies; industrial turmoil and lockouts of employees; restructuring of the organization away from domestic maintenance and operations towards offshore operations; the posting of significant financial losses; and the airlineās call for legislative reform which would allow Qantas greater access to international capital and investment. Figure 3 shows the values and attributes propagated by key stakeholder groups.
Figure 2: Timeline of major events 2011ā2014.
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Figure 3: Narratives on Qantas as a ānationalā airline brand: values and attrib- utes propagated by key stakeholder groups.
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The Qantas āFeels Like Homeā Campaign: Identifying Key Elements
As a response to challenges faced in maintaining market share, Qantas launched a new television-based advertising campaign, āFeels Like Home,ā in November 2014. Initial reactions to the campaign were mixed: some viewers said that the campaign āfelt like a comaā while others felt the campaign was, āThe best ad Iāve seen in ages. Beautifully madeā (Campaign brief, 2014).
The campaign itself comprises a series of five two-minute commercials which chronicle the journeys and emo- tional reunions of Australians flying home from remote and overseas locations to family and friends. Cinematic scenes of emotional travellers include images of a fly-in fly-out miner commuting from a shift in the Pilbara, a mother travelling to Australia from Hong Kong, a backpacker returning from South America, a granddaughter leaving Los Angeles, and a young woman departing London to board a flight to Australia. Emotional vocals represent a strong feature of the campaign, as a young female Australian singer (Martha Marlow) provides the narrative for the advertisement through a sentimental acoustic rendition of the Randy Newman song āFeels Like Homeā
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7XFafi4IGo&list=RDx7XFafi4IGo).
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Key Stakeholder Commentaries on the Qantas Brand
All organizations must understand the role of the stakeholder, but the stakeholder has particular importance for airlines. Researchers examining aviation have identified that the āpoint to pointā nature of aviation requires a high level of ārelational coordinationā between stakeholders such as workers, management, and institutional representatives (Gittel, von Nordenflycht, Kochan, McKersie, & Bamber, 2009). Without creating high-trust, highly effective work processes, attracting, retaining, and meeting the expectations of customers will be diffi- cult to achieve. It is this desire to understand the perceptions of stakeholders which has guided the qualitative analysis undertaken in this study.
Understanding how various stakeholders perceive a campaign can highlight the difficulties organizations ex- perience when they roll out a new branding strategy. In this section we examine a sampling of qualitative comments, where stakeholders discuss Qantas and the television advertisement which forms the basis of the āFeels Like Homeā campaign. Stakeholders include customers, workers, marketing directors, and trade unions, as well as the CEO of Qantas.
The Role of Qualitative Analysis
Undertaking a qualitative analysis of stakeholder commentary provides an effective process of analysis. Qual- itative data is often rich in information, providing insights to readers that would otherwise not have been cap- tured by more quantitative based research including surveys (Collis & Hussey, 2009, p. 63). Qualitative analy- sis allows for the study of social events and phenomena from the perspective of the individual actors them- selves, thereby minimizing the risk of the researcher imposing their own bias on the study (Jupp, 2006, p. 249). Qualitative analysis also allows you to gather more powerful data that supports propositions.
This case study is supported by the findings of a narrative analysis of key aviation industry stakeholder com- mentaries on the āFeels Like Homeā campaign, including commentaries and statements made by Qantas ex- ecutive and organizational representatives; worker and employee observations shared through online forums and social media applications; and customer and consumer statements from formal critiques and editorials through to more informal (reactive) remarks.
The period of data collection spanned six weeks from the launch of the āFeels Like Homeā television ad- vertisement (November 7) through to December 19, 2014. During the period of observation, over 150 com- mentariesāranging from short commentary strings of a few lines through to extended prose (consolidated articles)āwere gathered, and categorized by author (stakeholder). These commentaries were thematically analysed to identify key issues raised about the content and approach of the campaign.
Qantas Corporate Representations and Commentaries on Brand
Two important goals for the āFeels Like Homeā campaign are revealed in an analysis of statements by Qantas executive staff. First, Qantas hoped the Australian public would form an enduring, emotive, and patriotic con- nection to the Qantas brand as a national airline. Second, Qantas viewed the campaign as a creative or artis- tic re-interpretation of these nationalistic sentiments.
Our hope from the [new] ads is it is all about rekindling that emotional connection with Qantas that we all know Australians have for the airlineā¦ The airline has run the ad past a lot of focus groups and received an emotional responseā¦ We have been having to provide tissues to our focus groups. (Olivia Wirth, cited in Freed, 2014)
We know that weāre the spirit of Australia. (Neil Lawrence, cited in Ironside, 2014), 2014)
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We often hear that seeing the Qantas red tail at the airport, or stepping on board of a Qantas aircraft makes Australians feel like they are halfway home already. That is the spirit that we want to capture. (Alan Joyce, cited in Freed, 2014)
In launching the campaign, Mr Joyce said now was the right time to invest in reinforcing what makes Qantas special. (Qantas, 2014)
The stories weāre telling through this campaign are repeated everyday across our network. They re- flect the special pull of home, the love of family and friends, and the way Qantas helps bring Aus- tralians together around the country and around the globe. (Alan Joyce, cited in Campaign Brief Australia, 2014)
ConsumerāStakeholder Commentaries on and Perceptions of the Qantas Brand
At first, many consumers reacted with overwhelmingly positive responses to the āFeels Like Homeā campaign, which highlights how consumers have historically connected to the Qantas brand and how the message could ignite a sense of nationalistic pride.
Just a great adā¦. very biased, but there is nothing like seeing that red kangaroo which is going to take you back homeā¦. great stuff. (Starman, in Flynn, 2014)
Wow, fantastic!! I must admit to being converted already as l flew CX and SQ whilst living in Asia for 7 years but always boarded a QF flight home for that exact reason. A great job to capture that. (Burgo, in Flynn, 2014)
What a great ad. The line about how people see those āred tailsā and how they feel walking onto a Qantas plane on the way home is so true. Very clever of Qantas to tap into it. (Al, in Flynn, 2014)
In the beginning, the campaign generated some negative responses as well:
I think this is really bland and dated. Itās depressing and has no real idea. The pictures are nice but lack any real story telling and the ending is so overdone. Sorry but not my cup of tea. (Sorry, in Cam- paign Brief Australia, 2014)
EmployeeāStakeholder Commentaries on and perceptions of the Qantas Brand
Trade unions, such as Australian Workers Union (AWU), also seized upon the Qantas branding campaign to voice their position. The AWU represents a number of occupational and worker groups at Qantas. Qantas has been facing increased competition from new international competitors on key routes, and these international competitors are not subject to the same ownership and capital investment restrictions that Qantas faces. The AWU took the opportunity to advocate for removing international investment restrictions, launching the āFair Go 4 Qantasā petition to protect and sustain Qantas and address its erosion in market share. The campaign fostered strong nationalistic, loyalist and proud sentiments about Qantas as the ānational airline,ā the ānational carrier,ā and an important ānational providerā of both skills development and jobs.
The Australian Workersā Union is encouraging members to sign the āFair Go 4 Qantasā petition, which calls on the federal government to level the playing field for the national carrier so that it can
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compete fairly against Virgin Australiaā¦ For the better part of a century Qantas has been a massive contributor to our national employment, skills base and economy. Allowing this important role to be chipped away by the current unbalanced situation is not in the interest of Australian workers or the Australian economy. (AWU, 2014)
Insights from Customer and Worker Commentaries on the Qantas Brand and the āFeels Like Homeā Campaign
Despite initial positive reactions, it soon became clear that stakeholder reactions to nationalistic elements of the campaign had some adverse consequences. Critics gave a range of reasons for disparaging the Qantas brand, such as the perceived failure of the airline to reward the loyalty of long-standing customers (changes to the frequent flyer program) or to maintain high standards of customer service during travel, as well as shifting market emphasis away from domestic customers and towards overseas interests.
How to trash your Corporate brand for Dummies. Written by Qantas management, based on true events. (Williams, 2014)
Joyce seems to relish his relentless mission to damage the Qantas brand and prepare it for sale at bargain price. (Jack, 2014)
I love Qantas and have no desire to avoid it ā but I want it to deserve my loyalty and to have a CEO whoās worthy of the brand. (Schadenfrieda, 2014)
Sickly sweet and laced with cliches. Iām surprised it wasnāt released the same day that Alan Joyce announced he had fixed everything and the airline was back in the black. No mention of sacking over 5,000 people to achieve it not to mention the knock-on effect to the severed relationships with a multitude of Australian companies resulting in further job losses. Surly staff with a āI canāt help youā¦ nextā attitude quickly make you realise that this is the Qantas welcome home. That annoying cough that Qantas has with customer service is likely to be a chest infection and no amount of incredibly expensive sweet TV syrup is going to fix it. (Mumbrella, 2014a)
Whatever you think of the ad campaign, itās like putting a new frock on a damaged body. Qantasā problems lie in their mistreatment of Frequent Flyers, whose loyalty has been repaid by slaps in the face for the past decade. When you treat customers with disrespect, they move away. Itās really a very simple formula, and equally simple to fix. But no ā Qantas will go down in flames before they admit that mistake. (Mumbrella, 2014b)
EmployeeāStakeholder Commentaries
Qantas workers also had negative reactions about the campaign. This was in part due to timing. The cam- paign was rolled out as the company implemented a number of managerial strategies aimed at restructuring the business to compete more effectively, such as downsizing the workforce (as outlined in Figure 1). The comments made by workers reveal that these stakeholders believe a national airline has the responsibility to deliver ongoing and stable employment to Australians and exhibit non-combative leadership and manage- ment qualities. Workers perceive that Qantas has failed to deliver on these responsibilities, and therefore they view with cynicism company representations that exalt the values of nationalism and national spirit and use emotive themes such as homecoming and reunion.
By the end of Qantasā current ātransformationā, 5000 hardworking Australians will have lost their
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jobs. (Phillips, 2014)
Qantas workers are the backbone of our national carrier and the reason the airline enjoys the excel- lent reputation that it has. They deserve better than being buffeted by a series of horror announce- ments from the airlineās management and an uncertain future. (Blue Mountains Union News, 2014)
Alan Joyce, should resign with head in hand and very ashamed of the way he has ran Qantas into the ground. This is our heritage not yours. The whole board should be on notice. Do you think any other company would still have these people running the show? I just hope that they rethink top level and start with new management. (Rosemary, cited in Phillips, 2014)
One could be excused for thinking that Joyceās brief on joining Qantas was to run it into the ground to make it ripe for takeover by its competitors or foreign āinvestorsā who will then strip it of its cash and infrastructure assets and laugh all the way to their banks leaving the Australian government with the problem of the wreckage of peopleās lives. If that is not the case Joyce has a peculiar way of showing it! (Cassandra, cited in Phillips, 2014)
Similar negative sentiments were expressed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU):
For over 90 years Qantas has been the spirit of Australia employing tens of thousands of Australians, training thousands of apprentices, keeping regional communities connected and playing a key role in national crises such as the Bali Bombings and Boxing Day Tsunamiā¦ Australians rightly expect the flying kangaroo to be in the skies for the years to comeā¦ (ACTU, 2013)
Conclusion
Examining the responses to Qantas and its re-branding campaign through qualitative thematic (narrative) analysis can permit a deeper examination of constructed meanings of brand. For employeeāstakeholders the emotive images of travelers presented in āFeels Like Homeā evoked strong reactions to and criticism of the ad campaign, seemingly calling into question the credibility and authenticity of an emotional narrative. Numerous stakeholders even perceived Qantas as combative and less customer-focused than in the past, which led to an increase in negative comments about the campaign.
There is considerable complexity associated with constructing and maintaining a national brand. In the case of the āFeels Like Homeā campaign, Qantas struggled with changing public perceptions of the airline, shaped by the turbulent financial, political, and industrial challenges it has faced since 2010. Criticism of the campaign spread quickly across internet-based forums. The āFeels Like Homeā campaign shows that although the emo- tional and nostalgic themes of āhomecomingā and ānationalismā formed a longstanding part of Qantasās brand profile in Australia, effectively managing stakeholder perceptions and meanings of key concepts underpinning a brand requires more than a single brand campaign.
Discussion Questions
1. Three key stakeholder groupsāQantas corporate interests, workers and cus- tomersāprovide qualitative commentary about Qantas and its recent marketing. How do their perceptions differ? Are there any areas of shared understanding or perception of the Qantas brand held by all stakeholders?
2. While the sentimental narratives of homecoming and family reunion have been long- standing features of Qantas branding since the 1980s, based on the stakeholder com- mentaries presented here, the āFeels Like Homeā campaign has failed to connect with
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Page 10 of 11 Facing Some āHomeā Truths: Brand Backlash and the Case of Qantas
many key aviation industry stakeholders. Why has this disconnect occurred? 3. A gap appears between corporate representations and understandings of a brand (the
brand āidentityā held by a company) and diverging stakeholder perceptions of brand (brand image) that can have significant implications for the success of an advertising campaign. In the context of this case study, how can qualitative analysis of these different commentaries help to shed light on the gap between ābrand identityā and ābrand imageā?
4. Identify some strengths and weaknesses in the āFeels Like Homeā television campaign approach used by Qantas to re-invigorate the brand.
5. How might Qantas have approached its advertising campaign differently? Is it possible for organizations to effectively re-brand in the face of widespread ābad pressā?
References Australian Council of Trade Unions. (2013). Unions call for a string Australian aviation industry, Retrieved at http://www.actu.org.au/actu-media/media-releases/2013/unions-call-for-a-strong-australian-aviation-industry Australian Workers Union (2014). Fair go for Qantas campaign. Australian Workers Union. Retrieved at http://www.awu.net.au/fair-go-qantas Blue Mountains Union News (2014). ACTU: Qantas mismanagement owes answers. Retrieved from http://bmuc.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/actu-qantas-mismanagement-owes-answers.html Campaign Brief Australia (2014, November 7). Qantas launches campaign to make brand āfeel like homeā: Brand campaign comes after a tough year for the Australian airline. Retrieved from http://www.campaign- brief.com/2014/11/qantas-launches-new-feels-like.html. Collis, J. & Hussey, R. (2009). Business research. Sydney: Palgrave Macmillan. Flynn, D (2014). Qantas launches new ad campaign: āFeels like homeā in Australian Business Traveller, Re- trieved at http://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-launches-new-ad-campaign-feels-like-home. Freed, J. (2014, November 7). Qantas launches āFeels Like Homeā ad campaign. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/qantas-launches-feels-like-home-ad-cam- paign-20141107-11ij4l.html Gittell J. H. , von Nordenflycht, A. , Kochan, T. A. , McKersie. R., & Bamber, G. J. (2009). Labor relations and human resource management in the airline industry. In P. Belobaba , A. Odoni , & C. Barnhart C (Eds.) The global airline industry (pp. 275ā312). Chichester: John Wiley and Sons. Ironside, R (2014). Qantas launches new āFeel like homeā brand campaign, retrieved from http://www.news.com.au/national/qantas-launches-new-feels-like-home-brand-campaign/news-story/ 0c1dd63534b5b78f4fd982af58e3d5e9 Jack (2014). Twitter feed, 9 December. Retrieved at https://twitter.com/mojmarineman Jupp, V. (2006). The Sage dictionary of social research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Mumbrella (2014a, November 7). Sweet TV cough syrup for a chest infection. Mumbrella. Retrieved from http://mumbrella.com.au/qantas-brand-campaign-261235 Mumbrella (2014b, November 8). Mumbrella. Retrieved from http://mumbrella.com.au/qantas-brand-cam- paign-261235 Phillips, M. (2014, August 29). How does this man still have a job? Working Life. Retrieved from http://work- inglife.org.au/2014/08/29/how-does-this-man-still-have-a-job/ Quantas (2014, November 7) Media release: Qantas unveils new brand campaignāāFeels Like Home.ā. Re- trieved from http://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-unveils-new-brand-campaign-feels- like-home Schadenfrieda, M. (2014). Twitter feed, 9 December. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/Schadenfrieda Williams, W. (2014). Twitter feed, 9 December. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/windbagfff http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781473999022
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