RedFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 4181 posts, RR: 30 Posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 4135 times:
With so many A380 threads going, I thought I'd add one more regarding marketing...
I was passing through HKG yesterday and at the check-in terminals I saw a big SQ advertisement for the A380 with the logo "First to fly the A380". I couldn't help but wonder, "So what?".
Given the delays encountered by the A380 program and the entire production and company issues that have recently come to light, does the A380 still hold a unique status symbol (beyond sheer size) anymore?
I'm beginning to wonder if it is in fact turning into an albatross from a marketing standpoint for some who are planning on putting her into service.
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26726 posts, RR: 83 Reply 1, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 4133 times:
Well at the rate the first frames will trickle into service, SQ might very well be the only A380 operator for upwards of a year...
Deaphen From India, joined Jul 2005, 1418 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 4121 times:
Delays are a pain for the airlines... the first A380 will definately be extremely exciting for all of us aviation people. Imagine flying in the beast! Anyways.. yes SQ may be unhappy bout the delays.. but it will still be the first to commercialy fly the A380!
No change in that status!
regards
ntiin
I want every single airport and airplane in India to be on A.net!
Steph001 From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 315 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 4107 times:
I haven't seen the "first to fly A380" sticker on SQ's commercials in Germany for more than one year. In one of the last editions of "Wirtschaftswoche" (a German economics magazine) I saw a supplement on China with a SQ commercial featuring "Singapore Girl":D. So, to make it short, I guess you have seen an old commercial . "First to fly A380" doesn't matter anymore as much as it did couple of years ago.
RedFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 4181 posts, RR: 30 Reply 4, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 3918 times:
Quoting Stitch (Reply 1): Well at the rate the first frames will trickle into service, SQ might very well be the only A380 operator for upwards of a year...
But beyond being the first to fly her, is the glamour still there? I mean, with all the production issues, does the average joe still get excited by knowing he/she may fly on her before anyone else with a particular airline?
Aviasian From Singapore, joined Jan 2001, 1453 posts, RR: 16 Reply 5, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 3901 times:
The excitement may have abated for now . . . after all, until Airbus is certain that the first A380 delivery will take place in October 2007, there is no point keeping up the hype.
But down the road when aviation history is recorded, SIA will go down as the airline that launched the inaugural commercial service using the A380. In the same way we now remember that Pan Am did it with the B747-100 and Northwest did it with the B747-400 . . . that is how history will remember. The delays which today hog the media limelight will by then fade into the fringe of history.
SIA will reveal its next generation cabin features on 17 October . . . that would be a good time to see if it still holds on the the "First To Fly A380" marketing position.
Zvezda From Lithuania, joined Aug 2004, 10511 posts, RR: 65 Reply 6, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 3760 times:
It's interesting that -- at least in some markets -- SQ are still willing to proclaim that apparent mistake (even if it was reasonable based on the information available to SQ at the time).
Quoting Aviasian (Reply 5): SIA will reveal its next generation cabin features on 17 October . . . that would be a good time to see if it still holds on the the "First To Fly A380" marketing position.
Bill142 From Australia, joined Aug 2004, 8320 posts, RR: 9 Reply 8, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 3663 times:
It will be scaled back and the ramped up again prior to delivery. The marketing execs all know how it works. A prolonged campaign will probably work against them.
Joni From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 3660 times:
Quoting Zvezda (Reply 6): It's interesting that -- at least in some markets -- SQ are still willing to proclaim that apparent mistake (even if it was reasonable based on the information available to SQ at the time).
SQ appears to have corrected the mistake by removing the "2006" from the marketing slogan.
Zvezda From Lithuania, joined Aug 2004, 10511 posts, RR: 65 Reply 10, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 3423 times:
Quoting Joni (Reply 9): SQ appears to have corrected the mistake by removing the "2006" from the marketing slogan.
... unless having chosen it at all turns into an embarrassment. I don't think it's an embarrassment for the airlines yet (clearly SQ don't think so), but it may become one if anything more goes wrong.
Joni From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 3267 times:
Quoting Zvezda (Reply 10): ... unless having chosen it at all turns into an embarrassment. I don't think it's an embarrassment for the airlines yet (clearly SQ don't think so), but it may become one if anything more goes wrong.
I think the airlines know what they're doing. Should the plane not live up to the perfo guarantees (which is not the case unless it's performance somehow deteriorates while the wiring is redone) this would be Airbus' fault.
Zvezda From Lithuania, joined Aug 2004, 10511 posts, RR: 65 Reply 14, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 3242 times:
Quoting Joni (Reply 13): Should the plane not live up to the perfo guarantees this would be Airbus' fault.
Yes, it would be Airbus' fault, but it would still be embarrassing for the airlines which ordered it. Cancellation of the project would be embarrassing for the airlines. EIS after the SuperJumbo would be embarrassing for the airlines. Cancellation by several airlines could be embarrassing for the remainder. I wish I could be confident that the WhaleJet program has already hit rock-bottom, but who knows what might yet happen?
OldAeroGuy From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 3206 posts, RR: 66 Reply 15, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 3194 times:
Quoting Joni (Reply 9): SQ appears to have corrected the mistake by removing the "2006" from the marketing slogan.
I saw them start doing this in Fall '05. They knew something was up at that time.
Airplane design is easy, the difficulty is getting them to fly - Barnes Wallis
GeorgiaAME From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 868 posts, RR: 6 Reply 16, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2956 times:
When life deals out lemons, make lemonade.
How is this for an improvement:
"The only one flying the 380"
Subject to change, of course.
"Trust, but verify!" An old Russian proverb, quoted often by a modern American hero
Rbgso From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 575 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2796 times:
I still wonder what they will do with only one frame in 2007.
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26726 posts, RR: 83 Reply 18, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2767 times:
Quoting Rbgso (Reply 17): I still wonder what they will do with only one frame in 2007.
Air crew (flight and cabin) training/familiarzation on short-haul flights like a daily SIN-SYD-SIN rotation.
Zvezda From Lithuania, joined Aug 2004, 10511 posts, RR: 65 Reply 20, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2717 times:
Quoting HB88 (Reply 19): The general public wont even remember or care about the EIS delay.
True, but the shareholders will.
Quoting HB88 (Reply 19): When the 380 goes into revenue service with SQ as the only initial operator of the type, it will have had the desired PR effect.
Indio66 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 474 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2688 times:
SQ has teamed up with the Aussie tourist board and has a new campaign for the 380:
HB88 From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2005, 810 posts, RR: 32 Reply 22, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2665 times:
Quoting Zvezda (Reply 20): Quoting HB88 (Reply 19):
"The general public wont even remember or care about the EIS delay."
True, but the shareholders will.
True, but that's not what is at issue here. As a PR/marketing exercise, I don't think it will matter in the slightest with the public as a whole. Perhaps those who noticed the "...in 2006" tag (I have to admit I didn't).
Quoting Zvezda (Reply 20): Quoting HB88 (Reply 19):
"When the 380 goes into revenue service with SQ as the only initial operator of the type, it will have had the desired PR effect."
The magnitude of the effect is unknown.
See above: as a marketin/public relations program, I don't think it will have much effect. We're not talking about financial impact on the airline per se due to the delays. I'm talking about the utility of the "first to fly A380" marketing for SQ. I very much doubt that the general public will react all that much differently in terms of ticket sales or attraction of flying the A380 product because it is late.
Futurecaptain From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 23, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2594 times:
Quoting RedFlyer (Thread starter): I'm beginning to wonder if it is in fact turning into an albatross from a marketing standpoint for some who are planning on putting her into service.
As I remember the albatross was a good luck symbol, until they shot it.
C172onfloats From Germany, joined Apr 2005, 11 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (6 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 2025 times:
You are wrong Steph001! I'm on SIA's newsletter campaign for the A380 with all information and the chance to win a seat on the first flight.
Still a big deal for SIA to be the first! Whenever it will finally happen!
25 Ken777: First is going to be important for SQ - especially during the period that they are the only airline flying it. Down the road the the question will be
26 Zvezda: All the wiring on an airliner normally gets replaced about once every six years.
27 Stitch: I wonder if that requirement is affecting the current re-work? It's one thing to just move stuff about and re-wire as necessary to get everything up,
28 Zvezda: No, everything gets stripped out during heavy maintenance. This is not complicating the WhaleJet wiring problem. As reported, the real problem seems
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"Singapore Girl":D. So, to make it short, I guess you have seen an old commercial 
. "First to fly A380" doesn't matter anymore as much as it did couple of years ago.
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