Skyteam10001 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 194 posts, RR: 0 Posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 2517 times:
Just filled an online questionnaire sent to me as a Flying Blue member.
Most of the questions had to do with travel between the US and Europe and the different airlines one would choose for that, but at the end of the survey, a few questions were about the possibility of merging the Air France and KLM brands into just one brand. Quote from the questionnaire :
"Imagine in the near future the Air France and KLM brands would be integrated in one single brand (which means that all products and services will be combined, at the airport, on board, in the contact with the call centers, in the communication, etc).
Taking into account everything you look for in an airline, what would be your opinion of this joint Air France KLM brand? Please rate it on a 10 point scale where '10' means you think it's perfect and '1' means you think it's terrible."
I find it extremely interesting that they would already think of marketing the 2 airlines under the unified Air France KLM brand !
Goldorak From France, joined Sep 2006, 1677 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 2502 times:
interesting. Thanks for your post. I didn't receive anything so may be it's reserved for US members. Did they ask questions like "if the 2 brands are merged, which one (AF or KL) of the following would you like to become the standard for the new combined brand :
- food
- IFE
- A/C config and type of seats
..." ?
Skyteam10001 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 194 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 2418 times:
Not exactly but there was a question very close to what you are asking : on all these criterias (the criterias being food, IFE, FAs uniforms, ground services, etc...) a unified brand would be
a) an improvement vs the existing AF brand
b) acceptable vs the existing AF brand
c) the same as the existing AF brand
d) not an improvement vs the existing AF brand
I don't remember the exact wording but you get the idea.
Mindscape From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 314 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 2352 times:
Hello Skyteam 10001,
Have you noticed that some of the questions were also related on how AK-KL customers see AZ ?
It was weird and interesting to see that in the questionnaire. There were a bunch of questions asking for rating AF, then same questions rating KL, but then surprise same questions rating AZ !!!!
Jouy31 From France, joined May 2003, 446 posts, RR: 11 Reply 4, posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 2313 times:
I filled out the same questionnaire today. I did mention the fact that if LVMH can manage a large portfolio of (luxury) brands, AF/KL should also build on its brands instead of destroying value while trying to launch a new bland pseudo European brand.
N328KF From United States of America, joined May 2004, 6226 posts, RR: 3 Reply 6, posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 2286 times:
Quoting Jouy31 (Reply 4): I filled out the same questionnaire today. I did mention the fact that if LVMH can manage a large portfolio of (luxury) brands, AF/KL should also build on its brands instead of destroying value while trying to launch a new bland pseudo European brand.
If they ditch both existing brands and come up with a made-up name (a la Cingular, Verizon, etc...) then I agree. However, if the new airline is simply 'Air France-KLM,' then how bad can that be? And they don't even have to have the airlines fully merged...they can simply operate in the same manner as TZ and US.
When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer 'Present' or 'Not guilty.' T.Roosevelt
Skyteam10001 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 194 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 2216 times:
Mindscape, yes i did see that. It didn't strike me as weird because AZ was one of the airlines I had selected earlier in the questionnaire since I flew with them this year (I thought this was a logical result of my ticking the AZ box in the first few questions).
I can tell you that if ppl have answered like me on how they perceive the AZ brandm they'll have a pretty clear idea on whether they should buy it or not (from the consumers' POV obviously)...
Mindscape From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 314 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 2146 times:
Quoting Skyteam10001 (Reply 8): (I thought this was a logical result of my ticking the AZ box in the first few questions).
Well i didnt selected AZ in my carrier choice answers that is why i was surprised to see questions related to AZ, plus these are the same questions as for AF and KL regarding the perception that we have for each airline brand ... It looks like they try to sized AF-KL customers opinion on an eventual integration (take over?) of AZ... smoky smoky
Workhorse From France, joined Jul 2005, 213 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 2125 times:
Hope they don't do that.
Having two distinct brands is an advantage, not a handicap. Some people prefer AF, others prefer KL. I know some people who wouldn't fly AF ever because "French are always on strike", and there's a lot of people (me included) who will always prefer to fly AF when price and schedule are comparable.
Merging two brands might cost them a loss of some customers, and will hardly bring new ones.
PA110 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1952 posts, RR: 26 Reply 11, posted (6 years 7 months 1 week 12 hours ago) and read 2084 times:
This is a potential worry if AF takes the lead in branding. Here's a look at AF's past branding triumphs:
1. Reducing the French flag to a UPC barcode and instigating the "euro-white" look.
2. "Le Club" - AF's answer to BA's Club Class in the early 80's. Not exactly original!
3. "L'Espace 127" and "L'Espace 180" Oh yeah... that branding just rolls right off the tongue! Luckily it didn't last long, and was replaced by L'Espace Premiere and L'Espace Affaires.
4. Tempo - AF's economy class. But what does it mean?
5. Alizé - AF's name for a stripped-down business class aimed at holiday makers.
Don't get me wrong... I think AF runs circles around KLM in terms of service, but branding... it's just not their thing.
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