For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, possibly the last major airline brand (see AdAge article) has just caught the wind about engaging customers through social media and began their new journey by first taking over a existing Facebook fanpage with over 100,000 fans, which was started by a real fan in 2006, and setting up a new Twitter account. All this happened on Sept 5, 2011 – over two years after we wrote here in May 2009, “why time is running out for the Singapore Airlines brand to get into Web 2.0″.

Better late than never. They have the advantage of learning from the mistakes of others, but at the same time need to match high expectations set by worthy competitors like AirAsia, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. So, now what?

Twelve things Singapore Airlines needs to do social media right

1. “Just because you built it doesn’t mean they will come”. You can build the best roller coaster in the world, but to have monks ride it (image above), there needs to be something in it for them. Similarly, SQ needs to offer something unique to their fans on social media – something they can’t get offline, and something every other airline on Facebook and Twitter is not offering.
2. SQ has an advantage of already having over 100,000 fans on their Facebook fan page, which has been run by a real fan till date. Now, they need to put significant resources to carry on the good job this one real fan was doing.  SQ needs to embrace their suggestions and lend a listening ear.  Fans on social media often act like women – they are not necessarily looking a solution, but for you to be a good listener.
3. They need to reply to the negative comments, and not just the positive ones. They are doing a decent job with this right now, and need to keep up the good work (see image below).
4. It will be a learning process for the airline, which has till date maintained tight control over their brand. They must now learn to co-create the brand with their fans. We have shared previously lots of case studies of how airlines crowd source.
5. It will be important for SQ to create a multi-account social media strategy – each targeted to a separate target audience. They should look to create @SIAMedia or @SQMedia to target press and journalists – especially to send out instant information in times of crises. Learn from American Airlines.
6. Frequent fliers are twice as likely to join an airline discussion on social media, than typical adults. SQ should look to start a Krisflyer Facebook page and  @Krisflyer on Twitter to cater to the needs of their frequent fliers.
7. Over 80% of tweets an airline receives are regarding customer service issues – from flight delay queries to lost baggage accounts. Providing excellent customer service will be the key to success for SQ’s social media presence. They should either look to create an integrated model team, like jetBlue, or look to outsource part of online servicing, like KLM.
8. Having grown up in Singapore, I know how organizations there love “SOPs” or “Standard Operating Procedures”. SOPs should be created for employees on how to behave on social media. A “Social media 101 chapter” can be introduced in induction training for new employees, or annual retreats to make this a regular feature.
9. SQ has a unique advantage that few other airlines have – there are more positive mentions than negative ones. They need to leverage on this fact to build brand ambassadors, and empower them to spread the message further and come to the airline’s rescue in times of crises.
10. Leverage the Singapore Girl icon on social media – She has been central to the Singapore Airline’s brand till date. And it will be crucial that the Singapore Girl comes to life on social media too. How? I’m sure we can have a day-long discussion on that
11. Singapore Airlines also needs to ensure that they do not become yet another airline on social media, but are engaging their fans in a unique manner and driving specific business goals like revenue and loyalty. For starters, use our Social Media Cheatsheet for Airline Marketers
12. Lastly, and most importantly – branding on social media is very different from building a great offline brand. You need to experiment. You need to iterate. You need to loosen up a little. Try five things. Three may work. One might work very well. Then keep repeating the process. It’s not about getting it absolutely right the first time.

As of last month, there were 191 airlines on Twitter. Of these, only 85 had actively been tweeting. And only 28 provided 80% of all tweets! Singapore Airlines has been a great offline brand. My hope is that this doesn’t become the case of too little, too late. Now, they need to make sure they don’t get lost in the crowd of 191 airlines on Twitter, and create a brand on social media that’s just as lovable.

All the best, Singapore Airlines – hope you remain a great way to fly, even on the Twitter bird  

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Yes, Singapore Airlines is no longer the most profitable airline in the world (Cathay Pacific took over that title), and yes they’re losing market share to the likes of Emirates and AirAsiaX (to a lesser extent), but to go with a business model that’s hardly proven was a surprise move for a brand that’s been risk-averse of late.

While the initial reports stated that a good amount of analysis has gone into the decision and a “largely untapped market” exists, it’s safe to say that SIA is playing catch up in a market carved out in its backyard by AirAsia X and Jetstar. While the key success factor for SIA till date has been its endearing Singapore Girl brand, that’s exactly the dilemma they need to address – whether to extend the brand to the low cost airline or not.

Will the Singapore Girl fly budget? Probably not.

One big question everyone is wondering about is whether the Singapore Girl would fly this new airline. For those who’re familiar with SIA, they know that the airline is very protective of its brand icon. And multiple questions will be raised if the same Singapore Girls walk the aisle of the new airline.

1. How to ensure that people know SIA and the new LCC are different, yet have the same flight attendants?
2. Will service failures like flight delays or cancellations be dealt in an SIA manner, or Tiger Airways manner?
3. Will SIA Economy Class passengers transferring on to the LCC be offered free meals and amenity kits?
4. What baggage allowances will people get if they are transferring from one airline to another?

Close brand association between the two airlines might prove to be too risky for both brands. Hence, it’s likely that SIA will dis-associate itself completely from the new brand. For example, when things went bad for Tiger Airways in Australia, no one boycotted SIA – the latter still holds its reputation for impeccable service. SIA’s greatest leverage will be that they’ve run a long haul airline successfully, with a very low cost base.

Learn from the competition, then fight on your own turf

While SIA’s track record is an asset, it is also a reason for concern. The airline already has a very low cost base – how would they reduce it further, if operations are to be based in Singapore? One of the reasons for the success of AirAsia X and Jetstar have been the feed from their short haul operations. Interestingly, SIA is a purely-long haul airline, hence feeding the network for this new long-haul airline would depend on SilkAir and Tiger Airways. These and other factors will require SIA to re-think its commercial strategies for the new airline, learning from the competition.

1. SIA till today only sells airline tickets on its website (trying to book a hotel will take you to an external site). Whereas on AirAsia’s RedTix website, I can even buy Justin Beiber concert tickets! So the new LCC SIA sets up must re-evaluate what businesses it gets in and how best to leverage the brand
2. SIA’s frequent flyer program, Krisflyer, also currently only allows burning or miles on SIA flights. This is in stark contrast to Qantas’ Frequent Flyer program, where I can redeem and earn miles by shopping for groceries! Krisflyer will also have to evolve, just like Jetstar has been introduced into the Qantas’ program.
3. SIA’s new long-haul LCC can expect very stiff competition from AirAsia X and Jetstar. Moreover, the competition has one year to sharpen its knifes before SIA launches the new airline. While Jetstar would want to start routes Melbourne-Singapore-Athens flights sooner, the Malaysian government has even more reasons to grant AirAsia X coveted routes like Sydney. SIA needs to run two steps ahead to out-think the competition.
4. SIA also needs to learn from mistakes made in its Tiger Airways venture – running the new airline like a Ryanair may not work, especially in long-haul. They need to ensure high customer service standards, like they have with themselves.

A golden opportunity to co-create the brand with the customers

To provide exceptional customer service, SIA will also need to understand that the customers of the new airline more like those of Tiger Airways’ than its own. And they need to deal with them in a different manner. What do I mean?

Currently, SIA has no official Facebook fanpage. No official Twitter account. Or any other new medium engagement channels. All this when AirAsia, right next door, has become the first airline outside the US to reach 1 million Facebook fans. Tiger Airways’ social media interaction isn’t something to speak of either.

SIA needs to hire manager who believe that the brand is no longer about control. Rather, it’s about influencing a certain behaviour, and engaging with customers using mediums they’re familiar with (I still have to fax in certain requests to Krisflyer!). They can no longer be in a state of educated nonchalance about these new ways of building a brand, as I had mentioned earlier.

Singapore Airlines has a rare opportunity to involve the potential customers in the brand creation process of its new low-cost long haul airline brand. For starters, they can look at how the best airlines in the world are crowd sourcing ideas. And then wholeheartedly embrace the customer.

Given their track record, I think Singapore Airlines is going to do a good enough job setting up this new airline – what remains to be seen is whether they are able to sustain profitable operations in the face of changing customer realities and fierce competition. Exciting times ahead! What do you think?

(Special thanks to Khoa Huynh and Anthony Prsakasam – my two aviation geek friends who helped seed some of the ideas in this article)

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In advertisements released this month, there are no A380s. No business class beds. No gourmet food. No lounges. But just the Singapore Girl. I bet some of you would recall that in the late 70s and 80s, this was precisely the brand strategy for Singapore Airlines – something that set it a class apart from the rest. Here’s what the new ad looks like:

Of course, we were more than curious about the latest move, and managed to get an interview with the spokesperson at SIA. And here’s the interview, verbatim.

Interview with Nicholas Ionides, VP, Public Affairs, Singapore Airlines

Q: It’s refreshing to see the Singapore Girl being the center of SIA’s brand. What led to the re-think?
A: The Singapore Girl has always been central to SIA’s branding, and she was never excluded from our ads as we recognize the strong emotional connection our customers have with our brand as a result of her iconic image.

Sure, our ads and campaigns have taken varying forms as they carry different messages over the course of time, but through it all, the Singapore Girl was always present, whether we were promoting our latest products, introducing a new aircraft or launching a new destination.

Q: The focus now seems on the Singapore Girl icon, and the destinations – what about the product?

A: As explained above, our on-going marketing campaigns would naturally take varying forms and carry different messages over the course of time. The focus of each advertising campaign is determined by the message we want to convey during that period of time.

Previously, we have had advertisements featuring our cabin products, which worked well to inform the traveling public about our new innovations. We also had destination advertisements that showcased the many locations to which we operate. Similarly, the latest Singapore Girl campaign aims to reinforce our forte – the world’s best in-flight service.

Q: Previously, SIA’s ads focused on the price and the product – are these out of the picture now? Why?
A: No, we are well aware that price and product are strong factors that influence consumer patterns. By building an ad campaign around the Singapore Girl, we are highlighting what she, and SIA have come to symbolize – our Asian hospitality and world-class service standards, epitomizing the warmth and caring that customers have come to expect of SIA.

By having the Singapore Girl front the latest campaign we hope to remind our customers and the public of these attributes that set SIA apart from others.

Q: How has the SIA brand evolved over the years, and what does this latest re-incarnation signify?
A: SIA first used the Singapore Girl to front our ad campaigns in the 1970s and this continues to today. Despite the progression of time, the essence of the Singapore Girl and what she represents remains timeless. The details and presentation may have varied slightly through the course of time, but we’ve always sought to be contemporary while holding on to our traditional values of service and the warm hospitality that is associated with Singapore Airlines.

The latest campaign is a continuation of our long-standing Singapore Girl ad campaigns, showcasing the Singapore Girl’s Asian hospitality while bringing the romance of travel to life. To present the diversity of the destinations that we serve, we filmed on location in four different locations – San Francisco,  Paris,Jaisalmer in India and Wuzhen in China. The unique character of each location comes across strongly, and each is a fitting iconic backdrop for the Singapore Girl herself.

Q: The advertisement was first released on Youtube, and the video now has over 220,000 views. Why was the decision taken to launch Youtube, given how conservative SIA has been in social media use?
A: We adopt an integrated marketing campaign approach to advertising and digital platforms play a key role in all Singapore Airlines promotional campaigns. Online activities including selected social media channels, where relevant, complement the traditional media channels used to ensure that the advertising message reaches consumers at various touchpoints.

At the same time, we recognize that people are increasingly obtaining information, furthering their interests and sharing their thoughts through new media. As such, new media platforms like YouTube are dynamic mechanisms with which to get the word out.

Q: Four making-of videos were also released on Youtube – what purpose do they serve? Will this be a regular feature of all future advertisements?
A: We have over the years, seen great interest from the general public on how our ads are put together, so we thought what better way to share “behind the scenes” moments than as an introduction to our latest ad campaign?

Platforms like YouTube are borderless in nature, in that you don’t have to be in a fixed geographical location to access an ad, and you don’t have to wait for it to come on at a certain time or day. So those who are interested to find out what we’re doing, can do so very easily, and that allows us to further bridge the gap between consumer and service provider.

Q: Some say that the ads are sexist – what’s your take on that?
A: The iconic Singapore Girl has long been a cornerstone of the Singapore Airlines brand philosophy and world-class service standards, known for her warm Asian hospitality and affable, caring ways. She represents not just the Singapore Airlines flight attendant, but service-focused qualities that our cabin crew – male and female – all possess.

In her distinctive sayong kebaya uniform, the Singapore Girl has become a global marketing icon recognised as one of the airline industry’s as well as Singapore’s most prominent figures. Together with her male counterparts, all our Singapore Airlines cabin crew members are ambassadors for the Airline and Singapore.

Q: What about the SIA Guys? On my SIA flights, male FAs have been the most attentive and friendly!
A: It won’t be a stretch to say that consistency is one of SIA’s key strengths, and a lot of that comes from the fact that customers can expect a certain standard of service and delivery whenever they fly with us. It’s not easy for airlines to be able to replicate such consistent levels of delivery across their entire cabin crew population, but at SIA we’re proud to say that we’re able to so do even with some 7000 crew, more than one third of them male. The fact that the Singapore Girl is a fixture in our ads should not be read as taking anything away from the guys, because they are also key to our success and possess the core value of world class service.

Q: Having set such high brand expectations, what do you think might be a challenge in living up to the brand image?
A: Before you can create a great brand, you have to be able to live up to the service expectations that your customers have.  The advertising of Singapore Airlines serves to remind people about the high levels of service we provide to the customers, but it wouldn’t work if we didn’t live up to those expectations in delivery. We consistently strive to meet the highest standards of customer care and service, to fulfil our promise of being “A Great Way to Fly”.

Q: What’s next for the SIA brand and the SIA Girl?

A: Customer service, product innovation and network connectivity are the key pillars that form the foundation of our competitive offering. We are committed to constantly innovating and improving our product and service offerings to provide our customers with the very best premium air travel experience. As an industry leader, we do not rest on our laurels after the introduction of new products, but move forward by continuing to seek comments and feedback from our customers to improve on our products and services to stay ahead of the game.

Our greatest asset is also our people, and we will continue to invest in our people through training, just like how we will carry on growing our brand equity to ensure that the Singapore Girl – the hallmark of Singapore Airlines’ gracious service and innovative products – remains timeless and relevant in the hearts and minds of our customers.

A sustainable brand differentiation?

As with all new brand strategies, it is debatable whether the differentiation is sustainable or not. I personally believe that the focus on the Singapore Girl is much more sustainable for Singapore Airlines. After all, while they were the first to fly the A380, Emirates now flies more. While SIA had the widest Business Class bed in the world, Turkish Airlines has it now, while Oman Air has the longest. Product differentiation is seldom sustainable.

But I believe no other airline can duplicate a Singapore Girl – it’s difficult to take away her essence. Don’t you think?

Just try imagining a subservient, almost Geisha-like stewardess on an American carrier – yeah, I know it’s difficult.

I rest my case.

What do you think of Singapore Airlines’ latest re-incarnation? Is the re-focus on the Girl a sustainable competitive advantage? Or are they going back in time? Let’s hear your thoughts, over on Twitter (@simpliflying) and in the comments section.

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Image Source: Singapore Airlines

In both the flights, I felt a distinct connection with the flight crew that was serving me. I kept wondering why that was. The difference was eye contact. In Singapore Airlines, each time the Singapore Girls spoke to me, they kneeled down, looked at me at eye-level and then spoke. In Emirates, while the flight attendants didn’t kneel down, they always looked me in the eye when speaking with me or passing me something.  And coupled with a smile, it was always heartwarming. Even the smallest of interactions were a pleasure.

Quite simple isn’t it? It doesn’t cost anything to smile, and while it might take some time to kneel, it creates a lasting impression. One that often drives brand loyalty. Hence, it’s worth it.

What do you think? Why aren’t more airlines using more such gestures that hardly cost anything, to win over hearts and wallets? Let’s discuss here, and on Twitter (@simpliFlying)

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Note: This is a Guest Post by Kat. She enjoys everything about airlines and works for their worst enemy: an airport.

Great brands have emerged amidst doom and gloom of economic recessions. Is this time for Singapore Airlines (SIA) to reinvent itself?

True enough, all these years, a Singapore Girl and premium class travel image were the selling points of the brand. But this economic crisis appears to have shaken and changed the landscapes of air travel industry quite significantly. More businessmen are taking budget carriers these days, premium class load factors show no signs of stopping decline, SIA business-class-only services had to be cut.

Market experts have been pointing out that even with the economic recovery premium class travel might not recover. After all, these low-cost-carriers (LCCs) get you there for a fraction of a price. At busier airports, LCCs have been snatching up slots, vacated by full-service carriers, which the latter might have a hard time getting back.

SIA appears to have been burning the candle from both ends. During the boom times, SIA had been steadily increasing the proportion of premium-class seats and improving level of service, while raising airfares. When the crisis struck, the airline appeared to be too slow to reduce ticket prices, banking on preservation of its image of a premium product. However, Emirates have been quick to imitate some of the product offerings at a lower price. Take for example first class suites. A Sydney-London return trip on Emirates will cost AUD 19,000, while the same itinerary on SIA will set one back AUD 22,500. So SIA is pricing itself out at a time when price is becoming an increasingly important factor in the choice of airline.

At the same time, there was a steady stream of complaints from the highest tier of frequent flyers (Solitaire PPS Club) because the airline discontinued offering lifetime membership and trimmed down benefits enjoyed by existing members. Travelers have been pointing out reductions in amenities during the flight and falling standards of service. Thus, the airline has not been meeting expectations dictated by the higher price braket.

As the skies are opening up, the carrier is facing tougher competition on more of its routes.

Is it already happening?

Just recently, SIA signed an agreement with Air India allowing bilateral usage of miles on each other’s flights. This will give more passengers an access to premium travel on SIA, further eroding its exclusive image.

Perhaps, Singapore Airlines Group too has realized that old times are gone for good and if it still wants to fly high, it has to review its branding strategy? Are we going to see SIA’s regional brand, Silkair, rise to greater prominence, now that simpler products with fewer frills (and costing fewer dollars) are all the rage? Or does Tiger Airways’ (an LCC) strong expansion already signal a foray into the new territory? I wonder.

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Singapore Airlines – there’s a reason why they are the best

As I boarded the A380, the first words in my head were, “Recession? What recession?!” It was a full-load double-decker aircraft from Singapore to London I was getting on, with more than 450 passengers on-board. Yet, I was personally led to my seat by an Singapore Girl. My coat was neatly hung in the cabinet, and she helped me with my hand-luggage too. The in-flight service was impeccable as ever, and the quite, new aircraft was like an icing on the cake.

Just a day earlier, my colleague had flown on an earlier flight to London, but presented the wrong passport at check-in. The staff still managed to check him in, using another ID for verification, while his brother rushed to the airport to deliver the passport. The gate closes 10 mins before departure for Singapore Airlines flights and the passport finally arrived 12 mins prior. The Singapore Airlines ground-staff had a buggy ready and my colleague was rushed across the terminal to make his flight. He was the last to board. A scene right out of a thriller isn’t it? Well, if it wasn’t for Singapore Airlines, it could have been worse.

This is why Singapore Airlines is the best – impeccable and consistent brand execution. Be it dealing with a full load A380 or dealing with unforeseen circumstances – the customer always feels like a VIP. And that’s why they have my loyalty, even though I have to pay a little more.

Virgin Atlantic – Still red-hot

Remember the recent 25th anniversary Virgin Atlantic advertisements? They proclaimed to be “Still Red Hot”. I couldn’t agree more. This was the my first time with Virgin Atlantic and I must say it’s one of the best flights on the B747 I’ve had. It wasn’t just the product – the spacious feel you get as you enter through Upper Class and see the bar at the entrance – to the headrests and IFE in the Economy cabin. Even though it’s been some time since the new product was introduced, it’s still fresh. Ironically, better than some of the “new” 747 cabins I’ve been on!

What makes Virgin Atlantic stand out though is the software – the service. The flight attendants are perky, love to joke around and have fun with the passengers. I had some very interesting conversations with them. Oh, and you see cheekiness (and Richard Branson) everywhere. Be it in the safety “cartoon” video or on the socks cover. Virgin Atlantic makes a conscious effort to stand out, and it adds an X-factor to the brand that is difficult to duplicate. Very different from Singapore Airlines, just as successful.

Delta Airlines -  just being the world’s largest doesn’t help

Delta Airlines use “we’re the world’s largest airline” in a lot of their brand messaging. However, I frankly feel that’s not a strong point of distinction, simply because tomorrow United Airlines may buy US Airways and a couple more to become the world’s largest. Moreover, being the world’s largest can result in inconveniences too, if things are not handled well.

As someone who travels a lot, unforeseen circumstances inevitably happen. When I landed in the US, there was a very long queue at Immigration, so it took me a couple of hours to come out to collect my bags. My Delta flight to Atlanta was at 7.10pm, and I reached the check-in desk at 6.11pm. But the agent wasn’t able to tag my bags, since the “system” shuts down an hour before the flight. Mind you, we-the-people could still be checked in, but our bags couldn’t be tagged. Fair enough, not their fault.

I requested the agent to put me and my colleague on the next flight, which was the next morning – an agonizing 11 hour overnight transit at JFK is something I don’t fancy much. But here’s where things got interesting. The lady refused to give us a confirmed seat on that flight even though it wasn’t full. Not keen on arguing, I just took the re-validated tickets and went over to another Delta agent. Surprise! Surprise! We got our confirmed seats. Exit row too.

The flight itself was comfortable, equipped with wi-fi and had a very interesting in-flight magazine. But coming back to my original point – being the world’s largest is of no use if the staff do not go all the way to help the customer. If the second agent could help me with a confirmed seat, I wonder why the first one couldn’t. And this makes me wonder if I’d have missed my original flight in the first place, if I had gone to the second agent….

As I’ve mentioned in my keynotes before, an airline brand is what it does, not what it says it does. Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic execute well. Delta does it better than most American carriers, but there’s some distance to go.

So, what do you think? Isn’t brand execution and delivery very important? Then why do some airlines ignore it? Let’s discuss in the comments or over on Twitter (@simpliflying)

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But the recent tough times have hit the airline hard, just like other premium carriers like Cathay Pacific. Singapore Airlines has decided to cut over 200 flights and is experiencing low load-factors in its premium classes – where it makes most of its money. So the big looming question is what should the airline do now? Change strategy? Probably not. How about using social media to soften the impact, by engaging the customers and employees real-time? Why not?

You can run, but you can’t hide

In my conversations with folks over at Singapore Airlines (quite a few of them!), I’ve sensed educated-nonchalance when it comes to adopting social media to pursue its business goals in this downturn. Not only are they hardly present on social media outlets, the airline seems unconvinced about the importance of a two-way conversation. SIA doesn’t have a blog, Twitter account, Facebook page or even social-media-friendly press releases (I had to download a 4mb image to try to put in this article, and I didn’t). From a brand that has done an excellent job of top-down positioning, where it tells its customers what it’s about, it’s fair to expect careful treading of new waters. But getting into social media for an airline brand is not about why, but about how. And it has to be now.

Why time is running out for Singapore Airlines?

Cranky Flier blog’s Brent Snyder published an intriguing article on the importance of social media for airlines yesterday, and here’s what he had to say,

“For all those airlines who still don’t think embracing new media is a good thing, well, there’s not much I can say to you except you should pull your heads out of your a***s”

I couldn’t agree more.

One of the arguments I often hear from executives at premium airlines is “I’m not targeting the teens on Facebook” or “my customers are not on Twitter”. What’s wrong with those comments? They concentrate on the tool, not the strategic goal. Getting into social media doesn’t have to start with a Twitter account or a Facebook page. It needs to start with determining what’s the opportunity to achieve strategic goals – like engaging the customer or enhancing existing touchpoints with social media. Then figuring out what tool to use.

What if we start with the goal of providing value adding service to SIA’s premium customers?

It is indeed not very realistic to expect SIA’s high-paying customers to be on Twitter or Facebook. But a mojority of them carry iPhones and Blackberries. How about creating simple apps for these devices that allow them to perform common tasks like check-in, date change, seat-change or booking of a flight using miles? And this idea is not very far-fetched, since SIA’s competition like Cathay Pacific has done a great job with CX Mobile (their iPhone app). Others like British Airways, Qantas, LuxAir and Lufthansa also have similar initiatives.

If SIA waits too long, there’s a chance its competitiors might start taking away market share, due to superior engagement outside the aircraft. And that can be damaging.

I believe that if SIA decides to go ahead with a social media strategy, it has the potential to surpass all of its competition, because it has a genie – the Singapore Girl! How? Go figure =)

What do you think? Is there a place (or need) for a premium brand like SIA to be on social media? If so, what’s the best way? Let’s discuss.

By the way, Tweepitition is still running and are still 3 more autographed copies of the book to on SIA be given away, and a 4GB Apple iPod. You too can be a winner, just by re-tweeting a comment from SimpliFlying or leaving a comment on this site. Learn more here.

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You can win an autographed copy of this book or a 4gb iPod by Tweeting any quote from this article or writing a comment here. Find out more here.

I’ve been monitoring conversations about Singapore Airlines (SIA) on Twitter for the last couple of weeks. And unlike most tweets about airlines, a large majority of tweets are positive! Here’re two of them:

@thetravelingCMO, Mon 04 May 14:39: Singapore Airlines in coach is like any US carrier’s Business. Well, to be fair, the service is probably better on SQ!
@MikeyFletch, Fri 01 May 18:27: Wow, Singapore airlines is a bit posh, time to fly

How has Singapore Airlines been so successful and well-admired for such a long time? There’s always a an enigma of sorts when it comes to this question. But this latest book by Jochen Writz, Loizos Heracleous and Nitin Pangarkar attempts to answer this very question – and does a pretty respectable job of doing so too!

Discovering the secrets of SIA’s success

The book begins by an overview of the challenges faced in the airline industry and goes on to provide an overview of SIA’s overall strategy. But this is when it gets intriguing. Through many interviews conducted deep within SIA, the authors go on to write whole chapters on three key reasons for success at Singapore Airlines:

1. How SIA achieves cost-effective service excellence (I’ll explain in a bit why that sounds like a paradox)
2. How innovation is sustained in a planned, organized way at SIA
3. How people are managed to deliver the goods (and service!)

Cost leadership and brand differentiation, simultaneously?

“Singapore Airlines has never posted a full-year loss in its history”, the fourth chapter claims. That is common knowledge. But I was more astonished to learn that SIA has one of the lowest operating costs for an airline! I wouldn’t have expected that, given that the airline is the 2nd highest buyer of champagne in the world and offers service levels that “even other airlines talk about”. But as the authors explain, this is exactly what SIA has been able to successfully do.

SIA has managed to integrate elements of a differentiation strategy (with regard to external positioning and service levels) and cost-leadership strategy (with regard to the effeciency of the internal organization). Simply put, SIA invests in all that’s “visible” and tightens the belt “behind the scenes” Smart! Because this is theoretically in conflict with Dr Michael Porter’s models.

The Singapore Girl lives on

Did you know that the Singapore Girl is the only commercial figure in the world famous Maddame Tussaud’s wax museum in London? Now, that’s quite a testimony to breathing life into an airline from one of the smallest nations in the world. Over the year, while other airlines have tinkered with their brand strategy, SIA has consistently based its marketing on the Singapore Girl icon for over 30 years!

The book quotes Batey’s former CEO, Ian Batey, the man who helped concieve Singapore Girl, “She mirrors her Asian heritage – natural femininity, natural grace and warmth, and a natural, gentle way with people.” Personally, if I only read these words, I wouldn’t have been able to wait very long to experience SIA myself!

The book dives deep into a number of fundamental strategies that make SIA a success, and is an enriching read for not just the aviation enthusiast, but anyone looking to learn how to survive in a fiercely competitive business environment. I’d give it a 8 out of 10 rating. It would have gotten full marks if it was a little less textbook-like. But then, you can’t have everything right?

The introduction to the book and a free chapter can be downloaded from the author’s website at www.JochenWirtz.com under the books section (there are also free chapters and other materials on that website).

What do you think? Have you read this book or others like this which explore the successful airline models? How would you compare them with this? Let’s discuss…

Once again, you can win an copy of this book by participating in SimpliFlying’s Tweepitition.

• Fourth book on SIA given away in Tweepitition! 1 more to win, and an iPod
• Third book on SIA given away in Tweepitition! 2 more to win, and an iPod
• Announcing Tweepitition’s second winner!
• Announcing the 1st winner for Tweepitition – Dan Webb. You can win too!
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