I boarded my indigo flight from Chennai to Mumbai and settled into a widow seat. Put in my earphones and started listening to Dennis Van Aarssen. The window shade was down and we waited patiently for pushback in the oven-like heat of the Chennai Tarmac. A silent prayer and a few WhatsApp messages later we were on our way. “Please open the window shades…” the air hostess announced. I dutifully followed instructions and then got a jolt. As I looked out of my window, I was greeted by a bright red engine and wingtip. Was I on the right flight?
A look around the cabin confirmed that I possibly was. The seats were blue, but not of the same material that indigo aircraft’s chairs are normally upholstered in. Another telltale sign of the split personality of this aircraft was the galley curtain, which was also a bright red. Clearly a wet lease situation. A normal practice at one level in the aviation industry, but what does this mean from a communications point of view? This got me thinking, what exactly makes a brand a brand? I had bought the indigo experience with an expectation of a set of things that it would deliver on. This flight was perfectly good, but not exactly what was promised. Maybe that’s a good thing? Or maybe not. It depends on how I and every other customer receive this change.
One stream of thought goes towards “they are doing well and hence have probably leased this aircraft to increase capacity.” The other stream goes “Are customers being taken for granted, for a brand that has curated and protected its image with care, is this a sign that things are slipping?” If I go back to Kotler’s 4 Ps of marketing – Product, Price, Place, and Promotion, what is impacted by the unexpected red in an otherwise blue world?
Not the price? Or maybe the price. Is this a way to keep prices in check? Product in this case is the entire service experience. The uniforms of the air hostesses and stewards look the part, the food is patently indigo (except for the missing paper napkin), but the red curtain and the red engine and wingtip are not. Place (the location and the slots they have) is undisturbed by the splash of red. Promotion is possibly the most impacted, the typeface and colours are so well defined in my mind that this dissonance is palpable. It just doesn’t feel right – I’m so used to the blue, this change in colour to red just don’t seem to settle well.
I go for a walk down memory lane and think back to all the occasions, (in a past assignment) that I had a role to play, in the PR related to this brand. What strikes me is that throughout a brand’s life, many people will play a part in creating, nurturing, and protecting it. The professional PR practitioner is the overall custodian of image. The one who must take a larger view, a multi-stakeholder view, and ensure that a brand stays true to its personality and purpose. Maybe a splash of red does not make a difference on one flight, or maybe it does. Maybe it makes all the difference. Because it signals a change. It says that this is an exception to the rule, and others will follow in these footsteps. This a slippery slope for any organisation that must adhere to stringent SOPs and follows many guidelines without exception.
In an ocean of blue, a dash of red will stand out. A reminder to all reputation custodians, the world is always watching and every move one makes matters. A responsibility that we must as professionals take seriously. Also, a reminder that in an increasingly Instagram world, visual identity is a big driver of reputation. It’s not just what we say that matters, but how we show up is equally important. While the saying goes “Don’t judge a book by its cover” unfortunately in reality we are often captivated by the image and everything else follows.
The power of a reputation and the importance of image and identity were brought home to me in a very real way courtesy of this experience. Who I am on the inside, and who I appear to be on the outside, must always be in alignment. From this place of authenticity, confidence and trust is built. This is where the worlds of coaching and communications intersect.
Roses are red. Violets are blue. Brands are built around a particular hue. ‘Tis our job to make sure we always remain true to who we set out to be (and that governs what we do). Red or blue? Do you think it matters? I would love to hear from you.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
