Cathay Pacific Delivers a Branding 101

Crappy service from service oriented brands or businesses makes my mind melt.  It’s one of my  pet peeves.  In light of that, I’m always excited to hear about great experiences with brands.  Today, said excitement reignited after a friend (that happens to do marketing for a large global brand) told me about his flight to Asia on Cathay Pacific.    Do you hear that, other brands?  Go get your notepads.  It is as simple as our good friends at Gigom said in one of their articles:

…in branding, it turns out that what matters most in the message are simplicity and consistency.

It is that simple and something that Cathay Pacific has continuously delivered year after year.

I should preface this story by telling you that my friend is a big business and leisure  traveler.  It’s also important to note that he appreciates 5 star service more than any other person I know.  You should also know that I really enjoy guacamole.

When my friend finally got comfy in his seat, he received a birthday card signed by the entire Cathay Pacific flight crew in their native languages.  He was so excited by this nice touch, that he immediately posted it to his Facebook profile.  Since then, numerous people commented and some have definitely shared that story at their respective water coolers and watering holes.

That, my friends, is a scenario that is about as basic as it gets for any brand.  Part of the game for brand managers is just showing up.  The remaining portion is simply giving a damn about customers and engaging them in ways that THEY want.  The sad truth is that many brands know this, but seldom deliver.  The truth is that most take that same half-assed approach to their social media strategy and expect magic to happen.

There is a sentiment that my peers, associates and friends often hear me belabor in one form or another:

If your brand is not clearly defined in your daily company life and isn’t consistently reinforced [read:  brand sucks ass], what makes you think that diving into social and community media will help you find the marketing Holy Grail?

Here’s a tip.  You won’t find the magic sauce just by creating a Facebook fan page.  Rather, your attempt will most likely more closely resemble a Holy FAIL.  After all, brands are like individual people.  If one is inconsistent and “fake” then the likelihood of people actually wanting to hang out and say good things is quite slim.  The same goes for brands.  I’m so glad Cathay “gets it”.

What are some pet peaves or noteworthy scenarios you’ve experienced with brands?