Few days to the marking of global consumer day on March 15, 2019, a Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa, March 10, killing all 157 on board.
The crash and its communication management by Boeing was therefore largely on spotlight as some discussants who attended the consumer day organized by Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria in Lagos, viewed with mixed feelings the structure of communication by Boeing.
Immediately after the crash on Sunday, Boeing said it is “deeply saddened” by the incident and promised to send a technical team to the crash site to provide assistance. It further said it would deploy a 737 MAX software “enhancement” across the fleet in the coming weeks incorporating feedback “received from our customers.”
While discussing the central topic of Consumer day, ‘Building trusted brands’ some of the speakers said Boeing should show more compassion and responsibility. “The company has communicated but it should do more on its communication to connect with the people and consumers considering the degree of loss”, Dare Ogunyombo, a PR expert said.
“In my opinion, Boeing’s communication so far should be reviewed. At first, after expressing their sympathies to the families of the victims on the day of the incident, subsequent communication leaves a lot to be desired. For instance, I do not think Boeing’s statement that regulatory agencies and customers have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for their home markets by suspending the operations of 737 Max, reflects the sober mood of the world in this instance. Do they expect the agencies and customers to act otherwise?
“The company’s stand that they do not also have basis to give further instruction to pilots, thereby continuing with flying 737 Max appears to be a subtle affront to the collective sensibilities of everyone. Now that the US government has joined others in suspending the operations of 737 Max, it would be interesting to know how Boeing addresses these issues in the coming weeks. In terms of building trust, particularly because this is the second incidence involving the aircraft within six months, Boeing should review their communications and better connect with the general mood at this time. I believe that will serve them better on the long run”
This view was supported by others who said Boeing is expected to show much compassion. The lead speaker at the forum, Ugo Geri-Roberts, Head, Kantar Millward Brown Nigeria who also believed that Boeing should have been more compassionate in its communication architecture said trust is first established when brands demonstrate competence and integrity.
Stating that trust is a journey enhanced by knowledge, Ugo Geri Roberts who has over two decades in consultancy said building trust for a brand starts from functional basics. This is when brands are capable of fulfilling their brand promise. There should also be motivational, emotional and aspirational.
According to her, brand trust also has some levels. They include brand as reference-which means that a brand makes product that the consumer wants; brand as personality – which shows that the brand understands how the consumers want to feel; and brand as an icon – which means that the brand helps the consumer to be the person he/she wants to be. Other levels include brand as a company- where the brand exists to serve the particular consumer and brand as a policy- when the brand shares consumer values.
In terms of trust, Ugo Geri Roberts advised that brands must be sensitive to the needs of their customers because “the fact that a consumer started with them does not mean the consumer will end with the brand unless there is deep understanding”.
According to her, brand is a pot of trust with many ingredients, maintaining that communication is key in building trust. “Marketers must find out the right people using their products and employ appropriate communication and channels as consumers need to be comfortable with brands”.
While stating that there is no particular destination to building trust as it is a moving train, Ugo Geri-Roberts mentioned some principles to drive brand success in a competitive environment. This includes acting quickly to gain competitive advantage, being the first to mind when it matters, identifying what drives sales now and into the future.
Other principles include being seen to be meaningfully different to drive profit and understanding where and how to invest in order to grow market share.
In his comment, Bolaji Okusaga, managing consultant, Precise, a reputation management firm warned that trust is not built in price as “price is a function of the perception of value”. He said transparency and truth are ingredients of trust. He also advised that organisations should ensure they synchronise their communication structure with their communication culture in order to effectively build trust.
Daniel Obi
