KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — National airline Malaysia Airlines Bhd’s (MAB) rebranding is necessary to ensure a more vibrant future for itself, says an academic.
Dr Shahrul Nazmi Sannusi, a senior lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaaan Malaysia’s (UKM) Social Sciences & Humanities Faculty, said the reservations expressed by some Malaysians about MAS’ wau (kite) logo and the protest recently by the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (NUFAM) against the rebranding exercise show their lack of understanding of the need for a corporate communications and advertising rebranding for MAS’ survival.
“Maybe some people feel that allocating millions of ringgit for promotion or rebranding is a waste of money, but they have to understand the returns—in terms of consumer confidence, reputation and perception.
“The rebranding is really a way to create new opportunities,” he told Bernama.
MAS, which has been saddled with various problems besides the twin tragedies of MH370 and MH17 in the last two years, should take proactive steps to create a new brand identity, he said.
Although rebranding, as undertaken by Japan Airlines (JAL), Qantas and Garuda, can be costly, MAB’s rebranding should be comprehensive, including changing its name from Malaysia Airlines to a more catchy one, he said.
“These days, a national carrier does not need to carry the country’s name e.g. Australia has Qantas, Germany has Lufthansa, there’s KLM for the Netherlands, and the Middle East has Emirates and Gulf Airlines while there’s Garuda in Indonesia,” he added.
Shahrul Nazmi said MAS’ rebranding should begin with greater commitment among its employees at all levels to enhancing its name in a vibrant and competitive aviation industry.
The rebranding should also take into account the public perception that MAS is no longer a premium airline, he said.
“But this can be changed with the right strategy, which I’m confident has been kickstarted by current Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller, including membership in Oneworld Alliance,” he said.
For MAS to erase its dark legacy, staff and management need to change the old mindset that the government would support the airline whether it makes a profit or not, he added.
“Of course in the early stages there would be all sorts of problems, but gradually, with fundamentals such as operations management taken care of, I’m confident MAS’ current staff will see the reformation to come in future,” he said.
One of MAS’ old problems was the lack of communication between senior management and the wider workforce, he pointed out.
Mueller recently said a cultural reformation was needed to replace the previously heirarchical structure, with the many levels preventing speedy flow of information.
He has had several meetings with employees and representatives of the old workers’ union in efforts to change the company’s structure, and in December plans to appoint a work council to enhance cooperation among employees.
In a highly competitive industry, MAS has no choice but to adopt radical strategies to revive itself, and after the billions of ringgit the government has injected to ensure the company’s survival, failure is not an option, he added. — Bernama
