Fernandes shames the imitators

Malaysia – In a rousing presentation to today's Global Brand Forum AirAsia CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes took a swipe at those who follow or imitate as oppose to lead and innovate, a reference to the bitter airline war where Fernandes'lead in the battle for cheap airline seats is being mimmicked by more established players.

“Leading brands are innovators and not imitators ... Like one other airlines that starts with an M and ends with an S," Fernandes told the audience.

Fernandes shared on the strategies and opportunities he utilised to make AirAsia globally recognised in the low-cost carrier sector which earned him the 43^rd slot in the respected Fast Company magazine's 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World, the first airline and first Southeast Asian brand to make it onto the list.

Fernandes says in the tough times ahead he plans to spend rather than recoil from marketing spending.

“When we are faced with strife, we double or sometimes triple up on our adex to overcome the situation and it has worked,” he said, citing the SARS crisis as an example where AirAsia tripled its promotional expenditure.

“Now is not the time to cut advertising. Our methods of building our brands are through sponsorships with big names like Williams in F1, Manchester United, we sponsored referees and we want to even sponsor the red card so you can see AirAsia everytime Wayne Rooney gets sent off,” said the non-Manchester United fan.

AirAsia’s marketing efforts also run through tie-ups with leading brands including adventure reality television show the Amazing Race, leveraging on media coverage and its website which reaches an audience as far as Botswana and Africa, Chile and Peru.

“We’ve also gone into blogging where it gets us to be more interactive with our audience besides being innovative with our brand and improving our product,” he added.

While the team works towards improving its product, it will not lose sight of the brand value – low cost flights.

 “Believe in the unbelievable, dream the impossible, don’t take no for an answer and you make the destiny.”

Fernandes was also presented with the Global Brand Forum’s Malaysian Brand Icon of the Year award which recognises an individual – not company – for amazing vision, being able to capture the public’s imagination and for efforts in energising and reinventing a category.