Netflix reopens Malaysia Airlines' MH370 wounds with new documentary: What does this mean for the airline?

Airlines are no strangers to crises. However, the crash of Malaysia Airlines’ MH370 was a tragedy that put the airline in a beleaguered situation.

Following the crash, Malaysia Airlines’ PR and communications team worked overtime to rebuild the brand’s image, in order to regain public trust.

According to Malaysia Airlines, Malaysia Aviation Group's performance improved by 60% in 2021 as compared to 2020 after a successful restructuring endeavor. Despite lower passenger traffic and reduced capacity for Malaysia Airlines by 62% and 71% respectively in 2021 as a result of the pandemic, MAB recorded a 57% higher yield in passenger revenue, assisted by its Airline Revenue Maximization Solution (ARMS). 

Now though, nine years after the crash, Netflix is releasing a documentary on the disaster that shook the world. The documentary, titled ‘MH370: The Plane That Disappeared’, is slated to be released on 8 March and involves dramatic re-enactments of the disaster and the series of events that followed after.

In the trailer that was released last week, it was revealed that audiences would get a deeper look into the disaster that killed 239 people as well as see interviews with family members, scientists and investigative journalists as they try to unravel the mystery behind the flight’s disappearance. The trailer however, seems to portray the brand as almost sinister, with one of the interviewees claiming that the airline is “hiding something.” 

This is not a first for Netflix. Last year, it released the documentary 'Downfall: The Case Against Boeing'. While entertaining as a documentary, not long after, the brand made headlines again following the unfortunate crash of a China Eastern Airlines plane involving a Boeing carrier.

With consumers increasingly focusing on a brand's history and trustworthiness, Netflix knows the power these documentaries hold. While they may be attention grabbing for us viewers, it is no doubt that communications professionals have to work hard to undo the damage these shows cause. 

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Pamela Tor Das, managing director, Singapore at TEAM LEWIS, a PR agency, said it is inevitable that the past will creep back into the present. When caught in such a situation, she says brands have two options to deal with the issue - to live in the shadows or to take it as an opportunity to turn things around and highlight how they have become stronger and better. 

Commenting on the rise of the documentary genre, Vijayaratnam Tharumartnam, group head of communications at Berjaya Corporation shared that Netflix has made documentaries sexy, and by making them about real events, the platform has also built gravitas for the platform as a legitimate news source. “This is unprecedented because there was always a clear demarcation between entertainment and serious content. As a consequence, Netflix can now have a serious impact on brands, both positively and negatively,” said Tharumartnam.

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Will this documentary reverse the efforts made by the airline to fix its brand image?

Sandeep Joseph, CEO and co-founder of Ampersand Advisory believes that Malaysia Airlines has withstood many challenges and emerged from testing times with dignity and honour. “Malaysia Airlines has survived the tragic incidents that befell MH370 and MH17, and stands proud today. The airline has outlived many famous airline brands such as Alitalia, Varig, Sabena. Malaysia Airlines is doing a great job of recovering from the pandemic, and passengers, both domestic and foreign, are flying with MH,” he explained. In spite of the release of a documentary that may bring back sad memories, Joseph has a positive outlook.

“This documentary has a historical aspect, but I don’t see it affecting the brand or the business. It’s a genuine mystery that excites armchair sleuths and aviation aficionados. If anything, more conspiracy theories will flourish,” he said. Quoting the Federal Aviation Administration that confirmed reports that the airline has regained its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) with Category 1 rating, Joseph firmly believes that the airline is in a good position to benefit from revenge travel.

Moreover, he trusts that P.T. Barnum’s famed quote, ‘there is no such thing as bad publicity’, rings true. Today, both Malaysians and non-Malaysians alike are flying with the national carrier and Joseph thinks that “if anything, content like the Netflix documentary will promote curiosity, brand name recognition and brand recall in non-Malaysian markets. I don’t see how this documentary can harm the MH brand. Malaysians are flying the airline in droves and these events are well in the past.”

Kenny Yap, managing director of Havas Singapore, said in an earlier statement that Netflix documentaries certainly raise the profile and awareness of the brands featured – be it for all the right and wrong reasons. “While companies can’t change the past, they definitely can make a meaningful difference today and for the future – one that is committed and authentic,” he added.

That said, all brands develop from the embryonic foundation of ‘trust’ and according to Peter De Kretser, CEO of Go Communications, Malaysia Airlines has worked to revive consumer confidence since the tragedy. However, while the airline has made strides in improving its overall image, especially through the pandemic, De Kretser believes that it would be remiss to completely ignore the documentary. “This particular documentary will serve as a painful reminder, on an international scale, of an unprecedented calamity that can’t help but be affixed to the brand,” he said.

Whether the documentary will dig up old wounds depends on the epicentre of the story coupled with the slant that the producers have chosen. “Documentaries, by right, should provide an honest, balanced view on any one particular topic, allowing the audience to make an unbiased and independent conclusion or viewpoint. However, we are all aware, that a story sensationalised makes for a larger viewing audience,” he added.

In adverse and delicate circumstances such as this, one can never overlook the human tragedy where as a collective, we ought to remain both sympathetic and empathetic to those who sadly have to relive a regrettable event, De Kretser said. 

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