Given most of my mates are at work [or at least that’s their excuse] I thought I’d turn to the newspaper … and even though it contravenes the trades description act of what a newspaper should be … I did come across a rather interesting letter that someone decided to write in …
I know it is probably quite hard to read, but the basic jist is that this bloke, Steve Armstrong, is slagging off British Airways because [1] they have unhelpful call centres in India [2] the luggage gets lost and [3] they charge a fortune.
Now even though they are a totally shit airline, does anyone else think this whole thing smells abit funny?
OK, so Singaporean’s LOOOOOOOOVE to moan and complain but Steve Armstrong doesn’t sound a very Asian does it?
And his complaint sounds kinda weird – especially the fact that he sends his kids using an airline he say’s he vowed many years ago never to use again.
Alright … alright … he doesn’t say “I’m only going to fly Singapore Airlines in the future because they’re the best and the most competitively priced” so I appreciate I’m making abit of a conspiracy theory here, but this wouldn’t be the first time companies have used dirty tactics to try and obtain more business.
One of my favourites – apart from when SONY Pictures invented journalistic quotes for their movies [actually they invented the journalists as well but that’s by-the-by] – is back in 2002 when I was in Oz.
I was scanning through the pages of the terrible Daily Telegraph newspaper when I came across this supposed ‘readers letter’ …
OK, so Aussie blokes love their cars – and there is this Ford vs Holden battle amongst the truly sad [ha!] – but who the fuck writes in about bloody television commercials?
Of course my cynic-radar told me that this was another example of the depths PR companies will stoop to to get their client some positive publicity so imagine my surprise when I turned the page and saw the promotion that the Daily Telegraph was running …
Yep, that’s right, WIN A FORD XR6 … what a surprise!
Of course I can’t prove that The Daily Telegraph and Ford were in cahoots to pull the wool over the Aussie publics eyes … but I’m sure you’ll agree it’s quite a coincidence.
So for all those companies who want to try and get some additional – and positive publicity – I have an idea for you.
Rather than utilise the most transparent strategy since George Bush announced WMD’s in Iraq, why don’t you actually do stuff that people actually want/need rather than try and take the lazy route by attempting to make big news out of nothing or at the very least, the most miniscule evolution known to man.
I know you’re probably all jealous how Apple can get on news programs all around the World by banging out the same product with a bit more colour and memory, but they’re an exception [and even though they have a history of genuine, user-friendly innovation, that sort of behaviour won’t go unpunished if they try and do it too often] so stop your PR machines from fabricating illusion and do something that they can really get their teeth into … something good, interesting and exciting … because for all the money you spend on spin, I bet you could come out with something worthwhile if you re-directed some of those funds into finding out what your customers really want/need rather than interpret whatever they say to suit your own personal agendas.