Waypoints: Globally Yours

When Turkish Airlines launched an advertising campaign last year featuring Hollywood actor Kevin Costner praising its operation and customer service under the tagline "Feel Like a Star," it was clear that it had taken the next step in a strategy that has seen it rise to the top of the charts of fast-growing network carriers.

"Turkish Airlines serves 120 international [and 39 domestic] destinations and we will launch another ten this year, which means that by year end we will fly 130 international routes from Istanbul. We compared our network to other airlines' and we [ranked] eighth in terms of coverage," CEO Temel Kotil tells ATW in Istanbul with a deserved sense of pride. "This is unbelievable. It's magic, right?" Yet, he readily admits, passenger awareness of THY's strong position is lacking.

"The image of an airline is very important and I'm not satisfied with our image. We have to increase our brand; we have to better promote that we can bring the passengers everywhere worldwide, with a very nice service," he states. In order to achieve this, and in line with its philosophy of "where there's a will there's a way," the company upped its advertising and sponsoring budget for 2010 to $70 million from $50 million last year.

The 60-sec. spot with Costner, which promptly made it to YouTube, was broadcast in 70 countries on networks like CNN, while massive billboards touting THY's new slogan "Globally Yours" appeared prominently in city centers and airports including (since Feb. 24) a huge eye-catching banner on the 304-m. Baiyoke Tower in Bangkok, Thailand's tallest skyscraper. The building wrap, which is the airline's largest outdoor advertisement placement, conveys its strength in "network power" with its strategic location at Istanbul. Advertising in newspapers, magazines, television and online media also is underway, as is participation on social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

THY is actively pursuing sports sponsorship deals to help build its brand (and possibly shake off any negative perceptions following the February 2009 737-800 crash in Amsterdam). It has signed several contracts this year, including a three-year sponsorship agreement with UEFA Champions League title holder FC Barcelona, a 3.5-year deal with English football club Manchester United and an 18-month deal with Greek professional basketball club Maroussi B.C.

"We believe that these partnerships will make a great contribution to Turkish Airlines' brand value. The public sees them [the sports clubs] as the best, as a quality product. By associating our brand to theirs, we extend our image of offering the best, a high-quality product and service," Kotil comments.

While generating more brand value, THY also is improving its product, which currently enjoys an overall four-star ranking from Skytrax. "We're aiming for a five-star altitude," he insists, pointing out that the carrier placed orders for 86 new aircraft, which will come with a new cabin layout, new IFE and new seats. It contracted London-based Priestmangoode to redesign its aircraft interiors, lounges and check-in counters and consult on an update of its red-and-white livery.

THY's 64 new narrowbodies will be fitted with fixed-shell business class seats offering 45-in. pitch and 19.3-in. width, while its new 777-300ERs and A330s will feature an "economy premium" cabin that Kotil says "will exceed the premium economy standards of most other carriers and will be close to the business class of some other carriers."

The carrier launched a first class product only 15 months ago when it introduced its first 777-300ERs on lease from Jet Airways. It learned fast, and its new class is highly streamlined and personalized and comes with limousine pickup and fine dining with caviar and lobster on the menu. Notwithstanding the fact that bookings on routes with the aircraft--e.g., to London and New York JFK--are very strong, it will not put a first class cabin in its new widebodies that start arriving in September. Kotil insists, however, that its business class will be a first class product in all but name. "Our business bed, for instance, will be the same bed as now in first," he says. "We are not dropping the idea, but the first new widebodies will come with a fantastic business class because we want to convince the passengers to fly with us instead of with other airlines," he concludes. "Of course, we have more orders to place."

Cathy Buyck in Istanbul