A Winning Strategy

What is this kind of message worth? If this seems like a valuable strategy to you, is it worth partnering and working with a company who understands what it takes to assure your message gets to and is appreciated by the right people?

In the October 11, 2010 issue of Aviation Week I noticed an article on Porter Airlines, the very successful operator based out of Toronto’s downtown Billy Bishop airport.  Since they are a customer of ours, I read on with great interest.

Porter Airlines operates Bombardier Q400s from Toronto to such destinations such as Montreal, Ottawa, Boston and Chicago.  The article also features Porter Airlines CEO Robert DeLuce.  He is quoted often and in one line of inquiry about their fleet makeup, the following discussion occurs:

Deluce says he sees no need to move beyond Q400s in the near term, but a model of a Bombardier CSeries jet in a Porter livery, sits on the shelf in his modest office at the airport.  “It’s obviously just a model, but it’s something to look at from time to time,” he answers coyly when asked about it.  “You always have to be planning down the road, though I’m not saying that is where we’re heading.”

That exchange really caught my attention.

I interpret it as a testament to the power or providing your customer with a real, solid three dimensional object depicting your product and brand married with his or her brand.

The Bombardier C Series sales and marketing team understand this eminently well.   As an integral of their sales strategy, they commission high quality scale models of the C Series airliner in their prospective customers’ livery (all from PacMin of course)  They are careful to be sure that their brand and that of their customer is artfully and tastefully represented to assure that the recipient not only appreciates the gesture but finds the object an appealing compliment to his or her office or personal space.

Now welcome in the key influencer’s or decision maker’s office, the model regularly brings the Bombardier brand and message into the recipient’s consciousness as well as to those who come to visit, meet, or conduct an interview, as is in the case of the Aviation Week article.

What is this kind of message worth?  If this seems like a valuable strategy to you, is it worth partnering and working with the company who understands what it takes to assure your message gets to and is appreciated by the right people?

Let’s talk.

Update 7/23/18: The Bombardier CSeries aircraft is now the Airbus A220.