360DigitalInfluence

The New York Times had an interesting article today about Ryanair’s innovative way to save money – charging customers to use the on-board restrooms.

This is not the first out-of-the-box idea to come from Ryanair. In addition to coming up with ‘new ideas’ their CEO, Michael O’leary, is also known for making insensitive and aggressive public statements that would make many brand managers cringe. He has come up with several cost saving, some say crazy, ideas in the last year. In addition to removing restrooms and making them pay-per-use, O’Leary has suggested making a sizeable portion of the plane available for stand-up ‘seating’ to save space. Another idea O’leary has considered is making passengers responsible for hauling their own ‘checked luggage’ to the plane. I think I like this one though as it would ensure that you never have a bag misplaced on the wrong flight.

What makes Ryanair a successful airline in recessionary times? That’s an easy one - Ryanair has been successful because they have some of the cheapest flights around. They might not have a customer service department, a complaint department or much compassion, but  I lived in Europe for three years and bought several roundtrip tickets on Ryanair for less than €30 or €40 – you can’t beat that. They might not fly into every major city or airport in Europe, but for .99€  each way plus taxes it can definitely be worth it.

What makes O’leary the most successful businessman in Ireland despite his crass humor and outrageous public statements on behalf of his company’s brand? And how have they not fired him for this press conference?

It all comes down to Ryanairs brand promise. Ryanair does not promise to be the cleanest airline in Europe, they don’t claim to have comfortable seats, they do not claim to have the nicest flight attendants, the best food or even a customer service department - seriously, there is no customer service department.  However, what they do promise are insanely cheap flights with a pretty decent on-time record, few canceled flights and very few lost bags – period.  As a customer, anything you receive above and beyond this should be considered a luxury. Maybe you should even consider sending a thank-you note afterwards.

Ryanair is a good example of how a brand, which according to The Economist, “has become a byword for appalling customer service, misleading advertising claims and jeering rudeness towards anyone or anything that gets in its way” can still maintain a loyal customer base by managing the expectations of their customers and their brand. They do not pretend to promise much and for that they can be successful at offering very little.

What does your brand promise and are you living up to that promise?