BA begins sales push to draw Mid East customers to its upgraded service

British Airways is to use social media to reach new audiences in the Middle East as part of a promotional campaign to draw more customers from the region to the UK airline.

British Airways is launching its biggest brand advertising campaign for a decade to coincide with a five-year programme of investment worth around $7.5 billion to upgrade and improve its customer experience.

Paolo DeRenzis, regional commercial manager Middle East said: “As a global brand advertising campaign, it will eventually be rolled out in the Middle East by November this year. Explaining who we are and what makes British Airways special, British Airways new brand will be visible in print ads across the region.”

However, people in the Middle East will get to see the 90-second advert which launched today on the airline’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/britishairways, following an online ‘teaser’ campaign over the last few weeks.

This is the first time the airline has used social media to premiere an advert. The Middle East print campaign will highlight the experience, expertise and care for customers shown by teams across the airline every day.

By placing new emphasis on its historic motto, To Fly. To Serve , the airline is restating its resolve to put the customer at the heart of everything it does. Beyond the brand advertising, the airline has committed to invest in new aircraft, new World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins, a revamped First class, significant improvements at Gatwick and better lounges around the airline’s network.

Fundsare also being allocated to improve catering and new technologies to make the travel experience more comfortable and convenient for customers on the ground and in the air.

Keith Williams, British Airways’ chief executive, said: “The motto To Fly. To Serve. is part of the DNA of British Airways. It is on our coat of arms, and it is worn in crew uniforms. And it has real meaning and resonance for today. It encapsulates our expertise for flying and our commitment to customer service. It describes our purpose.”

Frank van der Post, British Airways’ managing director, brands and customer experience, said: “This campaign has real substance. Not only are we investing in tangible improvements to the customer experience, earlier this year we launched an internal programme to engage with our staff. We’re working with our cabin crew, listening to their views and giving them tools, such as iPads, to enable them to deliver even better service.