the Scoot-Away

 

Salience

 

Depth

 

Within the low-cost carrier industry, Scoot has a moderate recall and recognition as it is still a relatively new name. Major competitors JetStar and AirAsia X remain category leaders because of their longer history and more established presence. Yet Scoot’s considerable marketing efforts taken since its inception, led by a highly active Facebook presence, has seated them just below said category leaders in a short span of two and a half years.  

 

The ease with which Scoot comes to mind owes much credit to its unique monosyllabic name, as well as the informal and slightly irreverent tone (for example, WTF - Watch The Fare) of its communications. These qualities set Scoot apart from other low-cost carriers, making it more likely to resonate faster than competing non-category leaders. The dominant corporate colour of bright yellow is also instantly recognisable, and the cabin crew uniforms evoke a strong sense of casual spontaneity. These attributes all contribute to the continual deepening of Scoot’s brand awareness.

 

Breadth

 

One of the challenges for a low-cost carrier is to link the service to usage situations beyond the obvious one of budget traveling. Casting the net wider allows the airline to extend the brand to occupy broader contexts for brand recall. Hence Scoot’s more compelling and general slogan “Get outta here!”, which urges the consumer to adopt a spontaneous attitude towards flying to new places. The target turns to a lifestyle: “Scoot now. And Scoot often.” The brand name suggests a painless and quick means to explore new vistas, with less emphasis on the flight journey itself but more emphasis on reaching many different destinations.

 

For people who have heard of Scoot, the brand ideally comes to mind whenever consumers desire to travel on a whim. The moment a student ends her semester and craves to shop in Hong Kong, the moment an employee discovers a longer holiday weekend and decides to ride roller coasters in Gold Coast, Scoot aspires to be at the back of the traveller’s mind.

 

 

Performance

 

Having been backed-up by the world’s leading airline- SIA, there is a minimum standard of safety and assurance that is expected of Scoot, in spite of it being a no-frills airline. With Scoot, consumers expect an affordable, smooth and painless journey that brings them to their desired destination. Although they recognise that it is a budget flight, the consumers, already familiar with Scoot’s quirky and attention-seeking marketing, do not expect a run-of-the-mill experience that characterises nearly every other low-cost carrier, but one where the outgoing spirit of Scootitude permeates.

 

Given the focus to hire fun and creative individuals, consumers have come to expect cheerful, engaging and efficient service staff. The type of interaction between consumers and the cabin crew is less politely formal - as is the case with SIA - but with laces of a more jovial personality and mischievous flair.

 

 

Imagery

 

Scoot is markedly polarised from its parent company SIA, priding itself in being unashamedly no frills, where fares include seats only and other products and services are charged separately. It believes in adopting Scootitude, in being cheeky, quirky and cool, while remaining uncompromising on areas such as safety, reliability and safety. Scoot is all about encouraging its fans to travel now and travel frequently, emphasising the destination as the goal. The casual and informal nature of the Scoot experience makes consumers more willing to take budget flights, debunking the view that no-frills flights are typically boring but laboriously necessary affairs.  

 

Scoot fans are likely to see themselves as extroverted, on-the-go, and fun adventurers, with a sense of humour and deep desire to travel often. They are either the young or the young-at-heart.

 

Scoot is also seen as engaging and sincere: the airline gives its fans a stake in brand building, having actively sought feedback and suggestions on their Facebook page on several aspects of their product offering - from flight fares to online shopping to naming of aircrafts. Involvement makes fans feel actively heard and paid attention to, and thus more willing to adopt Scootitude in their lives.