Public Relations Case Study
Case 11-1 Air New Zealand Pink
Flight
Air New Zealand with CRT/tanaka
by:
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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Tykia McWilliams
Introduction and Background
Air New Zealand is an international and domestic airline group which provides air
passenger and cargo transport services within New Zealand, as well as to and from Australia, the
South West Pacific, Asia, North America and the United Kingdom. The company was founded
in 1940 originally as Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL). In April of 1965, TEAL became
Air New Zealand taking strides to further expand their destinations, remodeling their planes and
joining an alliance group to further their network. (About Air New Zealand)
The company’s vision is described as, “We will strive to be number one in every market
we serve by creating a workplace where teams are committed to our customers in a distinctively
New Zealand way, resulting in superior industry returns.” Air New Zealand also governs its
company and employees on five guiding principles. One in particular was put to the forefront of
this campaign called “Pink Flight” in order to make Air New Zealand stand out from its
competitors. (About Air New Zealand)
In 2009, the company recognized that though Air New Zealand was a household name in
its native country, they desired to expand their market in the United States. The airline wanted to
develop brand awareness and differentiate themselves amongst their North American
competition. They also wanted to focus on their principle of promoting New Zealand and its
people’s, culture at home and overseas. With the help of CRT/tanaka, a public relations and
marketing firm, the airline decided they would host an event that reflected diversity-embracing
brand culture, establish its presence in the high traveling GLBT market and garnish national
attention. With this the “Pink Flight” was introduced, a gay-themed pink flight that would travel
from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia for the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival.
(Hendrix et al., 2007)
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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Analysis of Client’s Problem
Air New Zealand recognized the lack of brand definition their airline held in the United
States. Without a clear and distinctive identity, travelers outside of New Zealand weren’t familiar
with the airline and wouldn’t travel as frequent with the company compared to its competitors.
Air New Zealand’s strengths resided heavily in being a household name. This also contributed to
their weaknesses. By 2008, they had been in the United States for over 25 years, but hadn’t really
established a consistent consumer base. The opportunity this bought the airline, was a chance to
establish a fresh brand identity that they could control. The possible threats the company would
face is not having enough people be interested in the event because the airline is so small.
Identification of Strategic Plan
A. Researched showed that United States revealed the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgender (GLBT) community spent $40 billion on travel in 2007, with 70 percent of
this group owning a passport. (Hendrix et al., 2007) CRT/tanaka and Air New Zealand
saw this as an opportunity to take on a growing market in both the United States and New
Zealand. This group not only enjoyed the luxury of traveling but also aligned with Air
New Zealand’s values and beliefs amongst both their consumer and employees. (Johnston
2012)
B. Message: Develop brand awareness that differentiates Air New Zealand from its
competitors.
C. Target Audience: High traveling men and women of the Gay, Lesbian, and Bi-sexual and
Transgender community in North America, specifically the West Coast.
D. Objectives:
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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a. Raise brand awareness about Air New Zealand’s uniquely, kiwi service amongst
the GLBT community.
b. Differentiate Air New Zealand’s brand from competitors in the United States,
with emphasis on the West Coast.
c. Engage Air New Zealand’s employees worldwide in an event that represents the
company’s values.
E. Strategies:
a. Create a celebratory event that resonates with the GLBT community.
b. Create a national media relations campaign targeting both GLBT media and mass
consumer media.
c. Establish an internal communication campaign to engage/invite employees to
participate in the celebratory event.
F. Tactics:
a. Celebrity host for the Pink Flight
b. Pre-Party and In-Flight Party
c. Media Outreach and Coordination at Airport
d. Social media materials
e. Media training
f. Extended media coverage
g. Employee engagement
G. Execution: Air New Zealand escorted more than 200 passengers on a chartered flight
from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia for the 2008 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Air
New Zealand engaged CRT/tanaka to support the execution of a host of tactics
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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surrounding the pink flight, both on-ground and in-air, successfully driving media
coverage of the event and increasing brand awareness in the GLBT community. Kathy
Griffin as the celebrity host entertained audiences with comedy and drawn over 12 press
outlets for the pre-party event. CRT/tanaka also worked out a deal with Bravo to have the
event be featured on Kathy Griffin's show as the focus of the episode. Additionally Jodi
Williams, Air New Zealand's director of marketing was scheduled for 10 media
interviews before the flight took off receiving international media attention. The national
coverage ultimately increase ticket sales for the airline by more than 20 percent from
2007-2008.
H. Evaluation:
a. Preparation: Air New Zealand began preparing by partnering with CRT/tanaka
who helped developed the Pink Flight communications and event planning.
Research lead to the target audience of the GLBT community, so the event was
prepared around this public and their wants. CRT/tanaka produce media
interviews, press releases and secured a celebrity host leading up to the
event.(Hendrix et al., 2007)
b. Implementation: The day of the Pink Flight, the party begin as soon as customers
checked in. They were greeted by drag queens and staff dressed in pink before
entering the pre-party at the gate. The party continued on board with comedy by
Kathy Griffin, drag shows and other amenities for guest to enjoy on the 14 hour
flight. Air New Zealand also planned in quiet time for guest to get some sleep
while flying from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia. (Hendrix et al., 2007)
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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c. Impact: The budget used to execute Air New Zealand's Pink Flight was $200,000.
The plane was paid for in full through media relations and word of mouth tickets
sales. Donations was also a huge help including goody bags, alcohol and
minimizing the overall cost to execute the campaign. (Hendrix et al., 2007) Air
New Zealand also gain media impressions both domestic and internationally and
brought awareness to the GLBT community with the large coverage of the event.
Identification of Theories & Persuasion Used:
1. Systems Theory: Systems theory states that organizations cannot survive alone and are
dependent on others. In the Air New Zealand Pink Flight, the airline was dependent on
CRT/tanaka to help the airline communicate their message with their customers and
really bridge the gap. Employees, donors and the media were also crucial stakeholders in
this case being successful.
2. Situational Theory of Publics: Situational theory describes the factors that contribute to
creating active publics based on their situation. In order to build strategic relationships,
an organization must understand its publics and Air New Zealand along with CRT/tanaka
did that by doing research on GLBT community. Because they knew this public
frequently traveled and owned passports, they were able to target them directly and
engage with them on a level they could relate to. For instance, the airline incorporated
pink boas, drag queens and other elements the GLBT community would specifically
enjoy.
3. Stimulus-Response Persuasion: Pink was a consistent theme throughout the Pink Flight
event. There were pink boas, a pink carpet, pink goody bags and other amenities for
customers to enjoy on flight. Stimulus-response is a design of persuasion that states if
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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two things are seen together, many times, people tend to think one when they see the
other. Association of the color pink with Air New Zealand was established here because
of the Pink Flight.
Analysis of Co. Media Coverage
The Pink Flight generated 352,104,840 total media impressions with a publicity value of
$12,006,171.90. The Pink Flight was featured on an episode of Bravo’s “Kathy Griffin: My Life
On the D-List,” along with mentions on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, MSNBC Live, Early
Today, Reuters, San Francisco Chronicle, Star Magazine, CBS New on Logo, MetroSource,
Advocate, and Out Traveler. (Hendrix et al., 2007) Below are some various domestic newspaper
coverage of the Pink Flight event. Many of the newspapers highlighted the fact that nothing like
this had ever been done before making it a popular event. When the news broke about Kathy
Griffin hosting the Pink Flight, many of the newspapers in New Zealand highlighted this
strongly in headlines.
1. Newspaper Articles
a. Pink air party targets Mardi Gras travelers. (2007, September 17). The Courier
Mail (Australia). Retrieved February 24, 2016,
b.
Beveridge, J. (2007, September 18). Pink skies ahead at Air NZ. Herald Sun
(Australia). Retrieved February 23, 2016.
c.
Wellington. (2007, September 16). Latest in-flight entertainment: Drag queens
and crew cabaret. Canberra Times (Australia). Retrieved February 23, 2016.
d.
McDonald, G., & Chung, K. (2016, January 9). Goodbye Thunderbirds, hello
Barbie. The Dominion Post. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
e.
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Reality star to 'join' Air NZ. (2008, February 1). The New Zealand Herald.
Retrieved February 27, 2016.
f.
Kiwis plan gay flight. (2007, September 16). Sunday Territorian (Australia).
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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Collateral Used
PRESS RELEASE ONE:
Air New Zealand paints the sky pink with its
first themed North American flight
17 September 2007
Airline Planning San Francisco to Sydney Party in the Sky with "Pink
Flight".
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (September 17, 2007) - Attention passengers, Air New Zealand is now boarding
rows one through FABULOUS. Today, the airline announced its first North American "Pink Flight," in
celebration of the 2008 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Departing on a Boeing 777 from San
Francisco International Airport on February 26, 2008, the Pink Flight will sweep its passengers away in
style from one side of the Pacific to the other, lavishing upon them everything from pink drinks to drag
queens.
For more than 300 glamorous gays (and any other fun-loving friends) who buy tickets, the party will
start far before the final boarding call. Pink Flight passengers are encouraged to show up at the airport
in their most extravagant Mardi Gras costumes, and Air New Zealand will throw a "Get-OnboardGirlfriend!" going away bash at the departure gate.
Once onboard, the Pink Flight will boast a full program of entertainment - such as live performances,
on-board music, contests and screenings of classic gay-themed films on Air New Zealand's digital inflight entertainment system (IFE). Because it is an overnight flight, there will also be a period of
scheduled "Beauty Sleep." Additionally, passengers will enjoy pink-themed food, cocktails, goodie
bags and a "Party Party Wake-Up" before landing.
"Sydney Mardi Gras is one of the most spectacular costume events in the world, so we feel it's only
fitting to offer a flight that truly embodies the spirit of the celebration in an unforgettable way," said
Roger Poulton, Air New Zealand's vice president - the Americas. "Air New Zealand takes pride in our
gay-friendliness and sense of fun, so this Pink Flight will be a blast for everyone involved!"
Along with the announcement of the flight, Air New Zealand is also launching today a special micro
site for the Pink Flight, www.airnewzealand.com/pinkflight, where visitors can book their spot.
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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Earlier this year, Air New Zealand operated its first-ever Pink Flight, which flew from Auckland to
Sydney for the 2007 Mardi Gras. The flight, which featured similar themed activities, was a resounding
success and scored international media attention.
As the national airline of New Zealand, Air New Zealand reflects the country's diversity-embracing
nature. New Zealand has a long history of liberal social reform and is also widely recognized as a
friendly vacation destination for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. New Zealand voted the
world's first transgender person into a national office when Georgina Beyer was elected to Parliament in
1999, and same-sex civil unions were recognized as an institution in New Zealand in 2004.
For more information about Air New Zealand's Pink Flight, or to purchase a ticket, visit
www.airnewzealand.com/pinkflight.
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand offers more direct flights to the South Pacific than any other airline, including nonstop flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and starting November 2, Vancouver to New
Zealand, as well as Los Angeles non-stop to Fiji, the Cook Islands and Samoa. Other popular
destinations include Australia, China, Japan and Tonga. In addition to flying non-stop Los AngelesLondon, Air New Zealand's newest route, between London and Hong Kong, now allows customers to
fly round-the-world on one airline. Consistently rated among the world's best international airlines, Air
New Zealand's most recent accolades include recognition by the Condé Nast Traveler Reader's Choice
Awards, the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards and Business Traveler Magazine. United Mileage
Plus, US Airways Dividend Miles and Air Canada's Aeroplan members earn and redeem mileage on
select flights. Flight and vacation essentials can be booked on AirNewZealand.com. Flight and vacation
bookings can also be made by calling 1-800-262-1234 in the USA and 1-800-663-5494 in Canada.
PRESS RELEASE TWO:
Air New Zealand's Pink Flight Goes Glam
5 February 2009
Airline Escorts Pink Party-ers To Sydney Mardi Gras In Style
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (Feb. 5, 2009) – From drag queens and pink boas to diamonds and champagne,
Air New Zealand knows how to make flying glamorous. Following the success of last year's Air New
Zealand Pink Flight to Sydney Mardi Gras, another gay-themed adventure is heading down under.
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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North American travelers can fly from San Francisco or Los Angeles from $978 (USD) roundtrip and
Vancouver from $1,078 (CAD) roundtrip including all of the glam experiences of the airline's nowfamous Pink party flight, which departs Auckland, New Zealand for Sydney, Australia on March 6,
2009.
While last year's festivities began at the San Francisco International Airport check-in, Air New Zealand
is offering North American Pink Flight guests the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate before joining the
festivities in New Zealand. Once in Auckland, guests will be escorted to a 'Glamour Gate' event – an
exclusive pink fliers-only party featuring custom-made chandeliers, a champagne bar and live music in
an ultra-luxurious environment.
Back by popular demand, the iconic drag queen Buckwheat and her girls will host the in-flight party.
"Last year's Pink Flight was a 14-hour, completely scheduled affair," said Jodi Williams, Air New
Zealand's director of marketing – the Americas. "This time, we thought we'd blend both the fun and
excitement with some relaxation for our guests. We want everyone to enjoy our award-winning service,
as well as the party-time frivolity the Pink Flight offers."
"We are always exploring new and creative ways to demonstrate the casual elegance and quirkiness of
New Zealand's culture," said Roger Poulton, Air New Zealand's vice president – the Americas. "Air
New Zealand reflects the country's diversity-embracing nature and celebrates people from all walks of
life. This initiative is one of the many ways we strive to serve our guests, and you can expect many
additional kiwi surprises throughout the year."
Air New Zealand's Pink Flight sells out each year. Travelers are encouraged to book now to secure a
seat on the infamous flight. To enter a sweepstakes to win tickets or to purchase a ticket,
visithttp://www.airnewzealand.com/ or http://www.airnewzealand.ca/.
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand offers more direct flights to the South Pacific than any other airline, including nonstop flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Vancouver to New Zealand, as well as Los
Angeles non-stop to the Cook Islands and Samoa. Other popular destinations include Australia, China,
Japan and Tonga. In addition to flying non-stop Los Angeles-London, Air New Zealand’s route
between London and Hong Kong now allows customers to fly round-the-world on one airline.
Consistently rated among the world’s best international airlines, Air New Zealand’s new Inflight
Concierge Service provides all passengers with a range of services, from travel advice to assistance
with onward bookings. Air New Zealand’s most recent accolades include “Best Business Class to
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific” for the third straight year by Business Traveler Magazine
(USA) “Best Transpacific Airline” at the 26th Airline Industry Awards, “Best Passenger Service”
award by Air Transport World magazine, and “Best Business Class Red Wine” for the Martinborough
Pinot Noir 2005 at the 2007 Cellars in the Sky awards. United Mileage Plus, US Airways Dividend
Miles and Air Canada’s Aeroplan members earn and redeem mileage on select flights. Flight and
vacation essentials can be booked on AirNewZealand.com or by calling 1-800-262-1234 in the USA
and 1-800-663-5494 in Canada. Air New Zealand is a member of the Star Alliance network.
Current Status of Issue
The last noted opportunity to purchase tickets for the Pink Flight was in 2011. Both Air
New Zealand and CRT/tanaka currently do not hold any recent information on the Pink Flight on
either of their websites. There is information in relation to the launch of the Pink Flight and its
success for the company.
Comparison to Similar Cases
In 2014, Burger King made Inc.com’s “10 PR Stunts That Won 2014” List for their
‘Proud’ Whopper. Revelers who stopped in at a Burger King along the route of San Francisco's
Pride Parade in July were baffled at first by the burger's rainbow-colored wrapping. But they
eventually got its message: "We are all the same inside." News of the campaign spread online,
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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and the story was picked up by mainstream and LGBT media outlets. "They made a decision to
connect to the gay community in a way that no other company in their category or industry has
done," Andrew Isen, president of WinMark Concepts, a Washington, D.C., marketing firm, told
The Washington Post. "Being the first to do something in a category or industry is always the
best because everyone else will follow suit." (Krasny 2014)
Analysis of “lessons learned”
The lessons that can be learned from the Air New Zealand Pink Flight case truly aligns
with staying true to what your company values and using this as a means to connect with an
audience by finding a common ground. With the proper research done, a PR professional can
really launch the career of its client, opening doors for growth. This case was a prime example of
how important the preparation phase is in creating a strategic communications plan. Good timing
is also a lesson to be learned from the Pink Flight Case. Knowing what trends are currently
taking place in specific groups can work to a company’s advantage.
Personal Opinion
I personally believe that this PR campaign was genius in naturally taking on a specific
audience and making them feel appreciated. While learning and doing my research on the Pink
Flight, I was very intrigued. I personally had never heard of anything like it before. I think
anyone could learn that if you have a very specific audience and you know this particular
demographic very well, you will have a successful campaign. Burger King and their ‘Proud
Whopper’ is another great example of having a specific target audience and succeeding in
finding how to message them. Burger King has created a brand that's allowed audiences to
differentiate them from other fast-food companies such as Wendy’s or McDonald’s. On the
contrast, 2007 was a bad year for airline, JetBlue who disappointed its public when they trapped
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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passengers on a plane for more than 11 hours at JFK due to an ice storm. Passengers described
the experience as horrific as snacks depleted and the bathrooms grew unpleasant. Following the
storm, JetBlue faced some serious trouble with the government for failing to deplane the 1,000
passengers. (Male 2009) I think the last thing a company wants to do is upset their audience by
not listening to them or acting in their best interest.
Professional PR Opinion
Desmond Casselle is a PR Consultant at AOI Events & PR in Philadelphia. In his
professional career, he has gain experience in social media management, pitching media stories,
coordinating special events and directing strategic planning meetings. Casselle found the PR
campaign very well implemented and organized. “I think one of the most important skills you
can have in event planning is organization” Casselle added. He also thought choosing Kathy
Griffin was the best move for the airline in inviting a comedian that can truly add the spark the
events need. During his time in event planning he’s learned a poor guest can ruin the entire flow
of the event, especially if guest can’t relate to him/her. Casselle believed this is a great PR case
to use in teaching some of the key PR tools and is looking more into the case to help provide
examples to incoming interns at AOI Events & PR.
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
Works Cited
About Air New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from
14
PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY 11-1 AIR NEW ZEALAND PINK FLIGHT
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http://www.airnewzealand.com/about-air-new-zealand
Air New Zealand. (2007, September 17). Air New Zealand paints the sky pink with its first
themed North American flight [Press release]. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
Air New Zealand. (2009, February 5). Air New Zealand's Pink Flight Goes Glam [Press
release]. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
Beveridge, J. (2007, September 18). Pink skies ahead at Air NZ. Herald Sun (Australia).
Retrieved February 23, 2016.
Hendrix, J. A., Hayes, D. C., & Kumar, P. D. (2007). Public Relations Cases. Belmont, CA:
Thomson/Wadsworth.
Johnston, L. (2012). Sites of excess: The spatial politics of touch for drag queens in Aotearoa
New Zealand [Abstract]. Emotion, Space and Society, 5(1), 1-9. Retrieved February 29,
2016.
Kiwis plan gay flight. (2007, September 16). Sunday Territorian (Australia).
Krasny, J. (2014, December 09). 10 PR Stunts That Won 2014. Retrieved February 29, 2016,
from http://www.inc.com/ss/jill-krasny/10-pr-stunts-that-won-2014.html
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Male, B. (2009, December 17). The 15 Biggest PR Disasters Of The Decade. Retrieved
February 27, 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/the-biggest-corporate-prdisasters-of-the-decade-2009-12?op=1
McDonald, G., & Chung, K. (2016, January 9). Goodbye Thunderbirds, hello Barbie. The
Dominion Post. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
Pink air party targets Mardi Gras travelers. (2007, September 17). The Courier Mail (Australia).
Retrieved February 24, 2016,
Reality star to 'join' Air NZ. (2008, February 1). The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved February
27, 2016.
Wellington. (2007, September 16). Latest in-flight entertainment: Drag queens and crew cabaret.
Canberra Times (Australia). Retrieved February 23, 2016.