It’s not Qantas that has the reputation problem, it’s marketers
Today, with this blistering piece about Qantas-knocking, marketing legend Mark Ritson kicks off a regular column for Mumbrella.
Ritson has won multple awards for his outspoken and often counter-intuitive writing on marketing, marketers and brands — and he has put his money where his mouth is in the form of the MiniMBA in Marketing, a practical training program for marketers that is expanding globally. More on that later.
For now, brace yourself: Dr Ritson is in residence.
Holy shit! Someone actually said something almost positive about Qantas! Apparently the new Roy Morgan data is showing the airline “moving away from a highly distrusted position”. This is hardly a signal to crack open the First Class champagne just yet over at Mascot, but any analysis that spots a few “green shoots of trust recovery” must be a good thing.
No brand cops it quite like Qantas. Once the “Spirit of Australia”— synonymous with safety, reliability and bringing homesick expats back to their mums — the national carrier has spent much of the last decade as a kangaroo-shaped piñata.
Marketing experts line up behind branding gurus and business journos to take repeated whacks at Australia’s national carrier. To be fair, there has been plenty to aim at. A steady parade of booking debacles, “ghost flights”, a cheerless COVID response, an errant overpaid CEO and various data breaches have kept the commentary busier than Tullamarine on Easter Monday.
The apparent reputational slide started in earnest during those strange post-pandemic days of 2022. Sacking ground staff, stuffing up refunds, outsourcing core operations—every “efficiency” play seemed to trade trust for dollars. By 2024, Qantas had plummeted from its gilded place as one of the top five most trusted Aussie brands to one of the five least trusted in the country in Roy Morgan’s data.
Short term. Yeah. Oligopoly/near monopoly. Yeah. Profits galore now. Yeah.
Open Skies? Coming Qantas’s way. Sure, not now. Qantas’ lobbyists earn their pay. But once Virgin collapses, and there is “Only Qantas”, the foreign barriers will be removed. And Qantas will be exposed for what it is. A rent seeking, technically incompetent and deeply despised entity.
But Vanessa, like her mentor, will have swanned off into a multi million dollar retirement, leaving a massive mess for the next sucker CEO. “SUITE OF SERVICES” – my God. They are an AIRLINE. They actually need to run (not cancel), be on time, keep the luggage undamaged and on the right flight, ensure the planes don’t have systemic broken seats/toilets/catering. CORE activities. Let alone treating at least their platinum flyers with some respect. Qantas is f#$ded. It’s just when the consequences of the Joyce/Hudsen era finally emerge. Once they hit, it will be a death spiral.
Roy Morgan is still around?
I thought people went to Tasmania to become more relaxed. Maybe come up for some air.
Qantas doesn’t seem to make much ‘profit’.
In 2022-23, Qantas was the leading non-tax paying company.
In 2023-24, the airline paid $8 million in tax on total income of $21.6 billion and taxable income of $46 million.
Tone deaf – you’re using profits and usership to justify that a brand (measured by public opinion) is in good health? Yeah, people are paying through the nose for their flights, and Qantas has increased prices for worse service. Of course they’re profiting. And people hate them for that. They could be doing things with those profifts like, oh I don’t know … not laying off their staff? Not to mention lack of competition. Everyone hates them for the reasons you’re giving here mate.
Yes, I trust my mobile phone, and of course I need to! It’s something I’ve given thought to. For example, it took a major brand like Samsung considerable time to restore consumer confidence after safety issues with their devices.
In contrast, of course Qantas’ trust levels have not significantly affected their business, mainly because they operate in a near-oligopolistic market.
This is a selective example, and I suspect Ritson is well aware of that
It’s hard to not read Mark’s pieces in a Jeremy Clarkson voice.
Profanity is something to leave behind as a person reaches a certain level of maturity.
Mature communication leans more on precision, empathy, and persuasion rather than blunt force. Avoiding profanity often signals self-control and respect for diverse audiences. It also shows the ability to regulate expression, especially in high-pressure or sensitive moments.
ABSOLUTELY!!
Great read!
“And a few days later all three of these fuckers are checking in for a Qantas flight and enjoying their hypocrisy along with a shitty coffee and an overcooked pastry.” – pure artistry!
I’m sure the haters love the vibe of Sydney Terminal 2.