My old Ad Missions colleague Andris Pone has posted a poll asking readers for their opinions on the brand of the decade. Among the candidates are Apple, Starbucks, Volvo, and Porter. Unsurprisingly, Apple and Porter are in a dead heat at 27% of votes apiece.
My old Ad Missions colleague Andris Pone has posted a poll asking readers for their opinions on the brand of the decade. Among the candidates are Apple, Starbucks, Volvo, and Porter. Unsurprisingly, Apple and Porter are in a dead heat at 27% of votes apiece.
I’m going to have to go with Porter. While I recognize the design genius of Apple and its rock-solid positioning, I just can’t stand the company’s products. Porter on the other hand… holy hanna. The trick for Porter is going to be following through on the “Flying Refined” brand promise as it adds routes and customers. Part of what made it so appealing in the early years was not just the convenience, but the fact that the planes were mostly empty. It was like flying an executive jet for the price of a Via rail ticket.
The company is still doing a fine job of pushing the brand clearly consistently through every vector, but I’ve flown it a couple of times recently, and the inevitable delivery flaws are creeping in. A delay at the gate here, a messy lounge area there — when elite service meets mass appeal, something has to give, doesn’t it? I hope not.
Here’s Andrew Coyne, again from the early days.