Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Qantas had such a good reputation that it could afford to roll out advertising campaigns based on the slogan, ‘I hate Qantas’. For more than a decade cute but grumpy koala popped up on our TV screens telling us how much he hated the iconic Aussie airline. His hatred was born of annoyance at the number of people coming to Australia to bother him because Qantas made the trip so easy and enjoyable.
Fifty years on, and I suspect Qantas would well and truly baulk at any such slogan suggestion from their marketing gurus. Such has been the decline in its brand, the phrase ‘I hate Qantas’ is likely to come from its customers, Australian and otherwise. And, sadly, it will be uttered without a hint of irony.
The latest survey released by Brand Finance Australia shows that Qantas now ranks number 41 for brand strength among our national businesses. Only five years ago, the airline was ranked number one, and it was still in the top 10 in 2022.
But its perceived poor post-COVID service has cost Qantas dearly. And its alleged practice of selling tickets on knowingly cancelled flights has exacerbated a loss of faith in the airline.
Coming in at the top of the Australians are Bunnings and – somewhat surprisingly – Woolworths.
Although the survey was completed before the supermarket giant came under fire for its stance on cutting back on Australia Day themed items, it has been heavily criticised for not passing enough savings on to customers struggling with cost-of-living pressures.
Other companies to rank ahead of Qantas included retail giant Myer and Origin Energy.
Has your respect for Qantas as a brand diminished over the past few years?
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