With the Malaysia Airlines incident approaching closure, I would like to discuss this issue with reference to Sheila Shayon‘s blog post Malaysia Airlines Grapples With MH370 Crisis Management. In this post, Shayon commented on Malaysia Airlines’ crisis management, quoting both positive and negative reflections from various sources.

As described on the post, one of the primary actions Malaysia Airlines took was the creation of a microsite that provides the most up-to-date information of searches in both English and Chinese (since majority of the passengers of flight MH370 is Chinese), along with messages such as public statements and toll-free contact numbers. Such treatment was appropriate because it helps sooth anxiety and somewhat promotes positive brand image (given that the company’s reputation are greatly impacted by this incident).

Other actions taken by Malaysia Airlines include the establishment of a Family Support Centre and monetary support. Moreover, it removed all promotional materials from social medias including Facebook and Twitter, focusing on providing the public with first hand news regarding the incident. Given the severity of this crisis, the airline was doing everything it could to respond. And given what they did so far, I think the airline demonstrated its professionalism and treated this incident with great importance.

Nevertheless, criticism is unavoidable, as stated on the Global Times “The Malaysian side cannot shirk its responsibilities. The initial response from Malaysia was not swift enough. There are loopholes in the work of Malaysia Airlines and security authorities. If it is due to a deadly mechanical breakdown or pilot error, then Malaysia Airlines should take the blame. If this is a terrorist attack, then the security check at the Kuala Lumpur airport and on the flight is questionable.”

Regardless of how well/poor Malaysia Airlines managed this crisis, their corporate image were greatly damaged. In the coming years, it will have to put in extra effort on brand marketing.

Why Water Less™ Jeans – Interview with Levi’s® Designer

While I was never a big fan of green marketing, Ernest Li’s Blog post regarding Levi’s ongoing Water<Less campaign really caught my attention, since prior to reading the post I had little knowledge about the manufacturing processes of jeans and the water consumption involved. As described on the company website and briefly on Ernest’s blog, these Water<Less jeans are made using a technology that saves up to 96% water during production, yet they are essentially the same products as other Levi’s jeans in terms of price or quality.

In Ernest’s post, he brings up the issue that “are Levi’s really concerned about the wellness of the society or simply wants to enhance its reputation and profit”. He points out that since Levi’s are not charging any premiums for the Water<Less jeans, it must be truly committed to this campaign. While agreeing with Ernest’s opinions, I would like to provide some inputs in support for his claim.

Besides all the slogan mentioning how special the products are (which is somewhat strategic and aiming for profit), Levi’s also provides information such as how much water people use each day and promote reduction in water usage (which is less profit-based).

Other than the Water<Less campaign, Levi’s started a more recent campaign called Waste<Less. While its objective is also to improve environment, instead of saving water, this time Levi’s makes jeans out of recycled bottles. This further demonstrates how Levi’s is genuinely trying to fulfill its social responsibility, as it consistently promote these green ideas instead of treating them as a strategy to create buzz.