Comment: Brands must resist urge to dilute principles

Back in the autumn of 2007, just as the credit crunch was rearing its ugly head, I had the opportunity to interview on video the chief executive of one of the UK’s largest operators – one of the most powerful people in travel.

As we were preparing for the interview and settling in, I asked an ice-breaker of a question.

“With the economic meltdown going on,” I said, “what will happen to your green initiatives?”

The answer was brief and to the point, a bit like the CEO himself. “It’s off the agenda. We have bigger fish to fry.”

And that indeed became the case. Green initiatives were shelved or slipped down the agenda for the duration of the credit crunch. And to be frank, there was little or no fuss made about it by the media or the general public.

Now, 15 years later, I can’t help thinking that the CEO’s answer today to my question would be different. And if it were not, the public’s reaction certainly wouldn’t be as benign as it was back in 2007.

It seems today that nearly every travel brand, company and organisation is talking about sustainability, equality, diversity and inclusion.

These subjects dominate conference agendas; are a major topic of media interviews by industry chiefs; and are often the focus of press releases and marketing initiatives.

And there is no sign that a cost-of-living crisis, energy crisis, ravaging inflation and geopolitical uncertainty are going to change that.

Travel brands and organisations seem intent on keeping those subjects front and centre of their activities. And that is a good thing, for it is only when brands, companies and organisations get involved in these issues that society and the environment can truly change for the better.

And this time around, things are different from 2007 in one big way: equality, diversity, inclusion and sustainability are on the public’s radar.

Consumers have expectations of brands and these can be a minefield for travel businesses if they don’t keep true to their moral compass.

Travel brands and organisations must not just talk the talk now – they must walk the walk. But that, in times of economic downturns, can be tricky, because principles have a price. Yet increasingly, audiences will expect an organisation to pay the price for its principles, regardless of the economic landscape. It’s vital that industry leaders remember that as we head into a tough winter and 2023.

In marketing, we have a concept known as cognitive dissonance. Essentially, it says that if the brand or organisation says one thing but does something at odds with that, it causes confusion in the mind of the target audience. And that confusion can lead to a lack of trust and credibility with the consumer.

If you are a brand that talks about equality, then that must extend not just to your own employees but to how you treat your suppliers or tourism workers overseas.

If you are a trade body that champions very publicly, say, inclusion and diversity, but then accept the sponsorship for your conference from a tourist board in a region of the world known to be unsympathetic to that issue, then there will naturally be some doubt about the commitment you have to the cause that you espouse.

So, as we enter a tough period for us all, travel leaders must ask themselves one thing: ‘If we say we believe in something, if we say we are committed to it or have it as a principle, are we prepared to pay the price?’

If the answer is anything other than a definitive yes, then be prepared for a credibility issue.

Keeping to your principles, closely following your code of conduct and striving always to live your beliefs, no matter what challenges you face, is what the public truly value in anybody or any brand.

If you don’t believe that, just look at the global outpouring of grief, respect and adulation for our recently departed Queen. She knew just what principles and beliefs were all about and understood that they had to be lived up to through times both good and bad.