INDUSTRY Q&A
The future of amenities PAX spoke to Olaf Menschel, General Manager at Harmony, a part of deSter (a gategroup member), about how the onboard amenity market is changing and what the company is doing to remain an industry leader
Olaf Menschel, General Manager at Harmony
GLOBAL BRAND PARTNER
As a trusted partner to the most exclusive international luxury brands, we’re able to deliver bespoke co-branded products and services that support and strengthen our customer’s strategic aims by addressing a global consumer base. The fact that we’re operating on a global scale does not only ensure a high speed to market, it also enables our experienced team of designers and brand managers to keep a finger on the pulse of today’s market, tap into local trends and anticipate cultural preferences. In a highly competitive market, consumers increasingly expect products that transcend the regular. Providing an experience relevant to them is therefore crucial.
THE OPPORTUNITY OF CHOICE
TRENDS IN BRAND PREFERENCES
Where previously the trend for airlines was to opt for single-brand amenity kits, we’ve now been seeing a shift to multi-brand kits combining carefully selected products from various brands into one contemporary kit. This truly is an exciting approach as it provides
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Concerning onboard amenity and retail offerings, airlines more and more aim to differentiate themselves by creating the opportunity for choice, which was formerly not in focus for amenity kits. Amenity kits have previously been a creative choice made by the airline and would be flown for the next two, three years – it was one-size fits all. Our business now moves at a much faster speed, and the goal of an airline is to always surprise their passengers. In the past, the industry would experiment with unisex and gender-specific kits, but that was pretty much it. We’re
10 MAY 2018
now looking into developing kits which are mood-orientated, and that’s very exciting from an amenity point of view and also in understanding what passengers really want.
[Preselection] will not only unlock valuable additional consumer insights, it will also provide a great opportunity for airlines to generate ancillary revenue.”
airlines with the opportunity to differentiate themselves by including products from locally relevant brands or designers. Offering a mix, including upcoming contemporary niche brands and designers, really relates to the millennial mindset and is a great way for airlines to safely extend their brand values to this market segment. The opportunity for passenger choice, paired with a combination of brands tailored to consumer tastes, is what makes Harmony’s offering truly different.
ON WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
At Harmony we’re currently working on some very exciting projects that, in the not-too-distant future, will make customization and preselection available to all passengers, both in a complimentary form (i.e. amenity kits) or as a retail option. This will not only unlock valuable additional consumer insights, it will also provide a great opportunity for airlines to generate ancillary revenue. I’m pumped, really. So far, we have received good feedback from the airlines. We are sensing a change in the air.