CASE STUDY SCHIPHOL CEO’S RESPONSE TO GREENPEACE

Hundreds of environmental activists wearing white overalls stormed an area holding private jets at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in November 2022 and stopped aircraft from leaving for hours by sitting in front of their wheels.

"We want fewer flights, more trains and a ban on unnecessary short-haul flights and private jets," Greenpeace Netherlands campaign leader Dewi Zloch said. The environmental group says Schiphol is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the Netherlands, emitting 12 billion kilograms annually.

While protests like these are common in different parts of Europe, few aviation CEOs address the protestors directly. That’s where Schiphol CEO Ruud Sondag’s response to Greenpeace offers a masterclass in dealing with brand eXternalities.

“I’ve been committed to a sustainable Netherlands for more than 25 years, and that won’t change, of course,” he started, sharing his own personal commitment to a greener future.

He then continued by stating the airport’s mission before acknowledging the protestors’ demands, rather than dismissing them. “Schiphol directly links the Netherlands to almost 300 destinations across the globe. That’s wonderful, but this has to be done differently. In a way that’s better for our employees and the environment, with fewer emissions and pollution. We want emissions-free airports by 2030 and net climate-neutral aviation by 2050.”

Finally, he asked the protestors to respect the airport’s employees: “Sustainability is also about treating employees sustainably. That’s also part of my agenda. I stand up for them as well. Demonstrating is a great good. With respect to our employees — who work hard day in and day out for the passengers at Schiphol.”

Sondag’s response shared his personal commitment to sustainability, stated the airport’s mission and embraced the protestors as a force for change, rather than ignoring them.

Climate activism against airlines and airports is only set to increase after the sharp rise in travel post-pandemic. When things outside an airline or airport’s control go out of hand, we can all learn from the Schiphol CEO’s response to Greenpeace.

Consistency In Delivery

It is an art to deliver a great experience once, but delivering a consistently great experience over time is a science. This is because it requires meticulous planning and persistence to stay true to that plan in the face of external and internal pressures to change course.

Brand eXecution requires an airline to stay true to its core brand personality in good times or bad and deliver a consistent experience.

More than anything else, it is this consistency that builds trust among customers.

Good brand eXecution also requires consistency across different product offerings and customer touch-points. The soft product on a regional flight in an Embraer jet and a transatlantic flight in a Boeing 777 should not differ greatly.

Similarly, if the airline staff is supposed to be chatty, they should be that way on the phone, at the check-in desk, and in flight. An airline should train its partners to interact with its customers in the same way as its staff, including over digital channels. Another aspect of good brand eXecution is the commitment to the brand ethos. The airline shouldn’t be changing what the brand stands for too dramatically very often. A slow evolution is fine, as long as it resonates with the customers well.