Storyboard | Brand Air India 2.0 ready to fly?​

Government’s bid to privatize Air India ends with the Tata Group winning the bid to own 100 percent of government stake in the national carrier. (Image: News18 Creative)

It’s homecoming for the Maharajah after the Tata Group on Friday announced that it has won the bid for Air India at Rs 18,000 crore. The debt-laden national carrier returned to its founders Tata Sons, ending a decade-long struggle to divestment. The airline, founded in 1932, was the pride and joy of J.R.D. Tata.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of December 2021, said Tuhin Kant Pandey, Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). Pandey said the government will get Rs 2,700 crore cash from the Tatas for sale of its 100% stake.

In an emotional note, Tata Sons chairman emeritus Ratan Tata tweeted, "Welcome back, Air India.” Further adding: "While admittedly it will take considerable effort to rebuild Air India, it will hopefully provide a very strong market opportunity to the Tata Group in the aviation industry."

Air India has gone through a tumultuous journey scaling new highs till the '70s, when it was looked up to by other airlines having even trained the Singapore Airlines staff. Its brand mascot Maharajah once was a metaphor for Air India service – one could expect to be treated like royalty. However, once the J.R.D. Tata, the founder and then still chairman of Air India was removed from the chairman’s role on February 1, 1978, the fateful fall of the airline started.

Despite its shortcomings such as poor in-flight service, outdated fleet and lack of technological advancements such as on-board entertainment, Air India still manages to piggyback on its glory days. Many brand experts Storyboard spoke to had fond memories associated with the airline and are hopeful for a brand overhaul.

"There is a compelling current of emotion - that of a homecoming. Of a journey deemed expansive and arduous in parts and now finding a safe harbour of a kind," says Prasoon Joshi, lyricist and chairman of McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific. In his view, the brand stands once again at a take off point: "Deliciously poised between tradition and reinvention, the Maharaja this time around is perhaps not here to serve but also to rule the skies. Congratulations to the Tatas and respect for the Government for this bold and welcome move."

Also read: Storyboard | A Rebirth For Air India And Its Maharajah?

Bring efficiency and accountability

A lot works for brand Air India as it is synonymous with nationalism and nostalgia; at the same time there are certain codes (services and agility) which needs reenergising. Advertising and media executives believe that Tata needs to immediately look at amalgamating past glory and future-facing technologies to make ‘Air India’ a truly competitive homegrown yet world-class brand. Air India, which has received a bad rap for its service, needs to signal a change and communicate to customers that it has changed for good.

Dheeraj Sinha, CEO and chief strategy officer – South Asia, Leo Burnett, highlights that Air India needs a signification of new intent, especially with commitment on service quality which has held the brand back in the past.

“Those corrections need to be communicated well. Air India, as a brand, has lot of power, strength and equity of its own. The clever task would be of retaining some of the semiotics of what made the brand memorable in people’s mind and adding a bit of new. It is a mixing of past and future,” he adds.

The airline returning to Tatas also translates into the brand being handled with care and efficiency. The severe trust deficit among customers is also expected to be resolved.

Sujata Kesawan, founder of Varavan, a London-based brand, believes that Tata’s management will be able to run Air India more competently and efficiently and raise the airlines standards to match the expectations of today’s international traveller.

“The Air India brand comes with an impressive legacy and name recognition that takes years to build. It has enormous potential to be reinvented and revitalised. With good execution, it has the potential to become a great Indian super brand, comparable to the world’s best,” she adds.

Also read: Storyboard | Who knew that Air India’s Maharajah was born on the corner of a letterhead?

Maharajah should stay

Despite the call for an overhaul, there has been a clear consensus on retaining Air India’s much loved mascot ‘Maharajah’. Created by Bobby Kooka, the Maharajah remains one of India’s most recognisable and loved mascots - this portly figure in regal garb has held a special place in the hearts of Indian citizens for years.

“We all grew up with the Maharajah and it’s an iconic brand known for treating his guests like royalty. The welcoming Maharajah was a memorable and charming mascot. They must retain it. It is unique to India’s history,” says Raj Nayak, founder, House of Cheer.

At a time of brand changeover, contemporising it is always a good idea says Bobby Pawar, chairman and chief creative officer, Havas Group India. Though he is quick to add that Air India is a national carrier so there’s a pride attached to it from its own staff as well as citizens and that sentiment needs to be handled preciously and delicately.

“However, there are people who were not happy with the brand at some point of time, so Tatas should definitely signal a change. The brand mascot must be retained but it needs to contemporised with the times,” he notes.

On the other hand, industry veteran Madison World’s chairman Sam Balsara, believes, the brand needs to be “repositioned as a modern, state of the art airline that is super-efficient and customer service focused.” Balsara also think, this move also do good to brand India, as he thinks, “an airline is the nation's ambassador.” However, he opines in the current world “Maharajah does not fit into the scheme of things.”

According to digital and new age brand transformational companies the Maharajah could make a comeback with a touch of modern designing. Harshil Karia, founder of digital agency Schbang India notes that given the Tatas' penchant for design one is likely to see Air India become a lot fresher.

“The Maharajah is a unit which has high equity. I see the Maharajah having the potential to be reborn almost for the digital age. A mascot who has a unique point of view that represents the viewpoint of a rising India,” he shares.

Rayomand J. Patell, chief creative officer of digital shop Idealake, believes “the Maharajah is immortal”. “You can try to kill him off all you want as they did in 2007, but sometimes consumers decide what a brand is and in this case, they never loved the rays of the sun design as much as the affable Maharajah around whom Bobby Kooka and Team JWT did decades of stellar work.” Now the brand is coming back home, Patell says, “Now they (the Tatas) just have to refurb the planes, the brand is already flying high again.”