Icon Communications is an advertising agency based in Accra, Ghana. This is our credentials presentation followed by our mini survey of the airline industry in Ghana.

1. Partnership

2. Icon Communications
Credentials presentation for British Airways, Nov 06

3. Coming up next…
1. Agency Credentials
2. Icon Creative
3. Our brands in print
4. Homework
5. What we can do for you
6. Discussion

4. Icon Services
Brand development
Campaign development
Media planning & buying
TV Production
Print Production

5. Event Management

6. Alliances
• TBWA Hunt-Lascaris South Africa
• Media Initiative Media Strategy & buying
• Apex Advertising TV Production
• Facet Productions Radio Production
• Graphicolor Hi-quality Printing
• Graphic Communications Discounts
• M&C Saatchi Technical Support

7. Media buying
Our Media Strategies are devised in collaboration with
our media independent partners, Media Initiative.
This gives us access to GAMPS (Ghana All Media &
Products Survey) together with Telmar software for
analysing this data.
This provides a complete picture of our target
consumer’s media habits and will ensure a far more
cost effective Media Plan.

8. Key Brands
Accra Breweries

9. Icon Principles
Do the right thing
Never try to fool the consumer
Never try to fool the client
Cost effective is more effective
Think different
Always aim for runaway success

10. Icon. I can.

11. Icon
People Empowered

12. Your dedicated team
Colin
Experience: Ten years advertising in Ghana.
Special skills: Brand think, team building, creative direction leadership
Nimi
Experience: Six years advertising at Icon.
Special skills: Print, TV, Event, Brand Management Management
Bilal
Experience: Seven years advertising in Ghana.
Special skills: Visual Identity, Art Direction, Pre-press Art
Fred
Experience: Two years advertising in Ghana.
Special skills: Graphic Design, Visual ID, prepress Graphic
Afua
Experience: Seven years advertising at Icon.
Special skills: Organisation; planning, coordination Administration

13. ”We will definitely recommend Icon to any other
company who asks us who to work with in Ghana.quot;
Wall to Wall Television for Channel 4’s Into Africa
“…I know I can only get this level of service from
Icon, thank you once againquot;
Enyonam Andoh, Stanbic Bank

14. Fee Structures
Commission
Standard Commission. Agency enjoys 15% commission on
media and a flat 20% on production costs. Discounts from
suppliers will be passed on to client.
Fixed Fee
Icon can operate a fixed fee, calculated on people costs per
account/project. People costs are yearly consolidated salary per
staff with x2.5. With a total of 1,600 hours in a year.
Daily rates are based on 8 hours a day. The overhead cost is an
internationally accepted ratio base, ranging from 2.2 to 2.7.
Scope of Work can be agreed prior to each new year. Based on
this, people percentage time is agreed on each account with
corresponding costs calculated.
Fees are paid monthly in arrears. As a rule, agency personnel fill
in manual time sheets.
In addition, 15% commission on media and Client shall
reimburse at net cost, any extra expenses incurred outside the
scope of contract.
All agreed remuneration will be exclusive of VAT and other local
taxes or duties of a like kind.

15. Icon. Ideas.
Ghana

33. Icon
ShowreelWorld Class local vibes

34. The airline business in Ghana
“Although traffic in and out of Ghana is less than a million
passengers a year, it’s growing steadily by 8 to 10 percent.”
Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, 2005.

35. Non-Ghanaian travelers
• Expats
– Socio-economic stability has brought, in its
wake, an influx of foreign investors and
businesses.
– These expatriates maintain a strong link
back home and travel out of Accra
frequently for business and leisure.
• Tourists
– Tourism holds a strong potential for driving
Ghana’s economic growth.
– This is a niche-market yearning for attention
and nurture

36. I travel between Ghana, South Africa,
South America, UK & US on a
regular basis. My secretary books
me e-tickets
I don’t want any airline
to mess me about. I want to
Be comfortable and on time.
I fly the same airline
each time
Other carriers to
Luke I don’t enjoy flying so I try to
Ghana are all rubbish
get as much sleep as possible
Luke is a CFO, He works for one of the big breweries based in Ghana. The nature of his job
brings him into contact with lots of people. He is well-informed and is respected among his
peers in the UK and Ghanaian Business Communities. “I believe in excellence and
professionalism and whatever I do is driven by this”

37. Ghanaian Travelers
Demographic
• Ghanaians in Ghana and Ghanaians in the Diaspora
• West Africans at home and abroad
• Ex-pats, business people and tourists of African
descent.
• Aged between 18 – 55years, fairly well educated,
with travel experience or word-of-mouth shared
experience
Psychographic
• People who see themselves as discerning, as having a
good sense of judgment.
• To travel by air, for many, brings a feeling of success

38. Daniel Addison, Brand Manager
Daniel is a member of
Ghana’s fast growing
middle class. He’s a
Marketing Executive and
has an extensive network
of family, friends and
contacts in Ghana, UK,
US and SA. People
respect his opinion on a
range of issues
I travel outside
2 or 3 times a year
I collect air miles
If I’m going on business,
I’m thinking about getting
there fresh enough
to perform well
I enjoy traveling. I do a lot
of shopping if I get the chance,
I can often turn a reasonable
If I’m under my own steam,
profit
it’s all about price

39. I’m a trader. I travel to
We’re getting ripped off in
buy goods.
West Africa, the fares are too high,
baggage allowances are too low and the planes
they give us are old and tatty. It’s an insult. Last
time I flew xx airlines, some of the Ghanaian
passengers organized a petition. I was
very happy to sign it.
I always find the best
Fare. I just phone around
And find out what’s
Happening. I don’t
waste money
Bell-Phyllis
Phyllis is a 48-year-old business
woman with three shops in the
central business district. She
travels almost every other
month to Europe, Asia and
North America to buy goods for
her shops. She belongs to the
bubbly class of Ghanaians who
have the cash to spend and
wields a strong influence among
her peers.
I need a good baggage
My son lives in US
allowance

40. Value
Comfort
Drivers
Business
Travelers
Price and
Service are Reliability Safety
formost in many
passenger’s Added value
Service
minds, as is
Visiting Family
safety, while
Tourists
And Relatives
baggage
Price
Baggage
allowance is vital
allowance
to the huge VFR
group. Margins
concern Travel
Travel & Tour
and tour
Companies
partners and
comfort and
Terms &
reliability are
margins
important to
business
travelers.

41. Stakeholders
• Employees – primary ambassadors
• Travelers
• Government with national interest and pride
• Travel & Tour Agents: key players in the
supply chain.
• The local media who set the agenda for
public discussion: positive or negative

42. Business models
Naturally, there are as many airline
business models as there are airlines but just for fun
we’ve simplified down to four basic ideas:

43. Pay more, Get more
British Airways & Singapore Airlines
– Leverage & dominate the home airport and guard jealously
– Brand strongly
– Hi production value TV ads
– Innovate constantly but stay with the brand promise
– Exploit the muscle of being big
“Singapore Airlines, with the youngest fleet in the air,
provides perfumed hot towels, on-demand-video (start,
stop, rewind at will) with a choice of 40 or 50 top
movies and wireless broadband in all classes. Every
Singapore Airlines innovation is in line with their strongly
embeded positioning around the in-cabin experience: A
Great Way to Fly” – brandchannel.com

44. Pay Less, get less
Southwestern and Ryaniar - no frills
– Focus on price at the expense of everything else
– Go point-to-point and focus on second-string airports
– Constantly cut costs to enhance profits
– Exploit the responsiveness and speed to market of being
small
“Ryanair’s absurdly cheep air tickets are completely
ticketless: you buy them on the web and print them on
your own computer. Since Ryanair strives to be the cost
leader, little emphasis is given to the emotional appeal of
the brand on the website.” – brandchannel.com

45. Pay less, get more
Jet Blue
– Quirky but strong and relentless brand work
– Zigg when everyone else Zaggs – be startlingly better in selected areas
– Attack markets where dominant carriers, overcharge & under deliver.
– Exploit the responsiveness and speed to market of being small
“Jet Blue thrived in an environment where traditional airlines made massive
profits, provided poor service and charged high fares… the greatest sin was
the indifference directed at the passenger.” – brandchannel.com
“Low cost doesn’t have to mean lack of service or lack of comfort.” – Katy
Raaijmaker, passenger.
“Jet Blue baits you with a low fare & hooks you with their good service.
They’ve put the human element back into flying & it’s resonated deeply with
passengers” – RD Rusch, New York Journalist.
“When you help a passenger with their baggage, it’s a real shock, compared to
what they’re used to…” Jet Blue executive, Gareth Edmonson Jones (former
virgin exec)

46. Local Champion
Ethiopian Airlines
– Brand promise, “African hospitality, with a global Network”
– A Heritage of reliability with a great complement of routes to
the world
– A brand positioning that’s compatible with Ghanaian culture
and tradition of ‘Akwaaba’
– ET have won over and kept an army of loyal travelers across
continents.
“I traveled with ET from Nigeria to China and had taste of African
hospitality. I recommend the airline to anyone flying from Africa
who wants a last taste of African hospitality before the destination”
– A passenger.

47. Competition in Ghana
• Currently, there are two categories of operators;
– Traditional Airlines
– Charter operators
• Keen competition in the sector especially among
the big players e.g. British Airways, KLM,
Lufthansa etc.
• Daily schedule by these players indicate strong
market opportunities.
• Emergence of charter operators who are
positioned on price and baggage allowance
• Continued patronage of these severely unreliable,
no-frills carriers points to an un-met need in the
market place

48. Communications – a snapshot

49. Outdoor
The outdoor battle has
recently taken on a new
intensity for airlines in Accra
with Virgin, GIA and SAA
taking the fight up-market.
New, huge prestige sites
have taken the place of the
original, small wooden
boards.
Billboard sites are very
difficult to acquire right now
and the local authority is
taking draconian steps to
reduce visual clutter,
further reducing available
space.

50. Outdoor
• Most visible around
Accra:
– Ghana International
– Emirates
– South African
Airlines*
– Afriqia (Lybia)
• Less visible:
– Ethiiopian
– KLM
– Lufthansa
– North American
– Virgin Nigeria
• Invisible
– British Airways
– Alitalia
*A new SAA outdoor campaign
is going up now

51. Messages in Outdoor
• Airlines focus mainly
on destinations and
numbers of flights
• They also use
generic messages
to enhance top-of-
mind awareness

53. Press

54. Messages in Press
• Airlines mainly use full or half-
page colour ads in Graphic.
• Press is most used to
communicate short-term fare
offers or new news, ie: routes
and schedules

55. Press
• Most visible:
– Ghana
International
– South African*
– Emirates
• Less visible:
– Alitalia
– Antrak
• Invisible
– British Airways
– KLM
– Lufthansa

56. Radio
• Radio is used from time to time by all airlines
when they have special fare offerings or news
• South African airlines have recently created a
full campaign of generic and product specific
radio commercials to support their current
outdoor and press campaign

57. Print
• Ghana International Airlines supported their
re-launch in all media with an A5 hand-bill
which was circulated heavily around Accra,
including at University of Ghana and petrol
station.shops.

58. Consumer perceptions

59. Dipstick Survey
This is by no means a scientific survey. We simply called
six people and asked them six questions
Each respondent has a number instead of a name
They were all Ghanaian and all but number 6 were
based in Ghana.

60. When did you last fly?
1. 2004
2. Two weeks ago
3. 2003
4. A week ago
5. 2005
6. 2005
When will you next fly?
1. 2007
2. Five weeks from now
3. Two months time
4. A week’s time
5. 2007
6. Next month

61. Name three airlines flying in and out
of Accra (Top-of-mind awareness)
1. Lufthansa, British Airways, North American airlines
2. SAA, British Airways, KLM
3. British Airways, Emirates, North American Airlines
4. KLM, Lufthansa, Ghana International
5. Emirates, Lufthansa, KLM
6. SAA, British Airways, KLM

62. Which airline do you prefer When
you’re buying your own ticket?
1. Emirates
2. BA
3. Lufthansa
4. KLM
5. BA
6. Ghana International Airlines

63. Which is your preference if you
are being sent on business?
1. Emirates
2. BA
3. Lufthansa
4. BA
5. BA
6. KLM

64. Which airline cares about you
as a customer?
1. None
2. Emirates
3. British airways
4. British airways and Virgin
5. None
6. British airways

65. If each of those airlines were a brand
of car what would they be?
• North American Airlines – Ford,
• British Airways – Infinity, Rolls Royce, Toyota, Mercedes
• Emirates – BMW
• Ghana Airways – Trotro, VW
• KLM – Honda, Nissan
• Lufthansa – Honda

66. Learnings
• The three most frequent flyers (2,4,6) prefer BA when on business
• BA was the first airline to come to mind for only one person
• Only half the people felt BA cares for the customer
• All felt BA is a superior airline (Benz, Rolls Royce etc)
• There’s huge pent-up demand (see slides 29, 31 & 41)
• Emirates is working hard and gaining a good reputation in Ghana
• SAA & GIA have leapt into action – it’s too early to see a jump in brand equity.
• BA is under-communicating

67. What can we do for you?

68. What Icon can do for British Airways
• Brand building partnership
• Strict adherence to VI
• World-Class Communications
• Cost-effective media buying (across the region)
• Evaluation
• Cost-effective production
• Honest pricing
• Partnership