Background
Siberia Airlines is the largest Russian domestic air carrier and Russia’s second-largest airline, offering a network of flights to all major destinations in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent
States. The airline also has routes to 20 countries, providing regular service to Europe and Southeast Asia.
Siberia partnered with Landor to conduct a long-term strategic rebranding initiative to better reflect its
domestic leadership and transform the travel experience in Russia. The vision was to reinvent Siberia Airlines and create a relevant and differentiated brand.
Challenge
More than ever, Russian consumers
are brand savvy and familiar with Western branding. Landor’s solution needed to change the existing perceptions that passengers had of Russian travel as a “grey” experience.
The challenge was to help Siberia Airlines
leave its regional origins and become a strong national brand – one that would break conventions in its sector and possibly grow into a viable lifestyle brand beyond air travel.
The rebranding would also signal Siberia
Airlines’ intention to become more customer-focused, with improved products and services.
Solution
The updated identity focuses on doing things differently and challenging the Soviet anti-brand legacy
of institutional travel in Russia.
The idea of a “changing Russia” informed the new positioning, name (S7 is Siberia Airline’s call signal), identity, and all other points of branding.
Following the
rebranding, the number of customers increased by almost 20 per cent to 5.7 million passengers compared to the previous year. The majority of this growth was in the domestic sector where numbers increased by 22 per cent
(source: Airliner World, May 2008).
S7 is well on its way to becoming Russia’s favourite national airline.
