Lois, thank you for the beta...you are the greatest!
Chapter 26 – What Were They Thinking? Moments Later, Liberty Air Office…(Day 43) Brian accepted the offered cup of coffee and settled into one of comfortable chairs. “You know I’m always fond of meeting with you Mark, but why so hush, hush about this meeting?” Brian casually asked, once he and the president of Liberty Air were alone again in the office. “And why are we meeting here in New York?” “This meeting isn’t hush, hush, Brian…I just didn’t send you an agenda,” Mark explained in all innocence. “I see. There’s a difference?” Brian commented with a sigh, beginning to feel a bit like he was having a conversation with Justin. “I know this may come as a strange question…but do you even have an agenda?” “Don’t be ridiculous! Of course, I have an agenda,” Mark responded. “Well that’s at least good to know,” Brian said with a smile. “It’s just that some members of the board and I have been talking…” “Anything specific?” Brian asked, already not liking the sounds of things. “Maybe you should just come with me!” Mark suggested. Mark led Brian to the company conference room where a few people seemed to be gathering for a meeting. Brian greeted everyone by name and then settled down and joined them at the conference table. Liberty Air had been Brian’s account since his early days at Ryder. The Airline had once had the reputation for being a stodgy, conservative company. However, the relationship between account exec and client had mellowed over the years. So at this point there was a relaxed easiness even between the various board members and Brian. Of course, the fact that the company owed a lot of its success to Brian’s ad campaigns over the years didn’t hurt either. “Don’t let the fact that we’re meeting here in New York intimidate you,” Mark said immediately, knowing full well to whom he was talking and also knowing that there wasn’t a chance in hell that Brian would be intimidated. Still Mark felt the need to be reassuring for the benefit of the others in the room. “This is just an informal meeting.” “Ok. Tell me again…why am I here?” Brian repeated once all the niceties were observed and everyone had been greeted. Adam, one of the board members, immediately began to speak, “Brian, of course you’ve been following all the news lately on the recent plane crashes. I don’t want to call attention to fact that the crashes are happening at all the other airlines…” “That’s good, Adam, because if you were to do that the public might get the impression that you’re a heartless bastard with no concern for the families of the victims,” Brian said harshly. “But I know you better than that, so would you like to try to make your point again?” he said pointedly. Adam sighed in frustration. “What I was trying to say is that Liberty Air has spent several million dollars on safety features that the other airlines have chosen to ignore. I want Liberty Air to shout about these features in their commercials and ads. So we need a new ad campaign.” “Is that why you had me fly here under the cover of darkness?” Brian asked. “You do see that this isn’t the sort of thing that we could call you about?” Sylvia, the lone female board member present, wanted to mention. “We have assembled a packet of information that you’re going to need,” Mark said, reaching for a large packet. “We didn’t want there to be any leaks. So we thought if you made this personal trip, we could contain the gossip.” Brian had to suppress the urge to burst out laughing, for he couldn’t believe his ears. Then he looked at the faces in the room and realized that everyone was deadly serious in their intent. So Brian thought for a moment and managed to gather himself together enough to address the group. “Mark, do you remember that very expensive legal staff that you employ?” “Yeah, but what do they have to do with this?” Mark asked, completely thrown by the question. “Did you, by any chance, run this idea for your new ad campaign past them?” “No. Why would I?” Mark asked incredulously. “Because if you had, they would have mentioned that there was an FCC regulation that prohibited you from terrorizing the flying public…and blackmailing them into flying Liberty Air,” Brian said calmly. “How can you even suggest such a thing? We just want them to know about the new safety features that we have put in place. What’s wrong with that?” Adam had to ask. “By stressing the safety features that the other airlines don’t have?” Brian retorted patiently. “We care about the safety of the flying public...” Mark pointed out. “By implying that the other airlines don’t?” Brian asked. “We went ahead and implemented the FAA and TSA recommendations two years ahead of schedule. We should get kudos for that.” “Maybe…but not by suggesting that the FAA and TSA is lagging and slow to implement its own suggestions. What you’re suggesting is that the government agencies issued regulations that really didn’t matter. You’re suggesting that the government agencies issued recommendation and then did nothing to push for their implementation. You just made the FAA and TSA look ineffectual. Is that what you’re really trying to do here?” “We told you, we just want the credit that we deserve,” Sylvia insisted. “We spent all this money on these safety features and no one seems to know about them,” Adam repeated again. “We did a good thing here. We just want to make the flying public aware of what we’ve done,” Mark added. “Can we dispense with the smoke and mirrors? What are we trying to do here?” Adam, Sylvia, and Mark all looked at each other for answers. There was a deafening silence in the room while Brian patiently waited for answers. “Ok. Ok. We want to increase our market share,” Mark sheepishly admitted. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Why didn’t you just say so?” Brian commented with a sigh. “Look, I saw your numbers, ridership is up 15% on Liberty Air, even though the ridership for the industry as a whole have been essentially flat for the last five years.” “Ridership is only up because of the campaigns you created.” “Of course…so what’s the problem?” Brian acknowledged without a trace of humility. “With increased fuel costs, our profits are being squeezed. So we’re still looking for ways to improve the corporate bottom line,” Adam explained. “Please tell me that I don’t have to conduct a basic finance course at this level of your corporation?” Brian teased. “What do you mean?” Adam asked. “If ridership is increasing, then so should be your revenues. I believe that I’ve done my part,” Brian reminded them. “The remainder seems to be a management control issue to improve your bottom line,” Brian pointed out. “We have maximized the ticket pricing algorithm to maximize our revenues. We have negotiated for the best direct routes, and we are essentially serving the flying public,” Mark assured him. “Then what is the problem?” Brian asked. “Fuel costs have skyrocketed. We have multiple teams working within the airline, each looking for ways for save fuel. We have made some strides in this area, but not enough. We have even joined with the other major airlines on research studies in this area. We’re just looking for answers,” Mark reassured him. “So what have they come up with so far?” Brian candidly asked. “Nothing concrete yet…it’s too soon to tell. The possibility does exist that we may have to get use to living with lower profit margins. It may become the new reality of this industry under the current administration in Washington. Another option might be to diversify our holdings. This option has pros and cons, but we are looking into it. We owe looking at all the options and making a careful decision to our shareholders,” Mark said with a sigh. “If you know all this, then I don’t understand the problem,” Brian said, leaning forward in his seat to hear the anticipated reply. “Now that you have reminded us of the facts…maybe we were just clutching at straws,” Sylvia reluctantly acknowledged. “Even, I can accept that possibility now,” Adam agreed. “Ok. So now that that’s settled, let me try to do something useful since you dragged me all the way here,” Brian began, “So just out of curiosity which is it?” “What do you mean?” “Do you want the public to know about all the safety features that Liberty Air has included in its planes, or do you want to increase ridership, which is it?” “You mean we have to choose?” Sylvia asked in total disbelief, “That doesn’t seem right.” “Which is precisely why Kinnetik rather that this board handles your ad campaigns. Yes! You have to choose!” Brian insisted. “Which is it?” The Liberty Air board members mumbled among themselves for a while obviously wrestling with this complex decision. Brian watched them as they tried to decide, and he couldn’t help thinking about Gus and Nicky a few days ago at the fire station, as they tried to figure out which puppies to play with first…the decisions…the decisions. Brian smiled to himself and so wished that Justin were here to share this moment with him. “Let’s see if I can help you,” Brian finally suggested, after watching them struggle for several minutes, “Your present ad campaign is targeting the demographics that you’re primarily interested in. The flying public, in surveys and in focus groups, still thinks of Liberty Air, as its primary carrier of choice. Your customers are not your problem,” Brian reassured them. “Well that’s good to know,” Adam commented. “So I suggest that now is not the time to change your ads…especially with the existing campaign being so new and performing so well,” Brian continued. “So what do you suggest?” Sylvia asked. “One of the TV news magazine shows might be interested in doing a feature on Liberty Airlines, which might serve to give you some additional exposure without opening you up to being sued by your competitors and the FCC,” Brian said with sigh. “We might be able to casually touch upon the newly implemented safety features…but only in passing.” “But this isn’t your primary suggestion to gain more public attention for us, is it?” Mark asked pointedly, knowing from Brian’s tone that he had something else in mind. “Not really. Liberty Air needs to get involved in a major charity event. Give something back to the communities you serve. Think about it!” Brian suggested. “I guess that’s a better solution than this cloak and dagger stuff we’ve been trying lately?” Adam suggested with a laugh. “I guess we should leave our campaign strategy to you, Brian. We’re definitely out of our element whenever we try,” Mark added with a sigh. “Agreed,” Sylvia concurred. Brian just shook his head in disbelief at the workings of the corporate America. “Are we done here?” Brian finally asked. Everyone nodded their agreement. “Thanks for coming, Brian,” Adam added. “You know it’s always good to see you.” “It’s always good to see you too Adam. You too Sylvia.” “Well now that I seemed to have averted a major crisis here at Liberty Air, let’s see if can locate some more attractive lunch companionship,” Brian teased. “How is Justin?” Mark asked, with a knowing smile, “I’ve been reading quite a bit about him lately. He’s still the darling of the art world.” “And very busy getting ready for several gallery shows…one of which is here in New York,” Brian said with an easy measure of pride. “Ah, at the Thornton Gallery, so I heard,” Sylvia confirmed. “The buzz has started already.” “But the show isn’t for months,” Brian reminded her. “But the publicity mill here in New York begins months in advance for a gallery the size of The Thornton, you know that. We can’t wait to see his new pieces,” she continued, “He’s always trying something new.” “Brian thanks for your help. We’ll think things over. We’ll be in touch.” Adam said, as he was leaving. “What you said makes a lot of sense.” “I always make sense, Adam,” Brian reminded him. “We’re glad you made the trip…we don’t get to see you very often. You know how we still like that personal touch you used to give us when we were just a fledgling airline,” Mark teased, shaking Brian’s hand. “You aren’t a fledgling anymore,” Brian reassured him, “Liberty Airlines now ranks with the major airlines.” “Thanks to your campaigns,” Mark reminded him quietly. Brian just smiled. When the meeting finally ended, Brian made his way back to his limo. He was so looking forward to the opening of the New York office of Kinnetik. But at the moment he had more pressing problems like trying to arrange a date with a certain blond.