Lufthansa takes off on global PR review

The passenger division of German airline Lufthansa is carrying out

a global PR review as it gears up to compete in the newly-deregulated

European market and attempts to expand its business in Asia.

The airline, which completed its privatisation process last month,

currently retains around ten agencies outside Germany. It has

shortlisted four agencies for a pan-Asian account and is planning to

appoint firms in Western markets including France, Italy, Spain, Canada

and the US.

’Our strategy is to raise the Lufthansa profile in key markets,’ said

Dan Lewis, general manager for international corporate affairs.

’We’re looking for support on a regional basis in some areas and in

smaller markets we will have a single agency, for example in Canada,’

said Lewis.

The in-house operation is also being restructured. Five corporate

communications managers have been appointed to oversee regional PR in

South America, the US, Central Europe, Africa and the Middle East and

most recently in Asia. Clara So was appointed senior manager for

corporate communications in Asia this month. She is based in Singapore.

A sixth manager is due to be named to oversee Northern Europe from

London.

The new managers report to Lewis, who is based in Frankfurt. They will

be responsible for the agencies in their regions.

The airline does not employ agencies on a regular basis in the UK, but

Cohn and Wolfe was hired last year to promote Lufthansa’s European

passenger business class offer.

Lufthansa plans to cover PR in all its markets with a mixture of

agencies, freelancers, former staff and in-house specialists to handle

its corporate, media, crisis and marketing communications.

The airline flies to 88 countries and is the second-largest

international passenger carrier in the world after BA. Excluding the US

domestic market, it is the largest scheduled cargo carrier.

Over the last two years, Lufthansa has restructured to create five main

businesses, which handle passengers, cargo, technical, IT and catering.