How Cathay Pacific CMO Edward Bell Elevated Marketing in the C-Suite
Key Points
- 1Cathay Pacific faced a branding crisis and financial losses in 2018, leading to a major strategic overhaul.
- 2CMO Edward Bell redefined success as being 'loved by our customers,' shifting focus from operations to a 'greatest service brands' goal.
- 3The 'Serve to Lead' program, which includes the CEO serving customers, was implemented to elevate customer experience awareness in the C-suite.
- 4The strategy led to financial recovery and the launch of the new Cathay travel lifestyle master brand in 2023.
Eight years ago, Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong flag carrier, faced a significant branding crisis. The airline was struggling with consecutive financial losses. A massive data breach further damaged its global reputation in 2018. At this time, the internal marketing team was often misunderstood and undervalued.
Edward Bell, Cathay Pacific's Chief Marketing Officer, recognized the deep-seated issues. He believed a simple, high-profile advertising campaign was not the solution. Instead, his strategy focused on fundamentally changing the company's internal "inputs." The goal was to redefine success for the entire organization.
Reorienting the Brand: From Operations to Service
Bell's approach centered on shifting the airline’s focus. Cathay Pacific is naturally an operational company. The new mandate was to remind everyone they were in the service business. Success was redefined as being “loved by our customers,” not just financial outcomes. This required buy-in from all 30,000 staff members.
To facilitate this cultural change, the company restructured its core values. The previous seven values were condensed into three key principles: to be thoughtful, progressive, and meaningful. This reframing mechanism helped align every department with the new customer-centric mission.
In 2019, this new direction launched publicly with the "Move Beyond" campaign. This slogan replaced the previous "Life Well Travelled". The campaign aimed to showcase the airline's commitment to becoming one of the world's greatest service brands.
Elevating Marketing in the C-Suite
Bell’s most impactful change was integrating the marketing team value into the executive level. He stressed that marketing's single purpose is to accelerate growth. This required using the right language to bring other C-suite members onto the journey.
A key initiative was the 'Serve to Lead' program. This program mandates that senior managers regularly engage directly with customers. The CMO himself has participated, serving drinks and cleaning toilets. This hands-on experience provides a visceral reminder of the service business. The fact that the CEO now regularly serves customers highlights the dramatic shift in C-suite appreciation for customer experience.
- Key Shifts in Executive Mindset:
- The executive team now actively seeks out consumer reports and customer satisfaction scores from the marketing department.
- Marketing is now able to take greater creative risks, such as using a comedian for a dining overhaul campaign.
- Logistically complex, brand-building stunts, like a Rugby Sevens fly-by, receive necessary executive and regulatory support.
Industry Impact and Future Outlook
The strategic brand repositioning has yielded tangible results. The Cathay Pacific Group has financially recovered. The group posted a “strong” financial result for 2024 and the first half of 2025, according to the source. The airline has also strengthened its perceived difference in the market. This allows the Hong Kong flag carrier to charge a price premium.
This success led to a further evolution in 2023. The group launched Cathay, a premium travel lifestyle master brand. The airline remains Cathay Pacific, but the broader brand now includes wellness, dining, and shopping. This diversification is a strategy to capture more customer spending. The move reflects a broader industry trend toward integrated travel ecosystems. This trend is tracked by organizations like IATA.
Edward Bell's model offers a blueprint for other aviation leaders. It shows how marketing can re-enter the business discussion. It must move beyond campaigns to become a strategic driver of growth. This is vital for all airlines seeking to build sustainable competitive moats.
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Written by
Ujjwal SukhwaniAviation News Editor & Industry Analyst delivering clear coverage for a worldwide audience.
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