Whose lounge is it anyway?

How do you make an airport lounge reflect the company brand without overwhelming passengers? Chrissi Bucklan-Jones, founder of Sass Design, which recently completed a lounge branding exercise for Flybe, explains how to get it right.

Walking into any executive airport lounge would you immediately be able to say, yep, this lounge definitely belongs to …? (complete as appropriate).

In my experience airport lounges have a tendency to look pretty homogenous – at worst terribly ‘corporate’, all scratchy fabric and bland practicality, and not forgetting the classic contract ‘patterned’ carpet.

Any marketing professional will tell you that ‘place’ is a vital part of the marketing mix and none more so than in the service industries.

Whether it’s an airport lounge, café or hotel, the design of the ‘space’ customers experience as part of that service will communicate an enormous amount about the brand. It’s the difference between serving up Yorkshire Tea and custard creams or Darjeeling and highland shortbread - every element will contribute to customers’ brand experience and lasting impressions.

Of course, cost must be balanced against comfort and quality; and that is about being smart with colours, materials and styles – not overspending on unnecessary luxury or design. The aim is to provide a comfortable and quiet haven, not ‘luxury’.

When Sass Design was appointed by Flybe Ltd to refurbish several of its executive airport lounges at UK based Airports, we faced two main challenges. First balancing the creation of a strong brand experience with creating the right ambience in the lounges. Second, creating a lounge that struck the right point between facility and luxury – an appropriate offering for essentially, a low cost airline service.

Our starting points were the brand guidelines and passenger profiles. Looking to the brand guidelines, the logo, colours, shapes and style and how these are applied, we found our first challenge. The Flybe brand is bright, bold and colourful – using all three primary colours. So, how to carry this through into the lounges without giving passengers an adrenaline rush?

Anyone familiar with colour psychology will know the impact such colours have on perception and behaviour. Classically, MacDonalds ‘fast food’ restaurants use red and yellow to have customers come and go quickly. (I wonder how Virgin has translated its brand into their lounges?!)

Clearly the aim of an airport lounge is to provide a relaxing space, in which to escape the hustle and bustle whilst waiting for a departure. So careful application of the brand colours was essential. In addition, the style and curvaceous form of the Flybe logo were used, reflected in the style and shape of the furnishings and the design of the flooring.

The majority of Flybe passengers travel on business, so the design and layout had to accommodate those wishing to work or take some quiet time whilst waiting for their flight, with a degree of seclusion, where they could plug in computers and phones and get access to the internet.

The end result is undoubtedly a Flybe service, for Flybe Passengers – offering that little extra ‘frill’ for the no frills passenger, who wants it.

Chrissi Bucklan-Jones
www.sassdesign.co.uk
 

Have seen the Southampton lounge designed by Sass – and it does what it says on the packet. Good on them for their innovation, and for bringing it in on a tight budget.