„We pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world.“ With this Brand Purpose, Airbus commits to a more sustainable aviation. This includes goals such as decarbonising the industry in terms of direct and indirect emissions.
But how is the integration of sustainability in the Brand Purpose reflected in Airbus’ communication?
This question was addressed by the 3rd semester Brand Management in the seminar “Business Ethics and Sustainability” under the direction of Prof. Ute Röseler. Nicolas Tschechne, Manager Trend Research & Market Intelligence, accompanied the research project on behalf of Airbus.
To answer the research question, the students analysed different topics such as
- Understanding of sustainability in society and in the aviation industry,
- Understanding of sustainability in the Airbus brand,
- Challenges of sustainable brand communication.
Many experts provided in-depth insights into the topics: from Airbus Holger Schubert (Head of Brand and Corporate Image), Elisabeth Gautier (Innovation (CTO) Communication Business Partner) and Yadine Laviolette (Environment & Sustainability Marketing) as well as Monika Dernai, BMW Group (Head of Mobility and Sustainability Employees).
Based on the analysis and the expert input, the students derived key insights for the respective analysis topics.
In the virtual final presentation, the students convinced Airbus managers from Hamburg and Toulouse with their broad and deep analysis and practical recommendations for action for sustainability-oriented brand communication.
The output for the students: Solving the challenges of practical tasks with the skills gained during their studies, developing future skills of online presentation and work, as well as networking with experts from the industry.
We would like to thank Airbus for the great cooperation. This research project offered our students the unique opportunity to gain deep insights into the work of an international corporation during their studies and to deal practically with the future-oriented management processes on the topic of sustainability.
