Love him or hate him (and I’m sure he’s loved by someone) Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary plays the media better than anyone.
He’s the person that gives weight to the old PR myth – and it is a myth – that ‘no publicity is bad publicity’. From making the disabled pay for wheelchairs to his ‘A Pound to Spend a Penny’ idea, he always gets his core message across.
“We are cheap because we give you nothing but a seat.”
Everyone complains about Ryanair. I’ve heard colleagues say they feel ‘dirty’ after booking with them, a quick blog search mostly associates the brand with the phrases ‘scum’ and ‘epic fail’.
But today Ryanair announced its latest expansion – 14 new routes from Leeds Bradford Airport, 63 weekly return flights, an £84 million investment. I’m sure they will be well used, whatever Mr O’Leary’s popularity rating.
He’s the anti PR persona we should all consider when brainstorming new ideas. Pin a picture of his face up and use it for inspiration on how to stick to your message.
Just draw the line at dressing your client like this:
Thanks to North West journalist and blogger David Quinn for the image.