In a big case of whoops! A major airline company has mislabeled one of their planes. Its rather amusing, and I can only imagine how bad the poor person who made the error must feel. I mean they just had one job to do right?

 

  • The Cathay Pacific misprint highlights the importance of proofreading materials before production.
  • Proper proofreading maintains a polished brand image, ensures accuracy and consistency, saves costs, and builds consumer trust.
  • The incident also raises the possibility that such mistakes could be intentionally made for free publicity and media coverage.

cathay pacific print

Custom Branding on a Plane

So all commercial plane's are personalised with their companies logo on the side of the aircraft. More often than not, the plane also features colours that represent the brand as well.

In this instance, Cathay Pacific misspelt its own name on the side of their plane. The branding of their font is enormous and is absolutely unmissable. To the credit of Cathay Pacific, the company admitted the mistake in good spirits. Just check out their tweet from their official company account below.

Proof Read Before You Brand Anything

The Cathay Pacific misprint is an excellent example of the need to have several different people check and re-check branding and text before they go into print production. It could be promotional merchandise, or in this case an entire aircraft. Even simple things may get lost and mixed up, resulting in some hilarious mistakes. Proofreading before branding any promotional material is essential for several reasons:

  • Professionalism: Errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation can make your business appear unprofessional and careless. Proper proofreading ensures that your brand maintains a polished image and conveys a sense of reliability and competence to your target audience.

  • Accuracy: Ensuring the accuracy of the information on branded materials is crucial. Incorrect contact details, outdated information, or misleading statements can create confusion and frustration for potential customers, negatively impacting your brand's reputation.

  • Consistency: Consistent branding is vital for establishing and maintaining a strong brand identity. Proofreading helps ensure that your messaging, tone, and visual elements are consistent across all promotional materials, reinforcing your brand's image and making it easily recognizable.

  • Cost-effectiveness: Mistakes on branded materials can be costly to fix, especially if they've already been printed or distributed. Proofreading helps catch errors before they become expensive problems, saving your business time and money in the long run.

  • Consumer trust: Presenting well-crafted, error-free content builds trust with your target audience. Customers are more likely to have confidence in a brand that takes the time to ensure its promotional materials are professional, accurate, and consistent.

On the other hand, though, I am of the belief that sometimes mistakes like these are made on purpose. Why? Free publicity and media coverage. Right now every single major newspaper outlet in the world has either publicised this on a news channel, print or website. Pretty good advertising if you ask me!

Takeaway

Diligently proofreading and double-checking branding materials, even on large-scale projects like aircraft, is absolutely crucial to ensure professionalism, accuracy, and consistency in your brand's representation. This attention to detail helps avoid costly mistakes, negative publicity, and potential damage to your brand's reputation. By investing time and effort into this process, you can maintain a polished image and foster consumer trust in your brand, ultimately contributing to your business's long-term success.

 

Source: Images first seen on: https://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/asia/cathay-pacific-spells-its-own-name-wrong-on-side-of-plane/news-story/481f200596162a9d9bd4ae5bcb4a5a9d and https://twitter.com/cathaypacific