Stansted Airport saw over 1.15 million passengers pass through the terminal in January 2014 – an increase of 7.2% over the same month last year.
The overall number of passengers using Stansted in the year ending January 2014 was 17.92 million, an increase of 2.6% over the previous 12 months.
Andrew Harrison, Stansted’s Managing Director, said:
“The increased number of passengers using Stansted this January compared to last year is a good start to 2014 and a signal of the airport’s future potential.
“Our £80 million terminal transformation project continues at great pace with customers already enjoying improvements to the security area of the terminal with even more changes to come. We are also set to welcome a host of new routes to our network in the coming weeks and months that will offer passengers even greater choice of destinations from Stansted.
“The aviation market in the south-east has never been as competitive as it is right now, and to sustain long-term growth we will need to exceed the expectations of our existing carriers and fight hard to win new business and passengers.”
Stansted is London’s number one airport for Europe as‘Fly Stansted’campaign takes off
Stansted takes the hassle out of flying by offering passengers the best on-time performance of any major airport in the south-east, and with an £80million project underway to transform the terminal building and retail offer, the ‘Fly Stansted’ campaign is looking to attract even more passengers to London’s third busiest airport.
The campaign, running across Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and key areas of London, shows passengers that Stansted offers the best choice and flight frequency to Europe of any London airport and promotes the availability of safe and secure on-airport parking from as little as £5 a day[i].
Stansted’s destination map expanded again last week with new Ryanair services to France and Morocco, the first of nine new routes set to be unveiled by the airline in the coming months. More flights to Switzerland, Romania, Croatia, Czech Republic, Sweden and Montenegro will be taking-off from Stansted very soon, while Loganair and Atlantic Airways will also launch new flights to Dundee and the Faroe Islands respectively. In addition, charter operator Thomas Cook Airlines will add more flights and new destinations across the Greek Islands, Turkey and the Canaries this summer.
Stansted Airport’s Managing Director Andrew Harrison said:
“Stansted has been one of London’s best kept secrets for too long now, and it’s time we told passengers what they’re missing out on.
“The airport has an unrivalled network of European destinations and is the south-east’s most punctual major airport so our ‘Fly Stansted’ campaign is designed to drive home the message that we really are the European airport for London – both in terms of choice and on-time performance.
“Stansted has returned to passenger growth over the past year as more and more passengers, especially the savvy business traveller, recognise that the extensive choice of destinations and flight frequency together with our excellent punctuality record makes the airport a very attractive and competitive option when flying to and from Europe.
“We know that 46 million journeys are made each year by passengers living in the area around Stansted but only 12 million of those flights are taken from the airport itself. What we want to do is make sure that passengers choose Stansted whenever they can.
“We’re already making really good progress in cutting through the myths that have surrounded Stansted in the past and I’m sure our ‘Fly Stansted’ campaign will boost awareness of what’s on offer at the airport. Taken together with the significant investment we are making to improve facilities, our drive to provide even greater choice of destinations and the easy and affordable parking options available at the airport, Stansted really is the most obvious, convenient and exciting choice for anyone planning to head off to Europe this summer.”
A warm SACC welcome to new member, Sue Sowerby
How Sue started her business in the year of a recession.
What do you do for a living and how did you get started in your industry?
It all started in 1992. It was the year of a recession. The London advertising agency I worked for went into receivership. I lost a good salary, company car and I thought I would lose my 29 clients too. With no real management experience I decided to set up an advertising & design agency in Epping. In those days, and without the internet and email, I used my preferred mode of communication - the good old telephone! I explained to all my clients what had happened. They were supportive and agreed that, providing I delivered the same level of service in terms of ad copywriting, creative design, media buying and research, they would continue working with me. That was 21 years ago and I’m pleased to say that some of those clients are still with The Sowerby Group today.
What services do you cover?
In the early years, the main focus was on recruitment advertising & design. With the advent of digital marketing, mobile communications, online job-boards and social media, things are very different now. Over the past decade we’ve built a strong network of clients and have steadily increased our service offering to encompass Design & Print, Recruitment, Products & Services Advertising, Brand Identity, Large Format Print, Digital Marketing, Event Management and Social Media Training.
Why did you join Stansted Airport Chamber of Commerce?
Purely and simply because I attended a number of events in the Essex and Herts area and kept bumping into Julie Budden! My meeting other SACC members I saw a real opportunity to network with some serious businesses. The Sowerby Group is a relatively new member but already we are reaping the benefits by working with some of the businesses and offering our services, whilst they offer theirs too!
We operate from a suite of offices at a modern Business Centre in Harlow. Many tenants here have used our design & print, copywriting, brand identity, web and advertising services. As we work national and internationally, we will go where the projects are. Distance doesn’t faize us although it is very nice to work with clients locally of course!
What advice would you give to a young person starting out today?
Do your homework! Identify what you like doing and what you are good at! Research companies that could be interested in you and your skillset. It’s tough out there for young people but hard work pays off. At Sowerby, we give talks at schools, we offer work experience and we give coaching, career and CV advice. These are all important tools to help decide on the direction you want to take in terms of a good career path.
Tips from Sue to you...
Focus on Brand Identity – a key part of your communications strategy.
We were asked to provide a particular focus on one of our services, so we chose ‘Brand identity’ which, in a nutshell, is a good representation of your company's values, its guiding principles and a company’s ‘personality’. So it's not a single element such as a logo, the fonts you use, your colour scheme or your website presence that makes up your brand. It's actually the whole package - and this makes you instantly recognisable to your customers and other stakeholders.
Within our own business, more and more clients are looking closely at how their brand is being communicated. It’s all about brand perception, both internally and externally. It’s also important to ensure that your brand works across all platforms including business stationery, website, social media and mobile devices including phones and tablets. Logos that are designed too small or even too wide will be difficult to use on certain platforms so it’s important that if you work with the right brand provider, you discuss all the practical elements of the brand, the colours, shape, icons and how it is likely to be used in the future. Brand guidelines are often implemented, particularly in large organisations where there is more risk of the logo or brand elements being compromised. Brand identity can be very emotive. The brands we create in-house are designed to be memorable, demonstrating both longevity and practicality, as well as being reflective of the client’s business operation.
HERE’S SIX TIPS TO HELP YOUR OWN BRAND IDENTITY
Some companies, certainly not all, think it’s fine to knock up a logo and it will do the trick in terms of brand identity. But a corporate brand is not something you can design on a post-it note! In summary, here are a few pointers to think about to ensure your brand works well for you.
1. Your Logo
What does it say about your company? Does it give the right impression about your business from the outset? Is it reflective of the type of business you operate? Could it do with a refresh or even a complete makeover?
2. Your chosen font
There are some lovely fonts to choose from and choosing the right font is all part of your brand. So choose something that is practical and will look good when seen on letterheads, a business card, a brochure, a mobile phone and a tablet (ipad etc.)
3. Colours
When considering your corporate colours, don’t just think about the primary ones, think about introducing secondary colours into your colour palette. This way you will have more flexibility when producing a nice brochure, website, flyer, exhibition stand, etc. We worked with a client once who hated the colour green. However, we produced some colour ways using a lime green and silver and guess what? The client loved it and said “But I like that shade of green!”
4. Tone of Voice
That all-important tone of voice is the way you communicate out your words and written message. Think about your line of business and then think about how you convey your messaging. Is your printed word too formal, too professional, too ‘hip’, too ‘flowery’ or just about right?
5. Punctuation and Grammar
Do you know when to use single quotes and double quotes or even a colon or semi-colon? Using these incorrectly can completely change the context of a piece of wording. Then there’s the infamous apostrophe and how it’s used in everyday emails, letters, etc. If anyone has read the book ‘Eats, Shoots and Leaves’, by reading this as ‘Eats Shoots and Leaves’ it gives a different kind of meaning to the phrase. I could go on…but I won’t!
6. Presentation
And finally, that all-important presentation. When a document is laid out, how does it look? Are there any straggling line endings, are sentences too long and lacking the right punctuation? Just take some time to look at your document and imagine how it is received by the end user. Taking a little extra time when creating a document can pay dividends in the long run.
What do you recall as your most defined business breakthrough – a moment you knew you had a first big break?
Tendering with some of the ‘Big Five’ London agencies and winning business from a well-known global organisation. It didn’t take long to work out that many companies prefer to work with smaller agencies with lower overheads, who don’t charge huge fees and who offer a personal, end-to-end marketing communications service.
Sue Sowerby
The Sowerby Group Limited
www.sowerbygroup.co.uk
01279 408665
£80 million terminal transformation project taking shape as new security area welcomes first passengers
Stansted Airport’s £80million terminal transformation project reached its latest milestone today (Dec 6) when the first section of the new security search area opened to passengers. The first phase of the project has seen the security area relocated away from its ‘landlocked’ central location to a new area twice the size and flooded with natural light on the south side of the terminal building. 
The new, more spacious location will accommodate 22 security lanes when complete compared to the previous 18, with dedicated lanes for families, passengers with reduced mobility and fast track for premium travellers.
20 self-service smart access gates will scan boarding cards before passengers enter the new security screening area as part of the airport’s drive to improve the passenger experience.
The security area is due to be fully operational by Christmas following the launch of the transformation project in June this year by the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin.
The project is part of a major investment by Stansted Airport’s new owners, M.A.G, to transform the terminal by making better use of existing space and provide passengers with new security facilities and an enlarged departure lounge.
Martin Lyall, Stansted Airport’s Transformation Director, said:
“Stansted Airport’s terminal transformation project is really beginning to take shape and promises to be an important step towards Stansted’s ultimate goal of becoming the best airport in London. Our passengers have told us they want to get through security as quickly and safely as possible and we believe the additional space, easier access and improved way-finding in a great new location flooded with natural light is a real step change that will get passengers through security more quickly and efficiently.
“It’s been a challenging few weeks as we move from the old search area to the new location in time for the busy Christmas getaway but with careful planning and a dedicated team working around the clock, I am pleased to say we have hit another major milestone on time.
“There’s still plenty more to do and we will begin construction on the departure lounge phase of the project in the new year but Stansted really is changing, and changing for the better, and we’re confident passengers, airlines and staff will love the new terminal when it’s fully completed in 2015.
“Our focus is to provide great service and facilities and put Stansted in the strongest position to compete effectively for new routes, airlines and passengers and this transformation of our terminal is a critical element in achieving this aim and central to our future growth plans for Stansted.”
Phase two of the project, which kicks off in January, will see a complete redesign of the international departure lounge. The transformation will provide a more intuitive and easier journey through the airport, including additional seating, better restaurants and more shopping choice alongside improved way-finding and additional flight information screens. The new design will also provide flexibility to accommodate future airline requirements as Stansted grows its existing customer base and begins to attract a broader range of airline partners.
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