Apprentice contestants tasked with devising marketing campaign for new airline

Back to Forum
Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

  • openfly
    Participant

    I forced myself to watch the programme. What an utter load of trash! I felt so sorry for the BA staff who were also watching in total disbelief.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    AlanOrton1
    Participant

    It was an absolute shocker. One team’s idea was a total and utter disaster (name – Jet Pop, uniform – strapless & tacky, advert – no relevance to anything) and the other’s just slightly less so.

    The winning team came up with a uniform that looked similar to Qatar Airways cabin crew but far more grotesque and the song for their advert was AC DC’s Highway to Hell. And this was the winning team!

    I’m really not sure if both could have been worse.

    The most amusing part was Lord Sugar receiving the feedback from the BA execs who couldn’t find one positive thing to say about any part of either teams effort.
    That and the look on their faces during the teams pitches.


    capetonianm
    Participant

    Unfortunately, or probably fortunately, I am unable to watch this episode due to “BBC iPlayer only works in the UK. Sorry, it’s due to rights issues”.

    I occasionally watch it as I enjoy seeing the slick sycophantic cheap-suited reptilian pondlife who go onto the programme torn apart by Alan Sugar. I can imagine that this one must have been toe-curlingly embarrassing.


    openfly
    Participant

    @capetonianm….get yourself a vpn and watch all U.K. tv anywhere in the world…simples! I use viewtvabroad.com at £6 a month. It’s never let me down. In the 6 years that I have been with them, I have had two problems of my own making. I called them on their Spanish number and got straight through to a very helpful English lady…sorted.
    Good luck.


    capetonianm
    Participant

    Thanks openfly. I have one of those Mag boxes which I can take with me when I travel but I don’t always bother as I usually have other things to do when I’m travelling than watch TV, but it is good to have access occasionally.

    I use a VPN called Tunnel Bear which works most of the time, although I’e never tried to watch TV on it, but some providers seem to block it so I will look into the one you’ve suggested. Thank you.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    Ah,Mr.Bond
    Participant

    And this is the future of business? Both highly unprofessional and, especially the losing team, wholly irresponsible and inappropriate in just about all aspects of the task. Is this the finest Lord Sugar is able to rustle up? … Still it did make amusing viewing if that was the true goal. Now I know who does the Virgin Trains advertising.


    GivingupBA
    Participant

    [quote quote=904279]And this is the future of business? Both highly unprofessional and, especially the losing team, wholly irresponsible and inappropriate in just about all aspects of the task. Is this the finest Lord Sugar is able to rustle up? … Still it did make amusing viewing if that was the true goal.[/quote]

    “the finest Lord Sugar is able to rustle up”, I doubt it, but then again I suppose the contestants are chosen because they’ll make good TV rather than for their business acumen – the true goal, as you said. I agree with you that it made amusing viewing, though. Anyway watching the Apprentice always makes me think “Would I do any better with camera crews following me?”, answer, probably not.


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    It’s TV entertainment, end of.

    If it was a serious business show, they wouldn’t be combining Lord Shouty of Shortarse with a bunch of people selected for good viewing, as GivingupBA says.


    travelworld2
    Participant

    FDOS and GivingupBA are spot on. I remember a few years ago my late mother asked me if board meetings I attend are similar to those on the Apprentice, which scared me somewhat since she was an intelligent woman but actually thought the antics on the show reflected general business practice. I recruit people for professional roles of a similar age to those who participate in the show and suffice to say my candidates are of a wholly different calibre. View the Apprentice as a game show and you won’t be far wrong.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    canucklad
    Participant

    Totally agree, the first few series were almost compulsive viewing……

    Now, you’d be as well filming the after math of chickens getting their heads chopped off!!
    So clueless are the candidates.
    Also, It’s important to remember that the candidates are of the social media generation, and without being too presumptuous , therefore have the attention span of a chaotic cat !

    Although , I have been on some Ryanair flights that have come close to resembling a Jet Pop experience.


    iflypremium
    Participant

    Aside from the obvious shenanigans, I was more surprised at Carolina Martinoli, proudly presenting herself as Director of BA’s Customer Experience.
    More like she directs the customer experience by dictating how poor it should be.
    I wonder if she can do us a presentation with stats on how many passengers she has actually asked about what they think of BA’s abysmal Economy Class tuckshop on Shuttle flights in the UK as well as Europe. Not to mention paying for seat assignment. I wonder how much Alan Sugar paid her to appear.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    iflypremium
    Participant

    I should have referred to Ms Martinoli as ” Dictator of BA Customer Experience”


    stevescoots
    Participant

    I gave up on it after season 3 when it went to a “lets just see how much ego and incompetence there is in the room”

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls