Last autumn we published a vision of the future to mark the 85th anniversary of Finnair’s founding. Instead of a history we wanted to look into the future, not the least because the future is new and exciting and we can still influence it.

In the book that we produced in collaboration with aircraft manufacturer Airbus and auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, among others, we present astonishing images of aircraft of the future drawn by Kauko Helavuo and we tell different experts’ visions of future flying and tourism in the context of technology, safety, comfort and the environment. We also set up a website on the subject: www.departure2093.com.

Our project was unbelievably well received in the international media. A press conference in India, for example, was attended by more than 50 reporters representing more than 200 million readers. Similar events in Tokyo and Seoul attracted more than 50 and more than 40 reporters respectively. And there was lots more media attention elsewhere in the world. Googling “Departure 2093” returns more than 53,400 hits. Finnair representatives have also been invited to speak about the future at various high-level seminars around the world. In Finland, moreover, our visions of the future reached not only the TV news but also nearly every newspaper in the country.

The project lasted around six months and, in addition to the work input of a few members of staff, costs were a few euros per book in printing costs. Such a succesful advertising campaign or marketing tour could not have been obtained with the same money. It is also difficult to think of a more effective means of achieving corresponding recognition for Finnair in areas of the new Asian markets.

In March we initiated an internet competition in which we asked people to vote on which of the aircraft of the future was most captivating, and to communicate their own visions of the future of flying. The competition received no marketing push other than the above-mentioned website, but we received more than 14,000 entries over a couple of months. The subject is clearly a fascinating one.

Our partner PWC has just continued the future theme with its seminar series “Determining Company Value in 2039”. The seminars, directed at senior financial, communications and human resources staff, ponder the logic of the corporate world 30 years from now, the development of openness and transparency in corporate activity, the change and significance of stakeholders and forms of corporate social responsibility, and the importance of visions for companies.

It’s wonderful to see how fruitful good ideas are, how they rise into view and take flight – inexpensively. Just as impressive is to note how the focus is gradually shifting for reporting the past to opening future visions and strategies. Investors are not only interested in what has gone before, but how we intend to succeed in the future.

The project has also been a good reminder of how every single one of our decisions, big or small, may influence the future. All the time we are faced with a countless number of options, so let’s choose the best of them.

Inspired by our vision of the future, our PR office gave Finnair as a birthday gift the world’s first intergalactic space pop song. The challenge was to get the song into shape for presentation at the company’s Christmas party. You can view the premiere performance on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/FinnairComms.

Christer Haglund
SVP Communications (not in work outfit on video)