Air France

Strategic Concepts & Mechanics

Competitive AdvantagePioneer Buyer Leverage With Manufacturers

Capital StrategyAsset Rich Cash Poor as Permanent State

Relationship LeveragePersonal Intelligence Network Before Every Meeting

Signature MoveIrish Whiskey and a Handshake to Close

Cornerstone MoveSwallow Competitors Whole When Cash-Poor

Identity & CultureLoyalty Repaid With Loyalty

Decision FrameworkNon-Refundable Deposits as Commitment Theater

Cornerstone MoveTurn Cost Drains Into Cash Machines

Signature MoveScrew the Bankers, Let's Do It

Signature MoveCasting Director Not Operator

Strategic PatternProduction Over Exploration Immunity

Cornerstone MoveDouble the Bet on the Last Roll

Signature MoveCliff-Edge Comfort as Strategic Weapon

Signature MoveKeith Stanford's Briefcase as Survival System

Strategic PatternMonopoly Through Sequential Acquisition

Signature MoveControl Freak Construction Supervision

Operating PrincipleConstruction Site as CEO Battleground

Capital StrategyOpening Spectacle as Marketing Investment

Strategic PatternCelebrity Positioning as Market Strategy

Strategic PatternLandscaping as Building Camouflage

Signature MoveDetails Drive Profit Doctrine

Cornerstone MoveCopy-and-Improve Blueprint Acquisition

Signature MoveSite Positioning as Make-or-Break Decision

Operating PrincipleExceed Expectations Service Philosophy

Signature MoveManagement by Walking Around Obsession

Competitive AdvantageBuzz Creation Over Basic Amenities

Signature MoveOpening Date as Immovable Deadline

Cornerstone MoveExclusive First-in-Market Positioning

Primary Evidence

"On one occasion, Dobbin instructed Parsons to get a main rotor blade for a Super Puma from St. John’s to Ecuador within forty-eight hours. FedEx and its competitors had yet to achieve the unlimited global delivery service common today, making this more challenging than it may appear. The rotor blade, which measured eight metres in length, required special packaging and handling, and no chartered air transports were available. Parsons made arrangements to accompany the blade to Frankfurt on Air Canada, fly with it from there to Paris on Air France, and transfer to an overnight flight to Quito on Avianca Airlines. When Craig Dobbin called the day after handing Parsons the task, he was amazed to learn that both Parsons and the rotor blade were on the shipping dock in Ecuador."

Source:One Hell of a Ride - How Craig Dobbin Built the World's Largest Helicopter Company

"The Southern Sun promotions team, under the ever-enthusiastic Adele Lucas and her sister, Diane Valentine, had invited journalists and photographers from key media outlets in South Africa, as well as top influencers from England and France. Somehow, she had persuaded Air France to give free passage for celebrities and journalists from Paris, even though the local opposition hotel company represented the French airline."

Source:Sol

Appears In Volumes

One Hell of a Ride - How Craig Dobbin Built the World's Largest Helicopter Company Sol