FYP. Yeah, we'll see those during the first year. Usual playbook to soften the blow and make bloggers qualify their initial damning statements about the prorgram changes. But I don't see that as more than a short-run tactic. It is as silly as the current standard playbook of "you, our customers, requested these changes." The marketing is complete and utter BS. No customer wants the announced changes. Bonuses and promos might appease customers, sure, but they are a cold comfort if used short-term by the FFP in trying to downplay permanent program impairments.

Edit: Just to make the argument differently. When they switched to spend-based avios earning, they ran a bunch of generous extra-avios promos as well. This is a completely standard marketing ploy to soften the blow. It may make a difference over the very short run, but it will disappear and turn out to be irrelevant if thinking 2+ years out.