In the aviation business, online marketing plays an ever-growing role. Airlines must continually fight accusations of exorbitant ticket prices, baggage fees, delays, strikes and uncomfortable seating.
These misgivings can quickly work to destroy reputations that companies have spent, in some cases, the greater part of a century working to build.
For this reason, establishing a successful Online-Marketing campaign should stand prominently at the top of every airline’s to-do list. The social networking site “Twitter” has already entrenched itself as an effective communications tool. With its micro-blogging function, twitter is a time-tested and effective way for airlines to quickly and directly keep in contact with their customers.
Made up of only 140 characters, short news messages with important information can be directly sent und immediately reach an airline’s entire client base. This platform allows airlines to quickly react to any unexpected complications. Several airlines already encourage their customers to contact the airline first through Twitter in the event of an incident. Unlike when forced to speak directly with a company representative, problems brought to attention over Twitter can be quickly solved. An additional advantage of the use of this platform is that when a problem is brought to the airline’s attention via Twitter, the airline’s response and solution is clearly visible for all interested parties to see.
When considering the current progression of this field, it becomes clear that airlines are continually striving to forge creative and modern solutions to problems presented by the market. In order to distinguish themselves from the competition, airlines must not shy away from the quirky, striving always to develop their own sense of style. Viral videos provide airlines the opportunity to reach beyond their normal clientele. Through the development of persuasive and entertaining videos and popular online platforms such as YouTube and others, airlines hope to gain brand recognition and ideally spur a viral reaction.
The most successful campaigns connect customers to the digital world through an emotional approach. Real-life experiences provide the best means of fostering an emotional response in the customer. With a multi-channel approach that employs online marketing as well as traditional marketing methods, airlines can today develop an emotional connection with customers that exceeds the experience allowed up to this point through impersonal online interaction.
Another recent trend in the field made popular with the help of social media has been the recent creative attention given to the normally bland safety videos before every flight that, in the past, have been an inescapable misery. With new creative ideas, airlines such as Air New Zealand and Qatar Airways hope that passengers will actually heed the information presented in the safety videos as well as steer interest towards the airline’s own brand.
Social Media provides airlines with an unsurpassable platform with which to keep in contact with their customers as well as to analyze their feedback. This information will prove vital for both customer service and marketing departments in order to hopefully expand client base in the future.
