Malaysia Airlines PR Workers Have A Lot Of Work To Do

It’s been three weeks since the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing, purportedly crashed into the Indian Ocean. The public image of the airline, which was already experiencing financial troubles prior to the incident, has been forever tarnished and it’s future is uncertain. The airline’s public relations professionals are now faced with the daunting challenge of repairing the company’s image and regaining the public’s trust. Some might say the fate of the company rests in the hands of these people, as how they handle the fallout of such a tragedy will be incredibly crucial to the company’s survival.

It’s not uncommon for airlines to go out of business as a result of an airline disaster. TWA and Pan Am both ceased operations after their own disasters, and much like Malaysia Airlines, were both suffering financially at the time of the accidents. According to history, Malaysia Airlines may go the way of these companies.

But airline experts think it is possible for Malaysia Airlines to survive the financial blow from this tragedy through a change in management and aggressive PR campaigns focusing on improved safety. What this company needs to do is send the message of change to the world. But there reasons to think that maybe the airline has already made several key mistakes. In an article from ragan.com, it is speculated that the airline failed to put in place a well thought out contingency plan for such disasters, as they have shown little ability to engage with the media appropriately, letting the Malaysian government fill the role of speaking with press, instead of their own spokesmen. This shows a lack of planning and experience in dealing with crisis. 

Going forward, Malaysia Airlines needs to prepare aggressive safety campaigns to try and repair their image. The company also needs to take on the responsibility of not only regularly communicating details of the investigation, but also expressing empathy to the families of the victims. 

So far the airline has offered to pay $5,000 to the families of each passenger of flight MH370, and it is likely they will end up paying out millions more. But experts say the likely decline in ticket sales will hurt the company more than anything. 

Sources

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/5_lessons_learned_from_Malaysia_Airlines_crisis_re_48122.aspx

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-malaysia-airlines-future-20140329,0,5251055.story#axzz2xJNvAm9f

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370

Chipotle's Content Marketing Works

Recently I watched a Bloomberg documentary about Chipotle, the burrito restaurant chain. One section of the video talked about Chipotle’s marketing techniques, and I have to say, there was nothing typical about what they talked about. Chipotle’s advertising and marketing portfolio is rather skimpy, with no typical broadcast advertisements and limited print ads over the years, Chipotle’s founder Steve Ells says the company has mostly relied on word of mouth to spread their business to new customers.  

But Chipotle has experimented with “alternative” marketing techniques in the category if ‘content marketing,’ a relatively new form of promotion. Executives at Chipotle have recognized the disconnect between traditional media advertising and the millennial generation, who sees these traditional techniques, such as typical TV advertisements, as ‘less authentic’ and hard to connect with. Chipotle takes a more ‘grassroots’ position, hosting music festivals and their Farm Team, which is a spin on traditional customer loyalty programs but with a focus on sustainable agriculture. Chipotle founder Steve Ells says this type of promotion is much more effective at reaching younger audiences.

RedBull is another notable company utilizing content marketing, with their numerous events they host (RedBull Flugtag,extreme sports events, music concerts, etc). RedBull also hosts an annual music collaborative ‘symposium’ of sorts called Red Bull Music Academy. Musicians from all over the world are invited to spend two weeks working together in one place creating new music and performing at shows. All of this to spread their brand and sell Red Bull, and it appears to be working really well for them.

Chipotle’s most recent marketing venture is a four-episode original comedy series entitled “Farmed and Dangerous,” which debuted on Hulu in February 2014. The series, which barely  mentions the restaurant chain, is a satire of modern industrial farming. The series comes on the heels of two short films produced by Chipotle (one in 2011 and another in 2013) with an emphasis on the need for more small farming operations. Chipotle says their intention is to educate viewers about the problems with industrial farming. This message-infused promotion is called cause marketing or ‘values branding’ amongst marketers.

Some experts claim promotional methods are becoming less and less effective, especially amongst younger audiences. It looks as if this type of marketing will stay popular into the next several years, with some experts claiming this is absolutely not a fad.

Wenzel, John. "Chipotle's Comedy Series Is a New Way to Brand, but Not All Are Amused." - The Denver Post. Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

Schoultz Mike. "A Story about Chipotle’s Non-Traditional Marketing Strategy." Digital Spark Marketing. Digital Spark Marketing, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

"Chipotle's Farm Team Grows Customer Loyalty." Widgets RSS. Wayne Hicks, 2 Sept. 2011. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.