Blog 
AirAsia’s rise in the social media sphere has been meteoric to say the least, with the Malaysia-based airline hitting one million fans on its Facebook page at the end of May 2011, becoming the first airline outside the US to do so. This monumental number, which is second in the world only to Southwest Airlines, is attributable in large part to the efforts of Karen Chan, AirAsia’s Interactive Marketing Manager, and her team (photographed below), which is led by their visionary Commercial Head, Kathleen Tan.
For her efforts in leading AirAsia up the ladder of success in social media, and setting an example for other airlines in the region to follow, we’re proud to award Karen the SimpliFlying Hero award for June 2011.
The AirAsia team. From left: Karen Chan, Derik Chew, Swee Ping, Vilon
Tentative beginnings for an Asian upstart
AirAsia’s beginnings in social media were modest. The journey started with a blog that aimed to provide an open platform for AirAsia Allstars and AirAsia customers to share travel stories and feedback, regardless of whether it was good or bad.
At the time, the main fear for the team was the potential for negative backlash. Since social media is real-time, instant and can make opinions go viral, the stakes were high. Quite simply, anything negative would reflect poorly on not only the team but AirAsia’s brand as well.
What Karen learnt over time was that the best way to counter this potential problem was to form a team with the “right” kind of people. For her, a passion for AirAsia and its brand is just as important as social media expertise.
“A lot of people claim to be social media experts but when it comes to integrating social media with the brand, it can become a real challenge. To be successful in social media requires a lot of hard work, a lot of thinking; strategizing needs to be done to ensure that you are building something that is relevant and useful for the brand and the fans in the long run.”
Indeed, Karen believes that the main factor behind AirAsia’s significant lead over competitors in the social media space has been the excellent team she works with. Not only are its members social media savvy, they are also passionate about AirAsia and its brand, and therefore make an extra effort to keep all social media campaigns relevant to consumers and, as a result, beneficial to the brand as well.
The road to success
These qualities in the team members allowed AirAsia to emerge as a leading regional player on Facebook and Twitter. When the team first approached these platforms two years ago, they did not have much prior experience or knowledge to count on. They mostly relied on lessons learnt from trial and error, and slowly figured out what worked and what did not. The passion and dedication displayed by members of the team, and the “blood, sweat, and tears” that they put in, is what has made AirAsia’s present success possible.
Along the way, Karen has learnt much about what it takes to launch (and keep afloat) a social media campaign.
First, knowing what fans want, and giving them what they want, and getting them to spread the word, is paramount. In Karen’s words:
“Social media is like having a housewarming party. First you create the most innovative, creative invite so that the recipients will want to share it with their friends to attend the party. Once you have all your guests at the party, you will need to know what you’ll be serving on the table, the kind of music you are going to spin, and the activities at the party so that everyone will go back happy and rave about what a great time they had at your party.”
Second, having a clear objective is essential. An objective is precisely what differentiates an individual who gathers a fan-following by uploading videos on Youtube, and a company that uses it for its benefit. One has a clear objective, and therefore a clear strategy, while the other does not. That is why only one can maximize the potential of the medium and all real, measurable value to the brand and business.
Last, social media is not a billboard, but rather an engagement platform. While it might be tempting to announce everything over Facebook or Twitter in order to market the airline, there is a fine line that shouldn’t be crossed. Social media is a unique two-way channel and therefore fan feedback should be given equal priority.
Sky is the limit, even online!
In the future, Karen sees social media expanding and taking more of a hold on consumers’ lives: first, in terms of technological advancement in mobile, handheld devices; second, in the form of growing popularity amongst people to participate on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. This is advantageous for any organization looking to build its brand and it provides greater opportunities to increase brand awareness and to drive customer engagement.
Karen feels that ultimately having such a huge fan base is a double-edged sword. While it means that more interest, trust, and revenue will be generated for the airline in the long run, it also means that negative news can spread faster and further. Hence, the achievement of hitting one million fans also comes with the increased responsibility to engage them in a positive way.
Nevertheless, SimpliFlying is certain that Karen and her team will continue to reach new heights and we wish her all the best as she continues to lead AirAsia to even greater heights on the social media mountain.
Know someone who’s worthy of being a SimpliFlying Hero?
Simpliflying Heroesare individuals recognized for outstanding social media use in the world of aviation. Do you know of somebody who uses social media effectively in their airline or airport to achieve specific business results? Or do you think you fit the bill?
Then go ahead and fill up the SimpliFlying Heroes nomination form. By filling out the nomination form, you bring them a step closer to being recognized by SimpliFlying for their efforts.