This Friday July 30th in Sydney, learn how airports can leverage their social media for brand building. We’re presenting a Masterclass, the aim of which is to give airport executives a hands-on crash course into airport branding, ultimately helping airports to drive revenue and loyalty through social media conversations.  And you’ll discover the power of social media to engage travelers like Robert.

Participants will walk away with a 6-week plan for executing a social media strategy at their airports.

Introduction: Web 2.0 and Aviation

What is Web 2.0 and why is it an important medium?
Before and after Web 2.0 – how brand conversations have evolved
The basic tenet – building a community on Web 2.0
To start from scratch, or to leverage on existing social networks?
To sell, or not to sell through Web 2.0?
Risks, and how to overcome them?
How to get started with Web 2.0?
How airlines and airports around the world are using social media?
Case Study: JetBlue Airways
Case Study: Melbourne Airport

Deep Dive

Hands-on Simulation exercise
Finding mentions about their airports on Social Media
Finding mentions about airlines that fly their airports
How to identify influencers their airports, on social media
Basic sentiment analysis

Group Exercise …

Now that we’ve posted our Top Twitter Airports and Top Facebook Airports, it’s appropriate to state the caveat. As one comment suggested, “we need to be careful with this type of analysis”. We agree completely. The lists were compiled with the purpose to determine which airports were using social media as part of their marketing programs. Now the hard part begins.

Airport social media marketing, to have the proper business impact, is a process of well defined strategy, tactics and execution. It must be applied appropriately and in the proper mix, using several key principles:

Core strategy development
Corporate blogging
Social media PR
Communities for feedback and research
Twitter and Facebook channels
Video as a strategic SM platform
Brand monitoring
Metrics measurement and data insights
Viral campaigns
SM 2.0 architectures

Many airports ‘deploy’ elements of social media marketing, such as, blogs, Twitter, Facebook. They do so because they feel that they are applying newest marketing techniques. But many do not fully understand the implications required to turn it into a measurable and meaningful result.

Social media is no longer an optional element in your airport’s marketing plan. It’s integral to effectively managing your brand, your airport and your reputation. As Chris Anderson, author or ‘The Long Tail’, said, “It’s …

Before applying Social Media Marketing metrics and analytics to the  streams of social messaging types coming in and going out of airports, it is important to decide on the Top Level Strategic Objectives these metrics will support. In terms of ROI, Social Media can be mapped to business and marketing values as in classical methods – that is, measuring awareness, reach and frequency of messaging. Although these metrics are usually quantifiable, Social Media brings an exciting and new exponential upside to the mix.

We attempt to lay out in a series of short Blogs, the steps required to develop a meaningful, measureable program for implementing Social Media Marketing programs in airports complete with sample metrics and methods as a guide to gauge success.

Our series will bring into play marketing best practices and tools where applicable, in support of both airport Customer Services and airport Retail. We will also share data and concepts that are working with the airlines as well.

Post 1- Mapping Airport Goals to Social Media Models

If we make the assumption that there are only 3 real measurable goals in airports in terms of REAL ROI, we can get past the “promised land” approach of Social Media.
1)    Increase Revenue (s) …

Image by joiseyshowaa via Flickr

I speak at many airport industry conferences which provide an opportunity to re-state the customer’s viewpoint. The message is clear – for airports to adapt to the new economic realities, things must change. If they continue to do more of the same, why do they expect any different results?

A perceptive article in Airport Business written by Agnes Huff on “Delivering What Customers Demand Now” nicely re-states the customer viewpoint. Several of Agnes’ key observations and predictions clearly put the customer at the centre of the airport’s business and here are the critical success factors:

Today’s travelers and customers are thinking, feeling, and acting differently. To really understand what they want now, airports have to take a few steps back to listen, learn, and understand the shifts taking place with their customers.
Hollow marketing and advertising promises will be met with skepticism, and even hostility.
Travelers want choice and control over their experience and offering options will be a brand-building advantage.
Technological improvements need to be reconsidered in light of customer …