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20 chapter six SOCIAL MEDIA CASE EXAMPLES Based on the information gathered from the survey interviews, this chapter summarizes the barriers and challenges faced in establishing social media programs, the lessons learned, and the resources needed to maintain and develop social media programs, followed by the case examples for each airport and non-aviation business. BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES The following summarizes the barriers and challenges faced by airport operators and non-aviation businesses in establishing and maintaining social media programs and how each was addressed. ⢠Finding sufficient personnel time. Personnel involved with managing social media platforms at airports typically have other responsibilities. This can be addressed by creating a new posi- tion for a social media coordinator and/or redefining social media roles and distributing tasks among team members. ⢠Obtaining âbuy inâ and support from management. Can be addressed by managing expec- tations, maintaining a continuing dialogue with management and other departments, and con- ducting training sessions and regular meetings on social media program status. ⢠Identifying relevant content and messages. Can be addressed through trial and error, estab- lishing an appropriate tone, and collaborating with other departments for information. ⢠Taking ownership of previously created social media pages. Can be addressed by agreement that the other party would transfer or delete the page. ⢠Establishing strategic partnerships as a government agency. Partnerships with airlines are not allowed under some airport agreements. Long-term resolution may be realized through changes in airline and concession agreements. ⢠Managing time and prioritizing tasks. Can be addressed by retaining a marketing firm to prepare a strategic plan and/or creating an overall social media strategy. ⢠Keeping up with changes in social media platforms. Can be addressed by knowing your customer base and recognizing that some tools work in one region and not another. LESSONS LEARNED The following summarizes the lessons learned by airport operators and non-aviation businesses interviewed for this Synthesis in developing social media programs. ⢠Invest the right amount of time. Take the time to answer questions and develop creative con- tent to engage the public, be consistent, keep a presence and be active, be committed to the pro- gram before it starts and understand what it entails, and have the resources in place to manage it. ⢠Figure out your tone and personality. Set your identity and social strategy, and what your role is: Have a sense of humor and identity, stay true to your branding, and define your personality (branding) and know where you stand. ⢠Stay focused. Do not be distracted by the next shiny object. Fit for platform is important; there is no need to be on every platform. Having accounts on all social media platforms is not neces- sarily useful. Facebook and Twitter are good places to start; your audience is not on all of them, so start small and determine where your density is and where the conversations are taking place. ⢠Be authentic. Avoid automated or planned posts.
21 ⢠Start slow. Let your social media community grow organically. ⢠Know thy customer. Check which platforms your audience uses. Frequency of posts is a fine balance between getting more visibility and being annoying, which may lead to lost followers. ⢠Itâs all about the story. Social media platforms are for storytelling; people forget that. ⢠Avoid complicated contests and promotions. Keep it simple; avoid contests that involve sub- jective judgments or ask participants to invest a lot of time (contest sweepstakes are the most effective). ⢠Consider scope and scale when planning social media campaigns. ⢠Post Facebook and Twitter hours. An airport does not have to respond to every query. Pas- sengers understand and respect our time. Be sure to mention the hours on Facebook and Twitter so that people do not expect responses after hours. ⢠One has to be social on social media. Passengers expect airports to be on social media and to have access to information on social media as it relates to their travel. ⢠Social media has changed the ways airports interact with the public. Complaints (feedback, remarks) are instantly shared with a circle of friends; therefore, public opinion can immediately change. ⢠Keep control of your social media program. Be cautious about relinquishing control to a third-party company that stresses âwe can take care of your social media program.â Expertise is needed to get started correctly; however, make sure the airport voice is maintained. ⢠Do not push sales on social media. From 2009 to 2011, platforms were primarily used to promote products and sales. Social media is a community building tool rather than a marketing tool; use it for customer engagement. ⢠Be mindful of security issues in sharing real-time information. Delay information posts about VIP and celebrity visits. SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM RESOURCES The social media managers interviewed at the selected airports and non-aviation businesses were asked to estimate the number of hours per week, on average, spent on social media by all personnel. Based on the survey results, the following summarizes the average number of hours per week by airport size: ⢠Large hub = 27 ⢠Medium hub = 20 ⢠Small and non-hub = 14 ⢠All airports in the sample = 23. The average number of hours per week for non-aviation businesses is considerably higher, rang- ing from 40 to as many as 400. Only one of the 14 airports has a separate line item in the airport budget for social media; the remaining airports include social media expenses in the marketing, media relations, or advertising budgets. Two of the three non-aviation businesses have separate social media budgets. As shown in Table 8, a total of 17 case examples were prepared, including 11 U.S. airports, three non-U.S. airports, and three non-aviation businesses. The case examples are presented in the order shown in the table. AKRONâCANTON AIRPORT AkronâCanton Airport (CAK) was an early adopter of social media. In the late 1990s, CAK estab- lished its âa better way to go®â brand focusing on low fares and an enjoyable airport experience. The brand and the creative work cultivated from it helped propel the airport to 17 years of sustained, organic growth between 1996 and 2012. CAK became involved in social media engagement strate- gies in 2005. CAK built its social strategy from its strong brand center; focusing on entertaining, informing, and empowering customers. CAK also continues to invest in traditional forms of mar- keting such as broadcast, radio, digital, and outdoor advertising, believing that social media cannot replace all forms of marketing, but rather enhances and personalizes its core messages.
22 Airport Background CAK is located approximately 10 miles southeast of Akron and 10 miles northwest of Canton. The Airportâs primary service region is the four-county Akron and CantonâMassillon Metropolitan Sta- tistical Areas, with a population of 1.1 million. However, because the airport has the 15th lowest average fare in the United States, customers come from throughout northeastern Ohio, creating a larger catchment area of 4.2 million people. The Airport, classified by FAA as a small air traffic hub, is the fourth busiest airport in the state of Ohio in terms of total passengers, with 1.8 million in 2012, ranking 89th overall. In August 2013, CAK provided an average of 36 daily scheduled departures to 12 domestic destinations and was served by five U.S. airlines. Since its acquisition of AirTran Air- ways, Southwest is the largest carrier operating at CAK. The Airport, shown on Figure 4, is owned and operated by the AkronâCanton Airport Authority, formed by Summit and Stark counties. Social Media Program AkronâCanton Airport has been active in social media since 2005, as shown in Table 9. As of August 2013, CAK had nearly 59,000 likes on Facebook and 7,600 Twitter followers. CAK uses social media platforms to entertain, inform, and empower customers by: ⢠Responding to and resolving customer service comments received through social media. ⢠Generating excitement and engagement around events at the airport such as Customer Appre- ciation Day and the Honor Flight CAK for World War II Veterans, so that the event extends into the social space. TABLE 8 CASE EXAMPLES Case Study U.S. Airport Hub Size 2012 Total Passengers (millions, except as noted) Airline Connecting Hub International Gateway Low Cost Carrier Servicea U.S. Airports 1. AkronâCanton Small 1.8 2. Boston Logan International Large 29.3 3. Charleston Yeager Non-hub 0.5 4. DallasâFort Worth Large 58.6 American 5. Eugene Small 0.8 6. Los Angeles International Large 63.7 American, United 7. MilwaukeeâGeneral Mitchell International Medium 7.5 8. MinneapolisâSt. Paul International Large 33.2 Delta 9. San Diego International Large 17.3 10. San Francisco International Large 44.3 United 11. Tucson International Medium 3.6 Non-U.S. Airports 12. Dublin N/A 33.8 Aer Lingus 13. Edmonton International N/A 6.7 14. London Gatwick N/A 51.2 British Airways Non-aviation Businesses 15. AEG/Staples Center N/A 4.0b N/A N/A N/A 16. Mayo Clinic N/A 1.2c N/A N/A N/A 17. Mall of America N/A 40.0d N/A N/A N/A N/A = not applicable. aAs of August 2013. bAnnual guests. cAnnual patients. dAnnual visitors. Sources: Individual airport and business websites. â ââ â â â â â â â ââ ââ ââ ââ â
23 FIGURE 4 AkronâCanton Airport at sunset. (Source: AkronâCanton Airport.) Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) Blog 2005 http://www.akroncantonairport.com/blog 2007 http://www.facebook.com/akroncantonairport 2008 https://twitter.com/CAKairport 2008 http://www.flickr.com/people/akroncantonairport/ 2009 http://www.youtube.com/user/AkronCantonAirport 2009 http://www.yelp.com/biz/akron-canton-airport-canton?start=40 2010 http://instagram.com/cakairport# 2010 http://pinterest.com/cakairport/ 2011 https://plus.google.com/112716684360401763728#112716684360401763728/posts 2013 http://www.linkedin.com/company/akron-canton- airport?trk=vsrp_companies_res_name 2013 http://www.facebook.com/akroncantonairport 2013 https://twitter.com/CAKairport Source: AkronâCanton Airport. Listed in order of year initiated. Monthly Facebook Chat âPrez Saysâ TABLE 9 AKRONâCANTON AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM
24 ⢠Informing the community about important capital investments such as CAK 2018, the Air- portâs 10-year, $110-million capital improvement plan, including the opening of the new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Facility (ARFF) in 2013 and the extension of Runway 5/23 in 2010. ⢠Instilling momentum and excitement about new flights and airline services such as the initiation of service by Southwest Airlines in 2012. ⢠Cross-promoting airline airfare sales through re-posting, promoting, and/or re-tweeting airline links. Social Media Awards In 2013, AkronâCanton Airport was awarded first place in the Social Media Initiatives category by ACI-NA as part of its Excellence in Airport Marketing and Communications Awards. CAKâs award was for its âLUV lands at CAKâ campaign designed to promote the initiation of low-fare service by Southwest Airlines through social media. The âLUV lands at CAKâ campaign included: ⢠An inaugural flight countdown. Photos of CAK and Southwest employees displaying the daily countdown number were posted on Facebook and Twitter on each of the 25 days before Southwestâs inaugural flight. ⢠âParty with Southwest & WINâ contest. CAK sponsored an online contest promoted on social media giving ten fans the chance to attend a party with Southwest on the tarmac and win two tickets for travel on the airlines. ⢠Super social super fan party on the tarmac. CAK hosted a party on the tarmac featuring close-up views of the first Southwest flight landing at the Airport, a photo booth, and a pie eat- ing contest. The event was shared on CAKâs social channels with real-time videos, photos, and tweets, including amusing photos taken at the photo booth, as shown on Figure 5. The primary objectives of the âLUV lands at CAKâ campaign were to create excitement for South- westâs new service, welcome Southwest Airlines, and engage with the local community and passenger base. The Facebook post with the photo of the inaugural Southwest flight had the highest level of engagement with 728 likes, 52 comments, and 25 shares. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by AkronâCanton Airport are summarized in this sec- tion: Youâre Outta Here!, Where in CAK is this?, and Customer Appreciation Day. Youâre Outta Here! In April 2013, AkronâCanton Airport partnered with Traveline (a travel company based in north- eastern Ohio) and Akron radio station 97.7 WONE to launch the âYouâre Outta Here!â contest using its social media platforms, as shown on Figure 6. The âYouâre Outta Here!â contest is one of CAKâs many social media initiatives designed to create enthusiasm for airline service at the airport. The contest winner was selected in a random drawing based on completed online entry forms. The contest prize package included roundtrip tickets for two from Akronâ Canton Airport to Chicago Midway Airport on Southwest Airlines, a two-night hotel stay, tickets to a Cleveland Indians/Chicago White Sox baseball game at U.S. Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park), and a $100 American Express gift card. Where in CAK is this? âWhere in CAK is this?â is one of AkronâCanton Airportâs customer engagement tools designed to create a playful dialogue with passengers and generate interest about the Airport. Approximately
25 FIGURE 5 Facebook Post: Photo booth at fan party welcoming the inaugural Southwest Airlines flight at AkronâCanton Airport. (Source: http://www.facebook.com/akroncantonairport.) once a month, AkronâCanton Airport posts a âWhere in CAK is this?â challenge on social media to identify a location at the airport based on of a visual clue provided in the post (typically a small section of a picture taken at the airport). Figure 7 presents the answer in the âWhere in CAK is this?â challenge on July 3, 2013. Other customer engagement tools used by CAK include: ⢠Pictures of unique aircraft at the Airport, such as Southwestâs Nevada One and Air Force One. ⢠Photos posted on Instagram by passengers of scenes at the airport, including aircraft takeoffs and landings, sunsets, and aerial views. ⢠Friday fun e-cards with humorous travel-related expressions. Customer Appreciation Day On April 3, 2013, AkronâCanton Airport sponsored a Customer Appreciation Day, which was pro- moted on social media and included balloon animals, prize pack giveaways, CAK fortune cookies and other treats, and a photo booth where passengers could pose for fun vacation travel pictures,
26 as shown on Figure 8. Customer Appreciation Day is one of CAKâs customer engagement events designed to establish a dialogue and rapport with passengers, which uses social media to post pic- tures and video documenting the event. Use of Real-time Information for Airport Operations and Management Feedback obtained through social media on concession performance, parking operations, ground transportation, and the overall airport experience can provide valuable, real-time information not available from other sources. AkronâCanton Airport âlistensâ to comments made on social media about CAK using TweetDeck, a social media management tool, by identifying key words/terms such as CAK and AkronâCanton Airport. TweetDeck captures conversations about the Airport anywhere on social media, not just on CAKâs social media channels. Social media provides intelligence on comments made about the Air- port by CAKâs passenger base, the local community, the media, and the airlines serving the airport. Comments obtained in real time that require immediate responses are typically directed to our customer service manager or other departments as necessary. Comments about baggage handling are frequently posted on the Airportâs social media channels because there is a general misconcep- tion that baggage handling is the responsibility of the airport operator rather than individual airlines. Since CAK takes responsibility for the overall customer experience at the Airport, it responds to FIGURE 6 Facebook Post: CAKâs âYouâre Outta Here!â Chicago Flyaway Contest. (Source: http://www.facebook.com/ akroncantonairport.)
27 FIGURE 7 Facebook Post: âWhere in CAK is this?â Challenge. (Source: http://www.facebook.com/akroncantonairport.) all passenger complaints, including those about baggage handling (e.g., âWe are monitoringâ or âThanks for the feedbackâ) and then notifies the individual airline(s) cited. Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating delayed flight information, ground traffic delays, and updates during crises. AkronâCanton Airport uses social media (primarily Twitter) to post real-time alerts to inform the community and media about any given crisis situation. The tweets also refer them back to CAKâs website for more in-depth information. The Airport does not post notices about delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport As the gateway to a community, an airport has an important role in connecting the regional commu- nity to the world. Social media allows airport operators to highlight that role and the many events that take place at an airport. AkronâCanton Airport uses social media to feature a number of significant airport and community events, including: ⢠Honor Flight CAK for World War II Veterans. On September 22, 2012, the final Honor Flight CAK that transported 104 World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the World War II Memorial and other monuments landed at the airport. Honor Flight CAK is a nonprofit organi- zation staffed by volunteers who organize, collect contributions, and serve as guardians for the
28 flights. Pictures of the veterans on the final Honor Flight CAK are posted on the Airportâs social media channels, as shown on Figure 9. ⢠Pro Football Hall of Fame. Canton, Ohio, is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which honors professional U.S. football players and holds an annual enshrinement ceremony for new inductees. The Airport is the gateway to the annual ceremony and posts pictures of the event on CAKâs social media channels. ⢠The opening of the new ARFF in 2013. On June 1, 2013, CAK dedicated its new ARFF at the air- port and held an open house for the public that was promoted on social media, as shown on Figure 10. The event was attended by approximately 1,000 people from the local community and featured a ribbon cutting ceremony, tour of the facility and equipment, and a live firefighting demonstration. AkronâCanton Airport President & Chief Executive Officer: Richard McQueen Senior Vice President Chief Marketing and Communications Officer: Kristie VanAuken BOSTON LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Boston Logan International Airport (Logan or the Airport) has adopted social media as a key com- ponent of its communication toolbox. Loganâs social media strategies are centered on sharing events at the Airport and in the Boston community and, at the same time, âhumanizingâ the Logan brand by defining a voice for the Airport. FIGURE 8 Facebook Post: Customer Appreciation Day at Akronâ Canton Airport. (Source: http://www.facebook.com/akroncantonairport.)
29 FIGURE 9 Facebook Post: CAKâs final Honor Flight. (Source: http://www.facebook.com/akroncantonairport.) Airport Background Boston Logan International Airport opened in 1923 and occupies 2,400 acres in East Boston, approxi- mately 3 miles from downtown Boston and adjacent to Boston Harbor. The Airportâs primary service region is the BostonâCambridgeâNewton Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a 2012 population of 4.6 million. The Airport, classified by FAA as a large air traffic hub, is the busiest in the New England area in terms of total passengers, with 29.3 million in 2012, ranking 19th in the nation. In August 2013, Logan provided an average of 517 daily scheduled departures to 63 domestic and 28 international des- tinations (multi-airport cities are counted once) and was served by 26 U.S. airlines and 17 foreign-flag airlines. The Airport, shown on Figure 11, is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). Massport also owns and operates Hanscom Field, a general aviation airport; Worcester Regional Airport, a commercial and general aviation airport serving central Massachusetts; Black Falcon Terminal, Bostonâs cruise terminal; and Conley Terminal, Bostonâs cargo container ship facility. Social Media Program Boston Logan International Airport has been active in social media since 2008, as shown in Table 10. In August 2013, Logan had more than 60,000 likes on Facebook and more than 24,000 Twitter fol- lowers. Logan uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media. ⢠Announce inaugural flights and new service at Logan, such as Emiratesâ nonstop service to Dubai and Turkish Airlines service to Istanbul.
30 FIGURE 10 Facebook Post: CAKâs new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Facility. (Source: http://www.facebook.com/ akroncantonairport.) ⢠Promote community events such as Artists for Humanity and the Authorityâs Community Sum- mer Jobs Program. ⢠Provide updates on Loganâs capital improvement program, including a photo album called âImprovementsâ posted on Facebook. ⢠Promote new airline service and concessions through contests and special offers such as the American Airlinesâ contest to win two airline tickets from Logan to Paris, France, and free donuts from Dunkinâ Donuts on National Donut Day. ⢠Provide factual information for the media and travel bloggers. ⢠Provide updates on road closures that affect airport access or specific incidents at destination airports. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by Boston Logan International Airport are sum marized in this section: the Color Choice campaign, Super Bowl Sunday, and an American in Paris.
31 FIGURE 11 Aerial view of Boston Logan International Airport. (Source: Massport.) Color Choice Campaign In February 2013, Logan invited its social media fans to vote for a color scheme for the Terminal B connector. Contest participants were invited to vote for a color scheme from three choices and e-mail their favorite to love@massport.com, as shown on Figure 12. The prize was a $100 Legal Sea Food gift card and the winner was announced on Valentineâs Day 2013. Super Bowl Sunday For passengers traveling on Super Bowl Sunday, Logan organized its restaurants and concessionaires and provided passengers with a list of locations at Logan where football fans could watch the game, TABLE 10 BOSTON LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2008 https://www.facebook.com/BostonLogan 2008 https://twitter.com/BostonLogan 2009 http://www.youtube.com/user/massportbos 2009 http://4sq.com/4Dq8gf 2013 https://twitter.com/BostonLogan (a) Source: Massport. Listed in order of year initiated.
32 as shown on Figure 13. Loganâs social media followers on Facebook and Twitter âlikedâ and âre- tweetedâ the Airportâs Super Bowl postings. An American in Paris In May 2010, Logan partnered with American Airlines and the Hotel de Vigny in Paris to sponsor a contest promoting the return of American Airlines seasonal service to Paris. To create excitement for Loganâs Paris service and the contest, contestants had to submit a short video on what it meant to be an American in Paris to bostonloganconnect.com, a page different from the Airportâs main website, as shown on Figure 14. All videos submitted for the contest were posted at bostonloganconnect.com and three finalists were selected by public vote. In June 2010, a panel of judges selected the winner, who was awarded round-trip air travel for two and a three-night hotel stay in Paris. FIGURE 12 Facebook Post: Loganâs Valentineâs Day contest. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/BostonLogan.)
33 FIGURE 13 Facebook Post: Logan locations showing Super Bowl XLVII (Source: https://www.facebook.com/ BostonLogan.) FIGURE 14 Facebook Post: Poster on Facebook promoting the âAn American in Parisâ contest. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/BostonLogan.)
34 Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management Logan uses Hootsuite to manage all of its social media accounts. Keywords are set individually for each social media channel and are tracked on a daily basis. By identifying keywords such as Logan and Logan Airport, Hootsuite captures conversations about the airport anywhere on social media, not just on Loganâs social media channels. To evaluate the social media reach and the level of audience engagement, Logan also monitors the analytics for Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. Customer service comments received through any of Loganâs social platforms are attended to immediately by engaging the appropriate department in the resolution of the issue. Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating information on delayed flights, ground traf- fic delays, and updates during crises. Logan is frequently used for diverted flights during extreme weather and uses social media to post alerts. Passengers are directed to individual airline websites for information about specific flight delays or cancellation updates. In April 2013, Logan used its social media channels, particularly Twitter, to provide updates on the ground stop announced by FAA and the Airportâs heightened security related to the bombing at the Boston Marathon. In addition, Loganâs social media channels were used to quickly respond to and correct inaccurate media postings and to advise passengers to check with their airlines for the status of flights before coming to the Airport. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport As the gateway to a community, an airport has an important role in connecting the regional commu- nity with the world. Social media allows airport operators to highlight that role and the many events that occur at an airport. Logan has used social media to feature a number of significant airport and community events, including: ⢠Massportâs Community Summer Jobs Program. In August 2013, Massport announced grants totaling $450,000 to fund summer employment for more than 300 students as part of the Authorityâs Community Summer Jobs Program, as shown in Figure 15. The Summer Jobs Program is designed to assist civic and social service agencies by providing funds to support FIGURE 15 Facebook Post: Loganâs Community Summer Jobs Program. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/BostonLogan.)
35 FIGURE 16 Facebook Post: The Artists for Humanity Exhibition at Logan. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/BostonLogan.) youth programs and summer employment, and benefits communities where Massport facilities are located. ⢠Wings for Autism. Since 2011, Logan has sponsored the Wings for Autism program in partner- ship with the Charles River Center, a non-profit social service agency providing services to children and adults with developmental disabilities. This program provides a âdress rehearsalâ open house day for families with autistic children that allows them to experience travel before an actual trip. The third event of this kind was held in April 2013 and was attended by more than 200 children and their families. The program was promoted through posts on Facebook, Twitter, and a video on YouTube. ⢠Artists for Humanity. Founded in Boston in 1991, Artists for Humanityâs mission is to âbridge economic, racial and social divisions by providing under-resourced youth with the keys to self- sufficiency through paid employment in the arts.â Logan organized an exhibition to promote the Artists for Humanity artwork in Terminal A, a popular event that generated 969 likes, 23 com- ments, and 90 shares on Facebook, as shown on Figure 16. Massachusetts Port Authority Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director: Thomas P. Glynn Assistant Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing: Richard Walsh Digital Media Manager: Bessie King YEAGER AIRPORT Yeager Airport (CRW or the Airport) built its social media program with the ultimate goal of having an outlet to provide relevant information to passengers and potential travelers, while also keeping the content interesting for aviation and non-aviation enthusiasts. CRWâs strategy is to inform, notify, and promote, but also be aviation-centric. With a Facebook page built around avia- tion, CRWâs fans and followers range from local frequent fliers to aviation enthusiasts in other states and countries. CRWâs goal is to share interesting content that fosters engagement with and by its fans.
36 Airport Background Yeager Airport began operations at its current site in 1947, and occupies 767 acres in Kanawha County, approximately 6 miles east of downtown Charleston, West Virginia. CRW has a unique history of development as an airport âbuilt on the hilltopsâ and, at the time of construction, was an example of the most modern methods of moving earth. The Airportâs primary service region is the five-county Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a 2012 population of 304,000. The Airport, classified by FAA as a primary non-hub airport, is the busiest airport in West Virginia in terms of total pas- sengers, with approximately 540,000 in 2012; ranking 161st in the nation. In August 2013, CRW provided an average of 21 daily scheduled departures to nine destinations and was served by nine U.S. airlines (mainline and regional). CRW is also home to the West Virginia Air National Guardâs 130th Airlift Wing and its fleet of nine Hercules C-130 aircraft. The Airport, shown on Figure 17, is owned and operated by the Central West Virginia Regional Airport Authority. Social Media Program The Airport has been using social media platforms since 2008, as shown in Table 11. In August 2013, CRW had more than 25,000 likes on Facebook and more than 3,700 Twitter followers. Facebook and Twitter are the airportâs primary social media platforms. The Airport uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media. ⢠Promote airfare sales posted by airlines and new air service. ⢠Engage with aviation enthusiasts by posting aviation trivia on CRWâs social media channels, such as pictures of new and old aircraft and CRW memorabilia. ⢠Engage with the broader community for events such as the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree. ⢠Communicate road closures, weather advisories, major flight delays, and status of runway closures. Social Media Awards In 2011, the West Virginia Division of Tourism gave Yeager Airport the Stars of the Industry award for the best Internet/e-magazine article, âSocial Media Airport: Case Study from CRW,â which was FIGURE 17 Aerial view of Yeager Airport during the extension of Runway 23 and widening of Taxiway A. (Source: Yeager Airport.)
37 FIGURE 18 Twitter Post: CRW Tweet on July 2, 2010. (Source: https://twitter. com/yeagerairport.) TABLE 11 YEAGER AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2008 https://twitter.com/yeagerairport 2008 http://www.youtube.com/user/YeagerAirport 2009 https://www.facebook.com/FlyCRW 2010 http://4sq.com/7Z3HZW 2011 https://plus.google.com/1162275227301450249 21/about 2013 http://instagram.com/flycrw# Source: Yeager Airport. Listed by year initiated. published in Forbes online magazine on July 2, 2010. The CRW case example describes the use of social media during a Presidential visit to Charleston for the funeral of West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd. CRW used social media to: ⢠Notify travelers of potential flight and road delays, advising them to be at the Airport 2 hours before their flight; and ⢠Provide information about the visit, including status updates, pictures of Air Force One, the return of normal operations at the Airport, and a post by the President honoring Senator Byrd. A highlight of the article was a social media conversation initiated by a CBS reporter about the lack of post-security food concessions at the Airport. After an extended Twitter conversation between the CBS reporter and his followers, CRW acknowledged the conversation and responded, as shown on Figure 18. As a result, CRW opened food options post-security that have resulted in an increase in commercial revenues. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by Yeager Airport are summarized in this section: managing crisis events, promoting seasonal airline service, and sharing unique aircraft sightings at the airport.
38 Managing Crisis Events On January 19, 2010, a US Airways Express regional jet aborted takeoff and came to rest at the end of the runway. Over the following 5 hours, CRW used social media to manage the crisis event in real time by keeping the general public and media informed with factual and frequent postings. The postings included status updates, pictures, and information about the Engineered Material Arresting System (a bed of high-energy absorbing materials built at the end of a runway to slow aircraft move- ment) used for the aborted flight. CRW was recognized in the national and regional press for its use of social media in managing a crisis event, most likely one of the first airport examples. Figure 19 presents a sample of CRWâs Twitter postings immediately after the event. Promoting Seasonal Airline Service In addition to its efforts to provide updated information on airfare sales and new airline service, the Airport promotes seasonal airline service on its social media channels. For example, CRWâs seasonal service to Myrtle Beach, offered from March 2 through August 31 was actively promoted on social media starting in December 2012. As shown on Figure 20, Spirit Airlineâs first flight from Charleston to Myrtle Beach was popular, with 437 likes, 46 shares, and 39 comments on Facebook. Sharing Unique Aircraft Sightings CRW has a large following of aviation and airport enthusiasts on its social media channels. In addi- tion to sharing airport memorabilia and history, CRW frequently posts pictures of unique aircraft spotted at the Airport. In recent years, unique aircraft sightings at the Airport have included Air Force One; the aircraft used as a model for the Disney animated movie âPlanes,â and military aircraft such as the C-5 Galaxy transport, F-18 jet, and Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. On May 9, 2013, the sighting of the Despicable Me blimp depicting one of the minions of âGru,â a principle character in the ani- mated movie, prompted a high level of customer engagement on the Airportâs Facebook page. The FIGURE 19 Twitter Posts: CRW Tweets on January 19, 2010. (Source: https://twitter.com/yeagerairport.)
39 FIGURE 20 Facebook Post: Start of seasonal service from CRW to Myrtle Beach. (Source: https://www.facebook. com/FlyCRW.) FIGURE 21 Facebook Post: Despicable Me blimp sighting at CRW. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/FlyCRW.) Despicable Me blimp sighting generated 39 Facebook posts with pictures of the blimp captured around Charleston, including seven posts by airport personnel. A total of 1,410 likes, 108 comments, and 590 shares were recorded on May 9, 2013, together accounting for more than 8% of the Airportâs Facebook fan base (approximately 25,000 likes in May 2013). Figure 21 is a picture of the Despicable Me blimp tied down at the Airport. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management In the past, CRW has used Seismic Desktop (now included in Hootsuite), a social media management tool, for real-time monitoring of comments made on social media. In recent years, CRW monitors social media conversations about the Airport by checking its Twitter and Facebook accounts daily.
40 Comments obtained in real time receive an immediate response and appropriate actions are taken. The typical comments related to customer service concern connecting to the Airportâs free Wi-Fi and the restroom facilities. As noted earlier, CRW used real-time information obtained through social media to open up its food options for passengers post-security. Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating delayed flight information, ground traffic delays, and updates during crises. CRW posts notices about delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines and refers passengers to airline websites. As described earlier, CRW has led efforts in the airport community to use social media to manage crisis events. CRW management has made numer- ous presentations about its use of social media during a crisis at airport conferences as well as at the NTSB at its crisis communication academy. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport As the gateway to a community, an airport has an important role in connecting the regional com- munity to the world. Social media allows airport operators to highlight that role and the many events that take place at an airport. CRW uses social media to promote a number of significant airport and community events, including: ⢠Boy Scouts of America Jamboree. In 2013, the national Boy Scouts Jamboree was held for the first time at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in Mount Hope, West Virginia (approximately 60 miles from Charleston). The Summit will be the permanent home for the jamboree, which is usually held every four years and hosts more than 50,000 attendees. CRW posted pictures of the 2013 arrivals on its social media channels. ⢠West Virginia Air National Guardâs 130th Airlift Wing. Yeager Airport has been home to the 130th Airlift Wing since its opening in 1947, and also hosts a number of other transient military aircraft. CRW frequently posts pictures of the military aircraft that visit the airport on its social media. Figure 22 shows the 130th Airlift Wingâs C-130 aircraft parked at the airport. ⢠Gateway to West Virginia. As the primary commercial airport in West Virginia, CRW is the gateway for visits by the President of the United States, state representatives to the capitol in Charleston, and students attending West Virginia University medical center. CRW posts pic- tures of celebrity arrivals at the Airport on its social media. Yeager Airport Director: Richard A. Atkinson, III Director of Marketing and Air Service Development: R. Brian Belcher Marketing and Air Service Development Coordinator: Anthony Gilmer DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has been active in social media since 2009. DFWâs strategic priorities are to create a world-class brand identity reflecting outstanding facilities and ser- vices, expand global access, and enhance economic benefits to the regional community. DFW built its social media strategy through airport-focused messaging and uses social media to support its use of traditional media. Airport Background Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport opened in 1974, occupies approximately 17,200 acres in Dal- las and Tarrant counties, and is located approximately 17 miles equidistant from the centers of the cit- ies of Dallas and Fort Worth. The airportâs primary service region is the 9,300-square-mile, 12-county DallasâFort WorthâArlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a 2012 population of 6.7 million. The Airport, classified by FAA as a large air traffic hub, is the busiest in the state of Texas in terms
41 FIGURE 22 West Virginia Air National Guardâs 130th Airlift Wing Hercules C-130s parked at Yeager Airport. (Source: https://www. facebook.com/FlyCRW.) of total passengers, with 58.6 million in 2012, ranking fourth in the nation. In 2011 (the most recent year for which data are available), DFW was the tenth busiest international passenger gateway to the United States, and the fourth busiest U.S. gateway for passengers from Mexico and Central America. DFW is the busiest connecting hub in the combined route system of American and US Airways; the two airlines completed a merger in 2013. In August 2013, DFW provided an average of 936 daily scheduled departures to 186 destinations; 848 to 136 domestic destinations and 88 to 50 international destinations. As of August 2013, DFW was served by 23 U.S. airlines and 13 foreign-flag airlines. The Airport (Figure 23) is jointly owned by the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and operated on their behalf by the Dallas/Fort Worth International Board. Social Media Program The Airport has been using social media platforms since 2009, as shown in Table 12. Facebook and Twitter are the primary social media platforms used to communicate with the airportâs customer base. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was one of the first airports to use Foursquare for its campaigns. DFW has also developed a mobile app that complements our social media channels. The Airport uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Announce inaugural flights and new service; ⢠Promote parking programs and concessionaire offerings at the airport; ⢠Conduct and record business-to-business pre-proposal solicitation conferences for selected requests for proposals; ⢠Provide updates on airport construction projects such as the Terminal A renovations and Dallas Area Rapid Transit station; and ⢠Communicate weather, road, and air traffic delays.
42 Social Media Awards In 2012, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was awarded first place in the Social Media Ini- tiatives category by ACIâNA as part of its Excellence in Airport Marketing and Communications Awards. DFWâs award was for its âCheck-In for Great Deals at DFW Airportâ social media cam- paign designed to increase the number of passengers visiting the airportâs concessionaires and pro- mote nonairline revenue. Launched in 2011, the key elements of the campaign included: ⢠Promotional deals at shops, restaurants, and service providers for passengers checking in at Foursquare and Facebook locations at the airport. ⢠The creation of a video posted on YouTube and the Airportâs website, notices on flight informa- tion displays and signage at security checkpoints and courtesy vehicle bus stops. FIGURE 23 Aerial photo of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. (Source: http://www.dfwairport.com/ pressroom/.) Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2009 https://twitter.com/dfwairport 2009 http://www.youtube.com/user/DFWIntlAirport 2010 https://www.facebook.com/DFWAirport 2010 http://4sq.com/8AkNV 2013 http://instagram.com/dfwairport# Source: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 12 DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM
43 ⢠The development of formal agreements with concessionaires to document promotional offers and facilitate the campaign. The campaign increased the circulation of passengers through the participating concession loca- tions in DFWâs five terminals and encouraged passengers to explore concession offerings rather than waiting at gate areas. More than 40 concessionaires participated in the campaign at 85 different airport locations. Initially, DFW had difficulty in its initial efforts to collect redemption information from concessionaires with this campaign. For future campaigns, DFW plans to work more closely with concessionaires to receive offer redemption information in order to better evaluate campaign effectiveness. The campaign generated interest locally and nationally, with news coverage by major publications and media outlets, about 8,000 âcheck-insâ on Foursquare and Facebook places, 3,628 impressions logged on the Airportâs Facebook page, and 17,919 mentions and re-tweets on Twitter. Figure 24 presents DFWâs YouTube video post promoting the campaign. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport uses a number of strategies to engage its customer base, including customer service tweets, postings and videos of major events at the airport, and a customer rewards program. Ayala and Chen Adventures in Terminal A In 2011, two professional photographers, Joe Ayala and Larry Chen, missed their connecting flight and were stranded overnight inside the Airportâs Terminal A. To pass the time, they made a video documenting their airport experience, including running freely throughout the airport, playing on the escalators, racing in wheelchairs, doing handstands in the tram, having foam fights in the bathroom, beat boxing on the intercom, and chugging a self-poured beer at one of the concessionaires. Ayala and Chenâs video, âStuck,â went viral after being posted on YouTube and received regional and national attention. After the Terminal A renovations were completed in 2013, DFW launched a series of videos promoting the new facilities and concessions featuring Ayala and Chen, as well as a guest appearance by the airport CEO, Jeff Fegan, as shown on Figure 25. The 2013 videos, posted on the Airportâs YouTube site, with links to Facebook and Twitter, allowed DFW to showcase the Terminal A upgrades and new concessionaire offerings. FIGURE 24 YouTube Video: Check-in for great deals at DFW Airport. (Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/DFWIntlAirport.)
44 QANTAS Inaugural Flight In May 2011, DFW welcomed nonstop service between DFW and Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, on QANTAS. For the inaugural flight, DFW held a passenger engagement event at the departing gate to celebrate, offering light refreshments, giveaways, and the opportunity to pose for pictures with a kangaroo mascot. DFW utilized social media by posting the launch of the new service to both Facebook and Twitter, as well as posting pictures of those who posed with the kangaroo so that those images could be tagged and shared among passengers. Figure 26 shows the Facebook post promoting the campaign. The pictures from the QANTAS inaugural flight gate event generated 1,722 impressions on DFWâs Facebook page. FIGURE 25 YouTube Videos: Terminal A renovations at DFW. (Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/DFWIntlAirport.) FIGURE 26 Facebook Post: QANTAS inaugural flight at DFW. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/DFWAirport.)
45 American Express Centurion Lounge Opening at DFW Airport On Friday, October 15, 2013, DFW Airportâs American Express Centurion Lounge opened to the public; only the second in the United States. The 9,000-square-foot airport lounge is designed to help American Express Card Members relax, recharge, and reboot. Entry to the lounge is complimentary for Platinum Card and Centurion members. Other American Express® Card members can enter for a fee of $50. As shown in Figure 27, American Express tweeted to its more than 660,000 Twitter followers to add further engagement to potential DFW Airport passengers. As shown on Figure 28, DFW also engaged with and retweeted Chef Dean Fearing, who created the menu for the loungeâs restaurant, and Exhale Spa, the official lounge spa. These posts produced 707,357 potential impressions, 34 retweets, and 21 favorites. It was also Octoberâs best performing tweet to date at the airport. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management DFW uses TweetDeck, a social media monitoring tool, to identify Twitter tweets using its handle, DFW Airport, and mentions using similar but other wording. In addition to responding to tweets on FIGURE 27 Twitter Post: American Express Tweet and customer responses about DFW Centurion Lounge. (Source: https://twitter.com/AmericanExpress.)
46 FIGURE 28 Twitter Post: Dean Fearing Tweet and customer responses about DFW Centurion Lounge. (Source: https://twitter.com/dfwairport.) DFWâs Twitter account, airport staff responds to Airport-related tweets in the social space by provid- ing a contact telephone number or e-mail address. For example, tweets were sent to: ⢠A passenger whose son had lost his blanket was provided with the number for the lost and found. ⢠A passenger requesting the wait time at Customs and Border Patrol was provided with the cur- rent queue information. Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating delayed flight information, ground traffic delays, and updates during crises. DFW uses social media to post alerts about airport closures result- ing from inclement weather, such as the tornado in summer 2012, network outages, airline computer system failure, and air traffic control system delays. The Airport does not post notices about delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport DFW has used its social media platforms to feature airport and community events, including: ⢠Solar Impulse. In May 2013, a Swiss-made solar-powered aircraft arrived at DFW as part of its tour across the Unites States. DFW also hosted an open house to allow public viewing of the
47 FIGURE 29 Facebook Post: Solar Impulse aircraft at DFW. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/DFWAirport.) aircraft, and posted several pictures and videos of the aircraft and the open house on Facebook, as shown on Figure 29. ⢠Audience with the Pope. In June 2013, DFWâs chaplain was selected to have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The picture of the visit posted on Facebook is shown in Figure 30. ⢠DFW Aviation and Transportation Center Career Expo. DFW, in conjunction with American Airlines, FAA, and Tarrant County College, hosts more than 3,000 students at its annual Avia- tion and Transportation Career Expo. The Expo is one of the largest educational events in North Texas and provides students from Dallas, Fort Worth, and the neighboring communities with an opportunity to learn about careers in aviation and transportationâfrom piloting a plane to managing a rail line and responding to emergencies. Pictures of the event posted on Facebook are shown on Figure 31.
48 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Airport C.E.O.: Sean Donohue Vice President of Marketing: Sharon McCloskey Senior Manager, Consumer Marketing: Megan Bozarth EUGENE AIRPORT Eugene Airport (EUG or the Airport) uses social media primarily to engage passengers and drive traffic to the airport website. As an early adopter of Facebook, EUG uses the social media site for promoting events at the airport, inaugural flights, cross promotion such as re-posting or re-tweeting airline airfare sales, University of Oregon and Oregon State University events, airport-sponsored radio station contests, and aviation-related events at the airport. Airport Background Eugene Airport opened in 1943 at its current location, occupies approximately 2,600 acres in Lane County, and is located approximately 9 miles from the center of Eugene, Oregon. The Air- portâs primary service region is comprised of 91 zip codes, with an estimated 2013 population of 730,380. The Airport, classified by the FAA as a small air traffic hub, is the second busiest airport in the state of Oregon in terms of total passengers, with 809,457 in 2012, ranking 128th in the nation. In August 2013, EUG provided an average of 26 daily scheduled departures to nine domestic FIGURE 30 Facebook Post: DFW Chaplain with Pope Francis at the Vatican. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/DFWAirport.)
49 FIGURE 31 Facebook Post: DFW Aviation and Transportation Career Expo. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/DFWAirport.) destinations and was served by six U.S. airlines. The Airport (Figure 32) is owned and operated by the city of Eugene. Social Media Program Eugene Airport has been active in social media since 2007, as shown in Table 13. In August 2013, EUG had more than 3,500 likes on Facebook and nearly 4,000 Twitter followers. Facebook and Twitter are the primary social media platforms used to communicate with Eugene Airportâs customer base; typically, Facebook posts are automatically tweeted on Twitter. Eugene Airport uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Promote events at the airport such as the 5K on the Runway; ⢠Provide updates on airport construction projects such as the A-Gate Expansion;
50 FIGURE 32 Access Road to the Passenger Terminal at Eugene Airport. (Source: Eugene Airport.) TABLE 13 EUGENE AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2007 https://www.facebook.com/flyEUG 2008 https://twitter.com/flyEUG Blog 2008 http://www.eugene-or.gov/Blog.aspx?CID=3 2008 http://www.youtube.com/user/EugeneAirport 2009 http://www.flickr.com/photos/eugeneairport 2011 http://instagram.com/flyEug# 2011 http://pinterest.com/flyEUG/ 2012 http://4sq.com/7P1dhz 2012 https://plus.google.com/110390902252494614265/posts Source: Eugene Airport. Listed by year initiated.
51 ⢠Announce inaugural flights and new service; ⢠Cross promote airline airfare sales through re-posting or re-tweeting airline links; ⢠Share regional activities such as sporting events at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University; and ⢠Communicate weather, road, and air traffic delays. Social Media Awards In 2010, as an early adopter of social media, Forbes recognized Eugene Airport as one of four airports making a significant effort to engage with their customers using Facebook and Twitter. In addition to the number of followers and fans, Forbes used a ratio of followers/fans to total passengers to measure the extent to which airports are engaged with their travelling customers. As shown on Figure 33, Eugene Airport shared a link to the Forbes article on Facebook. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by Eugene Airport are summarized in this section: Oper- ation Golf Balls, 5K on the Runway, and Dodge High Fares Dodgeball Tournament. FIGURE 33 Facebook Post: Eugene Airport recognized as an early adopter of social media. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/ flyEUG.)
52 Operation Golf Balls Launched as a creative campaign to engage the regional community, the primary objective of Oper- ation Golf Balls was to announce new nonstop service from Eugene to Palm Springs in 2012. The creative element of the campaign included placing 2,000 golf balls on tees in four separate loca- tions in Eugene and neighboring Springfield. After the golf balls were placed, clues were posted periodically on the Airportâs social media platforms, including a description of the contest, prize, and eligibility requirements, as well as visual âhintsâ of the locations of the golf balls. Figure 34 shows the visual âhintâ posted on social media of golf balls placed at Laurelwood Golf Course, one of four locations in Operation Golf Balls. The campaign was conducted exclusively on social media; no information was posted at the airportâs website. The individual who found the winning orange golf ball won two round-trip tickets on Allegiant Airlinesâ new nonstop service from Eugene to Palm Springs. 5K on the Runway In 2013, Eugene Airport sponsored its second annual 5K on the Runway, a charity event held in partnership with the Active 20-30 Club of Eugene, which provides young adults in the Eugene community with opportunities for personal growth, friendship, and leadership development. Pro- moted on social media by the airport and Active 20-30 Club, this is a race down the runway to raise money for the various projects and agencies supported by the club. In addition to the race, an air fair was held at the event with planes, pilots, vendors, educational booths, and a live band. FIGURE 34 Facebook Post: Visual âHintâ for Operation Golf Balls promoting new nonstop service from Eugene to Palm Springs.
53 Figure 35 presents the poster for the promotional campaign for the 5K on the Runway. A number of pictures from this event are posted on the Airportâs social media platforms. Dodge High Fares Dodgeball Tournament In 2013, Eugene Airport participated in Allegiant Airlinesâ national dodgeball league tournament by sponsoring a tournament in Eugene. Promoted on social media by Eugene Airport and Allegiant Air- lines, a double-elimination dodgeball tournament was held at the Willamalane Park and Recreation District in neighboring Springfield, as shown on Figure 36. Seven teams of ten players competed, with all registration fees benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Each member of the winning team (up to ten team mem- bers) was awarded $100 toward a future Allegiant flight. In addition, Allegiant awarded a free round- trip ticket each week during the promotional period through a random online drawing. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management Feedback obtained through social media on concession performance, parking operations, ground transportation, and the overall airport experience can provide valuable, real-time information not available from other sources. Eugene Airport monitors social media on an hourly basis using Twilert, a Twitter application that provides regular e-mail alerts of tweets mentioning Eugene Airport and other key words. In addition FIGURE 35 Facebook Post: 5K on the runway at Eugene Airport. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/flyEUG.)
54 to responding to tweets to Eugene Airportâs Twitter account, airport staff also responds to other airport-related tweets by providing a contact telephone number or e-mail address. For example, Eugene Airport sent tweets to: ⢠A passenger who had lost his driverâs license at the airport to alert him that it was available at lost and found. ⢠A mother to provide her with the location of a family restroom at the Airport. As a result of this feedback, airport signage was improved to indicate the location of the family restroom. ⢠Passengers who provided tweets about the restroom facilities at the airport. Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating delayed flight information, ground traffic delays, and updates during crises. Eugene Airport uses social media to post alerts about airport delays that result from inclement weather, airline computer system failure, and air traffic control system delays. The Airport does not post notices about specific delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines. FIGURE 36 Facebook Post: Dodge High Fares Dodgeball Tournament sponsored by Allegiant Airlines and Eugene Airport. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/flyEUG.)
55 FIGURE 37 Facebook Post: His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Eugene Airport. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport Eugene Airport has used social media to feature a number of significant airport and community events, including: ⢠The Dalai Lama. In May 2013, Eugene Airport welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet for a three-day environmental summit sponsored by Portlandâs Maitripa College, the Northwestâs first Buddhist college. As shown on Figure 37, His Holiness the Dalai Lamaâs visit was popular event, with 188 likes, nine comments, and 26 shares on Facebook. ⢠70-year Anniversary of Eugene Airport. On May 1, 2013, Eugene Airport celebrated 70 years of commercial air service with a gathering held at the airport. ⢠Track Town USA. In 2016, the U.S. Olympic track and field trials will return to Eugene for the sixth time, according to USA Track and Field (the umbrella organization that oversees the sport in the United States). Eugene has a long and varied history in track and field. News of the 2016 track and field event was posted on the Airportâs social media platforms. Eugene Airport Airport Director: Tom Doll, A. A. E. Deputy Airport Director, Airport Services: Cathryn Stephens, A. A. E. LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT In 2009, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX or the Airport) initiated plans to develop LAXâs social media platforms to provide a resource tool for the public, creating a platform for the public to engage in two-way conversations with LAX, collecting information on what the public wants to know about LAX, and promoting the LAX brand.
56 Airport Background Los Angeles International Airport opened for commercial airline service in 1946 and occupies 3,673 acres within the city of Los Angeles, approximately 15 miles from downtown. The Airportâs primary service region is the Los AngelesâLong BeachâAnaheim Metropolitan Statistical Area, the second most populated metropolitan area in the United States, with a 2012 population of 13.1 million. The Airport, classified by FAA as a large air traffic hub, is the busiest airport in the state of California in terms of total passengers with 63.7 million in 2012, ranking third in the nation and 6th in the world. LAX provides an average of 660 daily scheduled departures to 96 domestic destinations and 910 weekly nonstop flights to 59 international cities in 30 countries on 60 commercial airlines. In addi- tion, LAX ranks fifth in the nation and 14th in the world in terms of air cargo tonnage. The Airport (Figure 38) is part of a system of three Southern California airportsâalong with LA/Ontario Inter- national and Van Nuys general aviationâowned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a pro- prietary department of the city of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the cityâs general fund. Social Media Program Los Angeles International Airport has been active in social media since 2009, as shown in Table 14. In August 2013, LAX had nearly 165,000 likes on Facebook and more than 28,000 Twitter followers. LAX uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Announce inaugural flights and new service at LAX, such as the new Airbus A380 service by Emirates Airlines between LAX and Dubai, which started on December 2, 2013; ⢠Provide updates on the $4.1 billion capital improvement program aimed at modernizing LAX, particularly the $2.1 billion renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), which opened on September 18, 2013; ⢠Promote community events such as job fairs, the Rose Parade, the Airport Police Cadet Acad- emy, or volunteering opportunities; ⢠Announce the opening of airport concessions, such as the NBC Experience Store opening in Terminal 7, new restaurants operated by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and Iron Chef Masaharu Marimoto, and Posh Express, as well as the availability of showers in Terminal 5; FIGURE 38 Los Angeles International Airport. (Source: Los Angeles World Airports.)
57 ⢠Post videos from news conferences or other events that take place at the airport, such as the landing of Space Shuttle Endeavour in September 2012; ⢠Post job fair information, job openings, and interview dates, such as the HMS Host available positions; ⢠Share factual information for the media; ⢠Provide information on flight delays, encouraging passengers to contact their airlines; and ⢠Provide traffic and incident alerts through the separate Airport Police Twitter Account LAXPD Alerts. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by Los Angeles International Airport are summarized in this section: Future of LAX, Name that LAX, and Photo of the Week. Future of LAX LAX used social media to launch the âFuture of LAXâ campaign before the opening of the new TBIT on September 18, 2013. The Future of LAX campaign was developed to inform the public about new features at TBIT and create excitement for the opening. Figure 39 shows the Great Hall at TBIT, which features seven Integrated Environmental Media Systems with the most advanced multi-media environment in any airport. Multiple wall screens and a digital screen-covered clock tower will showcase interactive content and flight information. Prior to the opening, a social media contest was held on Facebook and Twitter to generate ideas for a unique ribbon cutting. Winners were invited to participate and were recognized at the opening ceremony news conference and presented with an LAX gift bag. Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2007 http://www.flickr.com/groups/lax/ 2009 https://twitter.com/LAX_Official 2009 https://www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport 2009 http://4sq.com/qm5av 2010 http://www.youtube.com/user/LAXairport1 2012 http://www.pinterest.com/laxairport 2012 http://instagram.com/lax_official 2012 https://plus.google.com/114527479134556991880 2013 http://www.yelp.com/biz/los-angeles-international-airport-lax-los- angeles-2 2013 https://twitter.com/LAX_Official Source: Los Angeles World Airports. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 14 LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM
58 Name that LAX âName that LAX,â launched in early 2012, is one of LAXâs customer engagement tools designed to create a playful dialogue with passengers and generate interest about the airport. Approximately once a month, LAX posts a âName that LAXâ challenge on social media to identify a location at the airport based on a prompt and a visual clue provided in the post. On July 30, 2013, LAX posted a prompt stating âname this public art exhibit at LAX that is made from Japanese paper imprinted with excerpts from the Geneva Conventionsâ together with the visual clue shown on Figure 40. The first fan who named the public artwork won an LAX gift bag. Photo of the Week Every week, LAX selects a photo posted by one of its social media followers and features it on Face- book as âPhoto of the Week.â LAX fans are encouraged to share the best photos they take of or within the airport and share them through LAXâs Social Media channels Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Flickr, using the #LAXPOW hashtag. LAX has created a Pinboard (album of photos on Pinterest), which incorporates most of these images, giving credit to the author, as shown on Figure 41. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management From the various social media management tools available, LAX uses Hootsuite to monitor news and mentions about the airport, with the help of keywords like LAX and Los Angeles Airport. To bet- ter identify the conversation sources, LAX has created different lists for media, travel bloggers, and FIGURE 39 Facebook Post: Tom Bradley International Terminal Great Hall at LAX. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/ LAInternationalAirport.)
59 international or domestic airlines social media feeds. Comments about customer service that require immediate action are redirected to the appropriate department. LAX also uses an Editorial Calendar and Hootsuite to occasionally schedule the release of contentâ24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating delayed flight information, ground traffic delays, and updates during crises. LAX uses social media to post alerts about airport closures result- ing from inclement weather, airline computer system failure, and air traffic control system delays. The Airport monitors the California Department of Transportation website to share Twitter traffic updates that affect airport access. Also, by monitoring the FAA website, LAX keeps its passengers informed on the status of delayed flights. On November 1, 2013, LAX used social media platforms to communicate to the public at large during the active shooter incident in Terminal 3. In the 24 hours following the incident, LAXâs Twitter followers increased to more than 57,000 and Facebook followers to 177,000, reflecting the increasing use of social media for crisis communication. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport LAX has used social media to feature a number of significant airport and community events, including: ⢠National Volunteer Week. In 2013, LAX celebrated National Volunteer Week between April 21 and April 27 in honor of its many volunteers with Volunteer Information Professionals, FIGURE 40 Facebook Post: âName that LAXâ challenge. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport.)
60 Pets Unstressing Passengers, Bob Hope USO at LAX, and Flight Path Learning Center and Museum. LAX shares information and pictures from each of these programs on its social media channels. During National Volunteer Week, LAX celebrated the April 2013 launch of its new volunteer program, Pets Unstressing Passengers (PUP). The LAX PUP program is one of the few programs of its kind in the United States and aims to provide a less stressful airport envi- ronment for passengers through interacting with the PUP volunteers. Passengers are encour- aged to take photos with the âfurry volunteers,â such as Vegas shown on Figure 42 and share them on LAXâs social media channels for a chance to win an LAX gift bag. ⢠Heart of LAX. On a regular basis, LAX dedicates a post to selected individuals who have made a difference in providing service to passengers, contributing to the success of LAXâs modern- ization program, and facilitating airport operation. âHeart of LAXâ recognition is only shared on LAXâs social media channels, as shown on Figure 43. ⢠Rose Parade. In January 2013, LAX and the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board spon- sored a float in the Rose Parade replicating the new $2.1-billion Tom Bradley International Ter- minal. The float, âMaking Connections,â showcases the gateway entrance to the airport with its prominent multi-colored LAX pylons and the iconic Theme Building, which has been home to the Encounter Restaurant since 1997 (Figure 44). Featured on LAXâs social media channels, a focal point of the float was the Tom Bradley International Terminal with a replica of a Boeing 767 jet. Los Angeles World Airports Los Angeles International Airport Chief Executive Officer: Gina Marie Lindsay Managing Director, Media and Public Relations: Mary Grady Public Relations Specialist: Katherine Alvarado FIGURE 41 Facebook Post: Photo of the week. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport.)
61 FIGURE 42 Facebook Post: PUP airport volunteer. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport.) FIGURE 43 Facebook Post: Heart of LAX. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport.)
62 GENERAL MITCHELL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Milwaukee Countyâs General Mitchell International Airport (MKE or the Airport) uses a friendly, con- versational tone to communicate with passengers on social media. MKEâs social media philosophy is to promote interactions with passengers and engage in two-way conversations that were not possible before it established its social media channels. Airport Background General Mitchell International Airport (Figure 45) is located five miles from central Milwaukee and approximately 90 miles from Chicago. The airportâs primary service region is the eight-county MilwaukeeâRacineâWaukeshaâWest Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a 2012 population of 1.6 million. MKE, classified by FAA as a medium air traffic hub, is the busiest airport in the state of Wisconsin in terms of total passengers, with 7.5 million in 2012, ranking 47th in the nation. In August 2013, MKE provided an average of 117 daily scheduled departures to 31 destinations, includ- ing 115 departures to 29 domestic destinations and two departures to two international destinations. As of August 2013, MKE was served by 22 U.S. mainline and regional airlines and one foreign-flag airline. MKE is also home to the Air National Guard 128th Air Refueling Wing. Social Media Program MKE has been using social media platforms since 2007, as shown in Table 15. As of August 2013, MKE had nearly 16,000 likes on Facebook and 5,400 Twitter followers. Facebook and Twitter are MKEâs primary social media platforms, although the Airport also has landing pages on Four- square, Google+, and Pinterest that are not currently in use. MKE uses social media platforms to: ⢠Promote airfare deals posted by airlines and new airline service; ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; FIGURE 44 Facebook Post: Rose Parade. (Source: https:// www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport.)
63 ⢠Reach out to new audiences with geo-targeted advertisements; and ⢠Promote regional events such as Milwaukeeâs Summerfest, the annual Milwaukee Air and Water Show, and sporting events for the Milwaukee Brewers. At one time the airport used the programs to run give-away contests using the third-party applica- tion âWildfire.â However, the airport has stopped such contests as a result of changes by Facebook. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by General Mitchell International Airport are summa- rized in this section: Geo-targeted posts to selected audiences, promotion of low airfares, and the Recombobulation Area. Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2007 http://www.yelp.com/biz/general-mitchell-international-airport- milwaukee 2009 https://www.facebook.com/MitchellAirport 2009 https://twitter.com/mitchellairport 2009 http://www.youtube.com/MitchellAirport 2009 http://4sq.com/56h9fn 2011 https://plus.google.com/112208724980537788910/about Source: General Mitchell International Airport. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 15 GENERAL MITCHELL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM FIGURE 45 General Mitchell International Airport. (Source: General Mitchell International Airport.)
64 Geo-targeted Posts to Selected Audiences MKE uses geo-targeting on Facebook to promote the airport as the smart alternative to Chicagoâs OâHare International Airport for travelers flying into or out of southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, including Chicago. Geo-targeting allows MKE to deliver posts to potential passengers based on his or her location, such as country, region/state, city, metro code/zip code, organization, Internet Protocol (IP) address, Internet Service Provider (ISP), or other criteria. For example, using Facebookâs geo-targeting, MKE can send posts about ground transportation options for traveling to MKE by car, bus, and Amtrak to potential passengers from southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, as shown in Figure 46. Amtrakâs Hiawatha service stops at MKE as well as downtown Milwaukee; Chicagoâs Union Station; Glenview, Illinois; and Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Similarly, MKE can use geo-targeting to promote lower airfares from MKE to destinations also served at Chicago OâHare International Airport. Promotion of Low Airfares Since 2008, average one-way domestic airfares at MKE have been lower than the average domestic airfares at Chicago OâHare International Airport and the nation as a whole, according to the U.S.DOTâs FIGURE 46 Facebook Post: Campaign promoting MKE as an alternative to Chicago OâHare International Airport. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/MitchellAirport.)
65 OriginâDestination Survey database. MKE uses social media to promote airfare deals by the airlines operating at MKE, including a separate Facebook page âMKE Airfare Deals New Every Tuesday,â with links that direct users to the airline websites, as shown on Figure 47. Recombobulation Area Just beyond the Concourse C security checkpoint, MKE has an area with a few chairs where pas- sengers can re-group after clearing security screening and collecting their belongings. In 2008, the Airport Director had staff place a sign designating this area as the âRecombobulation Area,â with the intention of providing light-hearted humor and alleviating stress for passengers. The sign continues to generate regular interest with passengers travelling through the security checkpoint, who often tweet about getting ârecombobulatedâ and/or posting pictures of the sign, as shown on Figure 48. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management MKE monitors social media conversations about the airport using Hootsuite, a social media manage- ment tool, by identifying key words such as MKE and Mitchell Airport and conducting unconven- tional searches for words such as âdiscombobulationâ that provide an opportunity to have a relaxed online conversation with passengers. In addition to Hootsuite, MKE uses Facebook and Twitter to FIGURE 47 Facebook Post: MKE links to airfare promotions. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/MitchellAirport.)
66 monitor social conversations. The real-time information that MKE obtained through social media has facilitated changes at the airport, including: ⢠Changes in the maintenance schedule for Concourse C restrooms in response to more tightly grouped flights by Southwest and AirTran following their merger. ⢠Installing additional electrical outlets in response to passengers tweeting pictures of the loca- tions of outlets throughout the Airport. ⢠Cooperating with airport concessionaires to respond to passenger comments about service. Hootsuite is also occasionally used to schedule the release of content, particularly at times when staff is in meetings or out of the office. Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating delayed flight information, ground traffic delays, and updates during crises. MKE uses social media to post alerts about airport delays as a result of inclement weather such as snow alerts, road construction such as the I-94 construction around the airport, and air traffic control system delays. The airport does not post notices about spe- cific delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines but provides links to airline websites. FIGURE 48 Twitter Posts: MKEâs Recombobulation Area. (Source: https:// twitter.com/mitchellairport.)
67 Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport MKE has used its social media platforms to feature some airport and community events, including: ⢠Milwaukee Air Show. The Milwaukee Air Show is held in downtown Milwaukee along the lakefront. This annual event typically features many of the aviation industryâs top acrobatic performers, including the U.S. Navyâs Blue Angels, the U.S. Armyâs Golden Knights, and the U.S. Air Forceâs Thunderbirds. MKE posts pictures of the aircraft in flight and parked on its social media channels to promote this annual event, as shown on Figure 49. ⢠Milwaukee SummerFest. Milwaukee Summerfest is an annual 11-day music festival held in downtown Milwaukee along the lakefront, with performances by more than 800 local and national artists. SummerFest is attended by nearly 1 million people each year making it the worldâs largest music festival. MKE cross promotes Summerfest on its social media platforms and suggests the use of the Airport when visiting Milwaukee for the festival. ⢠Trading Places: Milwaukee Brewers and Southwest Airlines Employees. In May 2012, two players from the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team traded places with Southwest employees at MKE. The two players took tickets, marshaled in a plane, rode a tug, and made boarding FIGURE 49 Facebook Post: 2013 Milwaukee Air Show. (Source: https://twitter.com/mitchellairport.)
68 announcements, as shown on Figure 50. The event also celebrated Southwestâs national support for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. General Mitchell International Airport Airport Director: C. Barry Bateman Marketing and Public Relations Manager: Patricia Rowe Marketing Manager: Ryan McAdams MINNEAPOLISâST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT During the initial years of its social media development (between 2009 and 2011), Minneapolisâ St. Paul International Airport (MSP or the Airport) used social media primarily for the promotion of products and to increase airport concession revenue. Since 2011, MSP has increasingly used social media to engage with the regional community. MSPâs current view is that social media is more of a community building tool than a marketing tool and that âyou have to be social on social media.â FIGURE 50 Facebook Post: Milwaukee Brewers players trade places with Southwest Airline employees at MKE. (Source: https://twitter.com/mitchellairport.)
69 Airport Background MSP occupies approximately 3,400 acres in Hennepin County in east-central Minnesota and is located equidistant (approximately nine miles) south and southwest of the central business districts of Minneapolis and St. Paul, respectively. The Airportâs primary service region is the 11-county MinneapolisâSt. PaulâBloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a 2012 population of 3.4 million. The Airport, classified by FAA as a large air traffic hub, is the busiest airport in the state of Minnesota in terms of total passengers with 33.2 million in 2012, ranking sixteenth in the nation. MSP is the second busiest domestic connecting hub in the route system of Delta Air Lines, and previously was a key hub for Northwest Airlines, which merged with Delta in 2008. In August 2013, MSP provided an average of 597 daily scheduled departures to 135 destinations, including 562 to 121 domestic destinations and 35 to 14 international destinations. As of August 2013, MSP was served by 27 U.S. airlines and three foreign-flag airlines. The Airport, shown on Figure 51, is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commissionâa public corpora- tion created in 1943. Social Media Program The Airport has been using social media platforms since 2009, as shown in Table 16. In August 2013, MSP had nearly 15,000 likes on Facebook and more than 8,400 Twitter followers. Facebook and Twitter are the airportâs primary social media platforms; Foursquare, Instagram, Yelp, and YouTube are secondary, followed by Google+ and LinkedIn. The Airport uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Announce inaugural flights and new service; ⢠Announce new concessionaire services at the airport; ⢠Engage with the broader community for events such as âNavigating MSP program,â âRelay for Life,â and âEmployee Art Exhibit,â held at the airport; FIGURE 51 A/B Rotunda in Terminal 1âLindbergh at MSP. (Source: MinneapolisâSt. Paul International Airport.)
70 ⢠Provide updates on airport improvement projects, including the renovations to security check- point 2âHumphrey, as well as highway construction projects affecting airport access such as the Diverging Diamond Interchange construction project at 34th Avenue South; and ⢠Communicate weather, road, and air traffic delays, as well as parking garage updates. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Four customer engagement strategies used by MinneapolisâSt. Paul International Airport are sum- marized in this section: Terminal 1âLindbergh celebration, Spotted at MSP, new airline service promotions, and Throwback Thursday. Terminal 1âLindbergh Celebrates 50 Years In January 2012, the Airportâs Terminal 1âLindbergh completed 50 years of operational service. The Airport and its concessionaires celebrated this event by offering special discounts and prize drawings. On social media platforms, pictures were posted of the airport taken during its opening, and it asked the regional community to share pictures and stories about Lindbergh Terminal, as shown on Figure 52. Spotted at MSP Pictures or videos of celebrities spotted at the Airport are shared or re-posted. For example, in July 2013, artist/singer Ellie Goulding played with the Travelers Insurance interactive screens at the entrance of Concourses C and D and posted a video on her Instagram account. The Airport shared the link with its fans. Also in July 2013, artist Harry of âOne Directionâ was spotted by fellow pas- sengers. The fans posted pictures on Twitter, which were then shared by the Airport on its Twitter and Facebook pages. Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2009 https://www.facebook.com/mspairport 2009 https://twitter.com/mspairport 2010 http://4sq.com/cfJd6S 2010 https://www.youtube.com/MSPIntlAirport 2011 https://plus.google.com/100450600643025560902/about 2012 http://www.yelp.com/biz/minneapolis-st-paul-international- airport-saint-paul 2013 http://instagram.com/mspairport# 2013 http://www.linkedin.com/company/metropolitan-airports- commission Source: MinneapolisâSt. Paul International Airport. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 16 MINNEAPOLISâST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM
71 Promoting New Airline Service The Airport shares or posts about new airline services. It typically posts about the new service twiceâfirst when it is announced by the airline, and then when the service has started. The posts are accompanied by a promotional poster as well as a link to the airline reservation portal. As shown on Figure 53, MSPâs new daily service to Paris by Air France was posted on April 30, 2013. Throwback Thursday Throwback Thursday is a celebration of history related to MSP and aviation in general and is designed to engage the regional community and MSP social media followers. MSP has posted a FIGURE 52 Facebook Post: Terminal 1â Lindbergh at MSP celebrates 50 years. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/ mspairport.)
72 range of historical pictures, including a 1948 Delta poster showing the airline crew in their summer uniforms, celebrity spottings at MSP including Ricky Rubio arriving at MSP to start his NBA career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and a 1970s photo of the Humphreys Terminal ticket lobby. As shown on Figure 54, Throwback Thursday is popular with MSPâs Facebook followers, with 52 likes for the photo posted on July 25, 2013. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management MSP uses Hootsuite, a social media management tool, to monitor any mentions of Minneapolisâ St. Paul International Airport on social media. By identifying keywords such as MSP, MSP Airport, and Twin Cities Airport, Hootsuite captures conversations taking place about the airport anywhere on social media, not just on MSPâs social media channels. MSP uses Hootsuite to schedule posts for Twitter only. Customer service comments received through any of the social platforms are dealt with immedi- ately by engaging the appropriate department in order to resolve the potential issue. Crisis Management Using Social Media MSP uses social media to post alerts about weather advisories, particularly for blizzards, airport clo- sures resulting from inclement weather, air traffic control system delays, and airport ground access issues including temporarily suspended light rail service. The Airport does not post notices about delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines, but refers passengers to airline websites for updates and re-tweets airline notices. FIGURE 53 Facebook Post: New daily service to Paris at MSP. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/mspairport.)
73 Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport MinneapolisâSt. Paul International Airport has used its social media platforms to feature some air- port and community events, including: ⢠Relay for LifeâDelta/MSP. On May 2, 2013, MSP was one of 70 airports worldwide that part- nered with Delta Air Lines and participated in the American Cancer Societyâs Relay for Life. The Relay for Life movement is designed to celebrate cancer survivorship and raise money for research and the programs of the American Cancer Society. At MSP, a 1.4-mile walking path was identified on the secure side of the Airport where participants could walk all day. Figure 55 shows the Facebook post celebrating the event. ⢠Navigating Autism with MSP. In an effort to ease the anxiety associated with an airport visit and flying for autistic children, the Airport partnered with the Autism Society of Minnesota and Fraser (a company providing support services for children with autism and other disabilities) to create the Navigating MSP program. The program includes several events, all designed for individuals with autism, to guide families through the steps of an airport visit, from walking in the door to find- ing seats on a plane. In March 2013, as a result of significant positive feedback, the Metropolitan Airports Commission announced the expansion of the program, which takes place every month, beginning in April 2013. As shown on Figure 56, the Navigating Autism program is popular with MSPâs Facebook followers, with 75 likes and 29 shares as of the April 2, 2013, Facebook post. ⢠Supporting the Minnesota Wild Ice-Hockey Team. In May 2013, the Airport showed its support for the local professional ice-hockey team the Minnesota Wild during the playoffs with posts on Facebook. Figure 57 shows promotions for team displayed at the sports apparel concessionaire. MinneapolisâSt. Paul International Airport Executive Director/C.E.O.: Jeff Hamiel Director of Public Affairs and Marketing: Patrick Hogan Public Affairs and Marketing Coordinator: Amanda Greene Guentzel FIGURE 54 Facebook Post: Throwback Thursday at MSP. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/mspairport.)
74 SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT San Diego International Airport (SDIA or the Airport) was one of the first major airports to launch an employee blog accessible by the public. SDIAâs Ambassablog was launched in 2008 and marked the beginning of SDIAâs social media program. SDIAâs view is that âpassengers expect us to be on social mediaâ and that social media is an essential tool for airport marketing. Social media is one of many communication tools used by SDIA, in addition to traditional outlets such as news releases, press conferences, media events, and internal and external publications. Airport Background Dedicated in honor of Charles A. Lindbergh, San Diego International Airport opened in 1928 and occupies 661 acres, approximately 3 miles northwest of downtown San Diego. The Airportâs primary service region is San Diego County, with a 2012 population of 3.2 million. The Airport, classified by FAA as a large air traffic hub, is the third busiest airport in the state of California in terms of total passengers, with 17.3 million in 2012, ranking 28th in the nation. SDIA is the busiest single-runway commercial airport in the United States. In August 2013, SDIA provided FIGURE 55 Facebook Post: May 2013 Relay for LifeâDelta/ MSP event. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/mspairport.)
75 an average of 240 daily scheduled departures to 40 domestic and eight international destinations (multi-airport cities are counted once) and was served by 20 U.S. airlines and five foreign-flag airlines. The Airport, shown on Figure 58, is owned and operated by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. Social Media Program San Diego International Airport has been active in social media since 2006, as shown in Table 17. In August 2013, SDIA had more than 30,000 likes on Facebook, more than 11,000 Twitter follow- ers, and more than 53,000 visitors to Ambassablog. Figure 59 presents the banner on the Airportâs website promoting its social media channels. SDIA uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Provide updates on SDIAâs capital improvement program, including the $900 million Green Build expansion that opened on August 13, 2013, as well as the construction of a rental car center and fixed-based operator building on the north side of the airport; ⢠Promote the opening of new concessions, such as Philâs BBQ Restaurant and the Stone Brew- ing Company; FIGURE 56 Facebook Post: Navigating Autism with MSP. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/mspairport.)
76 FIGURE 57 Facebook Post: Airport concessionaire offering sports-themed articles supporting the Minnesota Wild ice-hockey team. (Source: https:// www.facebook.com/mspairport.) FIGURE 58 View of the San Diego International Airport. (Source: San Diego International Airport.)
77 ⢠Announce new airline services such as Japan Airlinesâ service to Tokyo in December 2012 and Americanâs nonstop service to Miami in June 2013; ⢠Promote community events such as the opening of a 10,000-square-foot USO facility for mili- tary veterans and their families; ⢠Announce musical and other performances that are part of the Airport Authorityâs Performing Arts Program; ⢠Provide factual information for the media; ⢠Post SDIA job openings; and ⢠Provide notices of weather advisories, flight delays, and ground access delays to the airport. SDIA does not currently use social media contests for free airfares, vacation giveaways, or other prizes because of its current contracts with airport tenants. However, SDIA expects to include provi- sions for social media marketing in new airport tenant contracts. Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2006 http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-diego-international-airport-san- diego#hrid:FKRGhoAAqqOyUVhK9Q1lyQ the ambassablog 2008 www.ambassablog.com 2008 http://www.youtube.com/user/ambassablog 2009 https://twitter.com/SanDiegoAirport 2009 https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoAirport 2010 http://www.flickr.com/photos/Sandiegointernationalairport 2010 http://4sq.com/aZAZoX 2010 http://www.pinterest.com/Sandiegoairport/ Source: San Diego International Airport. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 17 SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM FIGURE 59 Facebook Post: SDIAâs website promoting their social media channels. (Source: San Diego International Airport.)
78 Social Media Awards In 2008, San Diego International Airport was awarded second place in the Creative Innovations/ Technology category by ACIâNA as part of its Excellence in Airport Marketing and Communica- tions Awards. SDIAâs award was for its Ambassablog, which was designed to âcreate and build a credible community image as a transparent, trusted and highly responsive agency.â SDIAâs Ambassablog is written by front-line employees involved in the day-to-day operations of the airport and features regular posts on airport activities, events, and initiatives; reader comments; and several multimedia and interactive features. SDIAâs blog has been presented as a case study in employee blogging to several public agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. Figure 60 shows the Ambassablog webpage. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by San Diego International Airport are summarized in this section: Green Build Tours, Traveling with Pets, and the SDIA Art Program. Green Build Tours In celebration of the opening of the Green Build Terminal 2 expansion, SDIA invited the San Diego community to sign up for self-guided tours. Although updates on the Green Build were posted regu- larly on social media, the objective of the tours was to provide an opportunity for the public to explore the elevated departure roadway, shop in the new food and retail offerings, and peruse the artworks in advance of the opening. The Green Build Tours were promoted on SDIAâs social media channels by invitation, as shown on Figure 61. Traveling with Pets SDIAâs Pinterest channel features a pinboard called âTraveling with Pets,â accompanied by the tagline âSan Diego Airport loves petsâyours included.â SDIAâs pinboard includes information and advice on how to travel with pets. In April 2013, SDIA opened a new âpet reliefâ area post-security, including a 75-square-foot room with fake grass, a faux fire hydrant, and a hand-washing area for owners, as shown on Figure 62. SDIA Art Program The mission of SDIAâs Art Program is to âprovide enhanced customer service by creating artwork and programming that engage travelers in innovative, memorable, considerate experiences that enlist a âwowâ response and encourage people to return to the airport.â SDIAâs Art Program creates an air- port ambiance unique to San Diego and welcomes people to the airport and region. It consists of three components: (1) Temporary and Rotating Exhibits, (2) Performing Arts, and (3) Public Art. SDIA uses social media to promote this program, including Facebook and Twitter posts of upcoming exhibits and performances and Pinterest pinboards displaying SDIAâs art. Figure 63 presents a picture of artwork posted on SDIAâs Pinterest channel. FIGURE 60 SDIAâs Ambassablog website page. (Source: San Diego International Airport.)
79 FIGURE 61 Facebook Post: Green Build Tour invitation. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoAirport.) FIGURE 62 Twitter Post: SDIA pet relief area. (Source: https://twitter.com/ SanDiegoAirport.)
80 Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management SDIA uses Hootsuite to follow conversations happening in the social media sphere, measure the audienceâs sentiment about the airport, and periodically schedule posts. Hootsuite captures conversa- tions taking place about the airport anywhere on social media, not just on SDIAâs social media chan- nels. To evaluate the social media reach and the level of audience engagement, SDIA also monitors the Twitter and Facebook analytics. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport SDIA has used social media to feature a number of significant airport and community events, including: ⢠I Love a Clean San Diego. The Airport plays an important role in the city of San Diegoâs efforts to promote a clean and environmentally friendly city. In 2004, SDIA received the Recycler of the Year award at the San Diego EarthWorksâ âVery Important Planetâ reception. The award is in recognition of the Airportâs recycling and outreach program designed to educate airport conces- sionaires, tenants, and staff about its single-stream recycling program, which allows all recyclable material to be collected in the same container. SDIAâs recycling program doubled the amount of waste product recycled between 2002 and 2003. A Facebook page has been created for the âI Love a Clean San Diegoâ campaign, which SDIA regularly promotes on its social media channels. ⢠The opening of the new USO Airport Center. In June 2013, SDIA opened a new 10,000-square- foot USO facility as part of the Green Build expansion project. Located just outside SDIA, the new building is the largest USO airport center in the world and is expected to accommodate FIGURE 63 Twitter Post: At the gate by Gary Hughes at Terminal 2. (Source: https://twitter.com/SanDiegoAirport.)
81 125,000 troops and members of their families each year. The new facility includes a luggage room, expanded restrooms, monitors listing airline departure and arrival times, high-speed wireless Internet, Skype access, and complimentary snacks and refreshments. The ribbon cut- ting ceremony for the opening of the new USO facility was held on June 26, 2013, and was promoted on SDIAâs social media channels. ⢠Airport Explorers. SDIA sponsors an Airport Explorers program to âprovide educational oppor- tunities that give âchildren of all agesâ inspiration to reach for the sky; foster understanding and appreciation for the extraordinary aviation achievements of the past; satisfy curiosity and interest in current and future airport operations; and cultivate dreams of flight that inspire future flyers to take wing.â As part of the program, SDIA partners with the Mission Valley YMCA to offer a specialty summer camp for kids of ages five to eight, including five half-day sessions that allow them to explore areas of San Diego International Airport. Figure 64 shows one of the Airport Explorer games posted on SDIAâs social media channels. San Diego International Airport President/CEO: Thella F. Bowens Communications & Marketing: Katie Jones SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was an early adopter of social media, reflecting its prox- imity to Silicon Valley technology, home to the headquarters of social media companies such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Yelp, and YouTube, and a large passenger base who were early adopters and developers of the technology. SFO built its social media strategy through airport-focused FIGURE 64 Facebook Post: SDIA Airport Explorers Triple Play Game. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoAirport.)
82 messaging and a careful understanding of its social audience, while maintaining the flexibility to experiment with new ways of communication. Airport Background San Francisco International Airport opened in 1927, occupies 5,171 acres in San Mateo County, and is located approximately 13 miles south of the city of San Francisco. The Airportâs primary service region is the 12-county San Francisco Bay Area, with a 2012 population of 7.4 million. The Airport, classified by FAA as a large air traffic hub, is the second busiest in the state of California in terms of total passengers with 40.2 million in 2012, ranking 7th in the nation and 22nd in the world. SFO is the fourth busiest connecting hub in the route system of United Airlines, which merged with Continental Airlines in 2010. In August 2013, SFO provided an average of 583 daily scheduled departures to 66 domestic and 31 international destinations (multi-airport cities are counted once) and was served by 15 U.S. and 30 foreign-flag airlines. The Airport, shown on Figure 65, is owned and operated by the city and county of San Francisco. Social Media Program San Francisco International Airport has been active in social media since 2005, as shown in Table 18. In August 2013, SFO had more than 69,000 likes on Facebook and more than 18,000 Twitter fol- lowers. SFO uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Provide factual information for the media and travel bloggers; ⢠Promote community events such as Bike to Work Day, the 2016 Super Bowl, and SF Made week (a celebration of local manufacturers and their products); ⢠Provide updates on the Airportâs 10-year capital improvement plan, including renovations to Terminal 3 and Boarding Area B in Terminal 1 and the creation of a luxury hotel; ⢠Announce inaugural flights and new service at SFO such as new B787 Dreamliner service by Japan Airlines to Tokyo, Japan, Virgin America service to Austin, Texas, and United Airlines nonstop service to Paris, France; and FIGURE 65 International Terminal at San Francisco International Airport. (Source: San Francisco International Airport.)
83 ⢠Promote new airline service and concessions through contests and special offers such as Air New Zealandâs contest to win two tickets from SFO to Auckland, New Zealand, and Foursquare check-ins at SFO concessionaires to receive complimentary samples and discounts. Social Media Awards In 2012 and 2013, San Francisco International Airport was awarded best single social media promo- tion by a U.S. airport in Travel and Leisureâs Social Media Travel and Tourism Awards (SMITTYs). In 2012, SFO received the award in recognition of its âWhereâs Pardon the Turkeyâ promotion on Twitter and Foursquare in 2011, as shown on Figure 66. Travel and Leisure noted in its review that âNo one likes to travel over the holidays. But SFO made the experience a bit more bearableâwhile getting travelers to explore the airport shopsâwith this fun program.â The contest was held from November 21â23, 2011, and was based on the following guidelines: ⢠Two Twitter tweets were posted per day between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. PST, each with a photograph of Pardon the Turkey at a different location at the airport. ⢠To enter using Twitter, contestants were required to tweet guesses with Pardonâs location at SFO using the hashtag #PardonatSFO between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. PST. Contestants were allowed to submit guesses for one or both daily photo tweets. ⢠Foursquare contestants were required to check in at Pardonâs foursquare location at the airport where a #PardonatSFO campaign special was hosted and link their Foursquare and Twitter accounts, because formal contest communication was by Twitter. ⢠Contestants were also allowed to submit entries to socialmedia@flysfo.com and were required to include â#PardonatSFOâ in the e-mail subject line to enter the contest. ⢠Correct entries were put into a drawing for prizes. One drawing per day was held for each photo challenge. Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2005 http://www.yelp.com/biz/sfo-san-francisco-international-airport-san-francisco 2008 https://twitter.com/flysfo 2009 http://4sq.com/MTivk 2010 https://www.facebook.com/flySFO 2012 http://www.youtube.com/SFOIntlAirport 2012 http://www.linkedin.com/company/san-francisco-international- airport 2012 http://instagram.com/flySFO# 2012 http://pinterest.com/flySFO 2013 https://plus.google.com/s/san%20francisco%20international%20airp ort%20on%20google%2B 2013 https://twitter.com/flysfo (a) Source: San Francisco International Airport. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 18 SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM
84 In 2013, SFO was awarded a second SMITTY for its â#SFOHolidaysâ Postagram campaign, which invited participants to create holiday-themed postcards on Postagram to share on Twitter and Facebook, as described in the following section. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three of the customer engagement strategies used by San Francisco International Airport are sum- marized in this section: SFO Holiday Postagram Campaign, SFO/SAS European Holiday Sweep- stakes, and Inside SFO. SFO Holiday Postagram Campaign In December 2012, SFO invited participants to create holiday-themed postcards on Postagram to share on Twitter and Facebook. Airport volunteers dressed in Dickensian attire added to the holiday spirit of the campaign. The contest was promoted on SFOâs social media platforms, which included a link to the entry form posted at the Airportâs website, as shown on Figure 67. SFO/SAS European Holiday Sweepstakes In March 2013, SFO partnered with SAS Scandinavian Airlines to launch a European holiday sweep- stakes using its social media platforms, as shown on Figure 68. The primary objective of the sweep- stakes was to announce new nonstop service 6 days per week from SFO to Copenhagen starting in April 2013. The contest winner was selected in a random drawing based on completed online entry forms. The contest prize package included round-trip tickets for two from SFO to Copenhagen on Scandinavian Airlines. FIGURE 66 Twitter Post: âWhereâs Pardon the Turkeyâ contest. (Source: https://twitter.com/flysfo.)
85 Inside SFO In 2013, SFO initiated a campaign called âInside SFO,â which features 3-minute videos about facilities and operations at SFO. As shown in Table 19, the first video in the series featured the construction of the new air traffic control tower, including the tower design plans and footage of the pouring of the concrete base. SFO promotes the campaign on its social media channels with links to the videos on YouTube. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management SFO âlistensâ to comments made on social media about the airport using Hootsuite, a social media management tool, by identifying key words such as SFO and San Francisco Airport. Hootsuite cap- tures conversations taking place about the airport anywhere on social media, not just on SFOâs social media channels. SFO uses Hootsuite to listen for comments about particular topics, determine whether social conversations are taking place at the airport or outside, redirect comments about cus- tomer service issues to the appropriate department, and occasionally schedule the release of content. Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating delayed flight information, ground traffic delays, and updates during crises. SFO uses social media to post alerts about airport closures result- ing from inclement weather, airline computer system failures, and air traffic control system delays. The Airport does not post notices about delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines. In 2013, SFO used its social media channels, particularly Twitter, to provide updates on the crash of Asiana flight 214 arriving from Seoul, including re-tweets of posts by the NTSB and FAA. SFOâs FIGURE 67 Facebook Post: SFOâs Holiday Postagram. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/flySFO.)
86 FIGURE 68 Facebook Post: SFO/SAS European Holiday Sweepstakes. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/flySFO.) TABLE 19 INSIDE SFO VIDEOS Episode Description 1 New air traffic control tower 2 SFO Museum Recology Exhibition 3 Terminal 3, Boarding Area E Renovation 4 San Francisco Fire Department water salute 5 AirTrain 6 Window washers Source: San Francisco International Airport. social media channels were used to provide notifications about the crash, times for press conferences, extended hours of airport concessions to accommodate flight disruptions and overnight passengers, and information on the closure and re-opening of the runways. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport Social media is used to promote SFO as the airport of choice to attend community events and to feature a number of significant airport events, including: ⢠San Francisco Fleet Week. San Francisco Fleet Week is an annual event that celebrates the naval tradition in the Bay Area, honors the men and women serving in todayâs armed forces,
87 and facilitates annual disaster preparedness training with the Navy, Marines, and local first responders. The annual event typically includes an air show featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels (Figure 69). ⢠Eco-Friendly âGreenâ Airport. The Airport plays an important role in the city of San Fran- ciscoâs efforts to promote sustainability and energy efficiency. In 2013, SFO received an Envi- ronmental Achievement award from the ACIâNA for its Climate Action Plan, which outlines a variety of efforts designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to airport operations. In 2012, it received a Gold Magellan award from Travel Weekly, a business-to-business resource for the travel industry, in the airport category of âOverallâEco-Friendly âGreenâ Airport.â In 2011, SFOâs Terminal 2 was certified LEED® Gold by the U.S. Green Business Council, mak- ing it the countryâs first airport terminal to achieve that goal. Notices of the awards are posted on the Airportâs social media channels. ⢠The opening of the new Marine Emergency Response Facility (MERF). On August 9, 2012, SFO dedicated its new MERF at the airport and promoted the event on social media, as shown on Figure 70. The event featured a ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour of the facility and equip- ment. The new boathouse is the first of its kind at a west coast U.S. airport and is estimated to reduce SFO water rescue response time by 80%. San Francisco International Airport Airport Director: John L. Martin Associate Deputy Airport Director, Communications & Marketing: Charles Schuler FIGURE 69 Facebook Post: U.S. Navy Blue Angels at SFO during San Francisco Fleet Week. (Source: https://www.facebook. com/flySFO.)
88 TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Tucson International Airport (TIA or the Airport) has built its social media program with the aim of engaging with the local community and becoming a reliable source of information for the Airportâs passengers. TIA regards social media as a means of facilitating the customer service mission, and chooses it as a preferred medium to make decisions based on customer feedback. Airport Background Tucson International Airport began operations at its current site in 1948, and occupies nearly 8,000 acres in Pima County, approximately 7 miles south of the central business district. The Airportâs primary service region is Pima County, with a 2012 population of nearly 1 million. The Airport, classified by FAA as a small air traffic hub, is the second busiest airport in Arizona in terms of total passengers with 3.4 million in 2012, ranking 65th in the nation as a whole. In August 2013, TIA provided an average of 48 daily scheduled departures to 12 domestic destinations (multi-airport cities are counted once) and was served by ten U.S. airlines. TIA is also home to the 162nd Wing of the Air National Guard, which conducts the largest U.S. training operation for F-16 aircraft. The Airport, shown on Figure 71, is operated by the Tucson Airport Authority. FIGURE 70 Facebook Post: Dedication of SFOâs New Marine Emergency Response Facility. (Source: https:// www.facebook.com/flySFO.)
89 Social Media Program Tucson International Airport has been active in social media since 2007, as shown in Table 20. In August 2013, TIA had nearly 5,000 likes on Facebook and nearly 4,000 Twitter followers. TIA uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Generate community engagement through contests such as the Tucson Traveler âName Meâ campaign; ⢠Provide updates on airport improvement projects such as the award of a $19.5 million FAA grant to fund the first phase of design and reconstruction of the main terminal apron, and the construction of $5.7 million Solar Array over the entire main public parking lot in front of the terminal; ⢠Announce inaugural flights and new service such as the Alaska Airlines new nonstop service from TIA to Portland, Oregon; ⢠Promote airport events such as the Pimaâs County Youth Career Expo, the solar sculpture light- up, and celebrity visits at TIA, including visits by Michelle Obama and David Beckham; FIGURE 71 Air traffic control tower at Tucson International Airport. (Source: Tucson International Airport.) TABLE 20 TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2007 https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAirport 2008 https://twitter.com/TucsonAirport/ 2009 http://www.youtube.com/TucsonAirport 2009 http://4sq.com/5HrKLc 2012 http://www.linkedin.com/company/tucson-airport-authority Source: Tucson International Airport. Listed by year initiated.
90 ⢠Cross promote airline airfare sales through re-posting or re-tweeting airline links; ⢠Announce weather disruptions, such as the Monsoon season and snow storms at other airports that affect airline service as well as road works that affect airport access; and ⢠Publish Airport job openings. Social Media Awards In 2013, Tucson International Airport was awarded second place in the Social Media Initiatives category by ACIâNA as part of its Excellence in Airport Marketing and Communications Awards. TIAâs award was for its Tucson Traveler âName Meâ campaign designed to engage the local community and increase awareness of the Airportâs social media channels. The Tucson Traveler âName Meâ campaign: ⢠Ran for a month starting August 24, 2012, and was promoted through Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. ⢠Featured an animated character, created in collaboration with Film Creations Ltd, which was showcased on Facebook, as shown on Figure 72. ⢠Invited Facebook fans, Twitter followers, and travelers passing through the airport during the campaign period to name the character via a Facebook app or a mobile entry page for the oppor- tunity to win a two-night stay and dinner for two at a local resort. ⢠Encouraged entrants to sign up to receive e-mails from TIA and become fans of their Face- book page. The Tucson Traveler âName Meâ campaign resulted in a 13% increase in TIAâs Facebook page fan base and a 3% increase in its e-mail subscriber base. An announcement of the winning entry was posted on the Airportâs social media channels, revealing the name of the Tucson Traveler, âLes Stress,â as shown on Figure 73. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by Tucson International Airport are summarized in this section: Countdown to New Nonstop Airline Service to Portland, Fan of the Week, and Promotion of Airport Concessions. FIGURE 72 YouTube Video: The Tucson Traveler âName Meâ campaign. (Source: http://www.youtube.com/TucsonAirport.)
91 Countdown to New Nonstop Airline Service to Portland To promote new nonstop service from Tucson to Portland, Oregon, TIA used its social media chan- nels to countdown the days to November 1, 2013, when Alaska Airlinesâ service began. The count- down features the top 10 reasons to visit Portland, and includes website links with more information on the reasons. The primary objectives of the countdown are to create excitement for Alaskaâs new service and engage with the local community and passenger base. For example, reason #5 is to visit one of the best 20 cities for 20 somethings, as shown on Figure 74. FIGURE 73 YouTube Video: Les Stress, the Tucson Traveler. (Source: http://www.youtube.com/TucsonAirport.) FIGURE 74 Facebook Post: New nonstop airline service to Portland, Oregon. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/ TucsonAirport.)
92 Fan of the Week TIA features a fan of the week on its Facebook page by posting a fanâs provided picture and name. The selection of the fan of the week is based on the number of interactions with TIAâs Facebook page, including: ⢠Comments on Facebook posts, ⢠Likes of recent wall posts, and ⢠Posts of interesting stuff on the TIA page wall. Promotion of Airport Concessions TIA uses its social media channels to promote airport concessions, including restaurants, gourmet food markets, rental cars, and food trucks in the cell phone lot. Figure 75 is a picture posted on Face- book promoting Cibo Express Gourmet Markets. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management TIA uses Meltwater to monitor any mentions of Tucson International Airport in the social media sphere. Meltwater started as a traditional media monitoring tool, and was then extended to cover social media channels. By identifying keywords such as TIA, flyTucson, Tucson airport, and TIA, Meltwater captures conversations taking place about the airport anywhere on social media, not just on TIAâs social media channels. TIA also uses Meltwater to schedule Twitter posts such as monthly quotes that are agreed upon at the beginning of each year. Customer service comments received through any of the social platforms are addressed promptly by engaging the appropriate department to resolve the issue. Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating delayed flight information, ground traffic delays, and updates during crises. TIA uses social media to post alerts about weather disruptions affecting the FIGURE 75 Facebook Post: TIA concessions. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAirport.)
93 airport, airline computer system failure, and air traffic control system delays. The Airport also posts notices about delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines; directing the customers to look for updates on the flytucson.com website or specific airline websites. Located in a Monsoon area, TIA uses Facebook to promote informative videos posted by the U.S. National Weather Service Tucson, Arizona. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport TIA has used social media to feature a number of significant airport and community events, including: ⢠Pima Countyâs Youth Career Expo. On April 10, 2013, TIA was host of Pimaâs Countyâs Youth Career Expo for individuals ages 14 to 21 who wanted to explore careers in aerospace, defense, and manufacturing. The event was the second in a series of Expos, organized by the Pima County Workforce Investment Board Youth Council and the Pima County One-Stop Career Center, as shown on Figure 76. ⢠Honor Flight Southern Arizona. Through community donations, several flights have been made available to WWII veterans to visit the National WWII Memorial in Washington D.C. TIA uses Facebook and Twitter to promote the flights arriving and departing from Tucson Inter- national Airport. Such posts usually receive extensive feedback from TIAâs Facebook fans, as shown on Figure 77. ⢠âTreat Our Troopsâ fund-raising campaign. TIAâs ParadiesâDesert House joined forces with 71 other airport gift shops around the nation in an effort to help military personnel with âTreat Our Troops,â as shown on Figure 78. This program allows customers to buy and donate mer- chandise to TIAâs military liaison office. In the last 12 months, the program has raised $1.4 mil- lion in merchandise donations for military troops. Tucson International Airport President/CEO: Bonnie A. Allin, A. A. E. Senior Director of Business Development and Marketing: Mary Davis DUBLIN AIRPORT Social media at Dublin Airport (DUB or the Airport) is about high engagement levels and telling âstories.â DUB aims to significantly enhance the airportâs existing relationship with its customers and stakeholders by sharing content that is relevant and interesting to the connected traveler. In FIGURE 76 Facebook Post: TIA hosting the Pima County Youth Career Expo. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAirport.)
94 DUBâs view, social media is a platform for telling stories, showing a sense of humor, and establishing a tone that connects with passengers. Airport Background Dublin Airport opened for commercial airline service in 1940 and occupies 2,679 acres (1,084 hect- ares), approximately 6 miles north of the city of Dublin. The Airportâs overall service region is the Greater Dublin area, with a combined population of 1.8 million in 2012 according to the Ireland Cen- tral Statistics Office. It is the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland in terms of total passengers, with 19.1 million in 2012, ranking 83rd in the world. In August 2013, DUB provided an average of 243 daily scheduled departures to three domestic, 116 European, and 18 international destinations (multi-airport cities are counted once) and was served by two Ireland airlines, 16 European airlines, and 12 other foreign-flag airlines. The Airport, shown on Figure 79, is owned and operated by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). Social Media Program Dublin Airport has been active in social media since 2008, as shown in Table 21. In August 2013, DUB had more than 33,000 likes on Facebook and more than 42,000 Twitter followers. DUB uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Promote airport services such as car parking and The Loop shopping; FIGURE 77 Facebook Post: Honor Flight Southern Arizona departing from TIA. (Source: https://www. facebook.com/TucsonAirport.)
95 FIGURE 78 Facebook Post: Airport Ambassadors Program. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAirport.) FIGURE 79 Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport. (Source: Dublin Airport.)
96 ⢠Announce new service at DUB, such as the Aer Lingus new transatlantic service to San Fran- cisco and Toronto in the summer of 2014 and Toromâs service to Bucharest in May 2013; ⢠Promote new airline service and concessions through contests and special offers; ⢠Provide updates on the Airportâs capital improvement program, including the construction and opening of Terminal 2 and upgrades to parking and boarding gates in Terminal 1; ⢠Promote Dublin and Ireland as a travel destinations through postings of pictures and travel recommendations; ⢠Sponsor community events such as The Rose of Tralee Festival, the Irish Food Festival, and the first Rock ânâ Roll Dublin Half Marathon; ⢠Share historical trivia about the buildings, airlines, and aircraft at the airport as well as postings from Wistorical, a blog by historian Turtle Bunbury that highlights historical links between places around this world; and ⢠Provide updates during severe weather disruptions. Social Media Awards In 2013, Dublin Airport was awarded Best Long Term Partnership at the Allianz Business to Arts Awards for DAAâs sponsorship of the Dublin Theatre Festival and its 2012 Dubliners@Dublin Airport social media campaign. Although DAA has been a sponsor of the Theatre Festival since 2007, the 2012 Dubliners campaign made innovative use of social media to showcase an arts sponsorship. Dublin Airport posted daily Dubliners audio excerpts on SoundCloud, and also used Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook to highlight the promotion, as shown on Figure 80. The Business to Arts award is the third award for DUBâs social media activity over the past year. In December 2012, Dublin Airportâs twitter account was named the worldâs Best Airport Twitter Account TABLE 21 DUBLIN AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2008 http://www.youtube.com/user/TransformingDublin 2008 http://www.yelp.ie/biz/dublin-airport-dublin-5 2009 http://4sq.com/3wwJhx 2010 https://www.facebook.com/dublinairport 2010 https://twitter.com/DublinAirport 2010 http://www.pinterest.com/dublinairport/ 2011 https://plus.google.com/+dublinairport/about 2012 http://instagram.com/dublinairport/# 2012 http://ie.linkedin.com/company/dublin-airport-authority-daa-?trk=ppro_cprof 2012 https://soundcloud.com/dublin-airport Source: Dublin Airport. Listed by year initiated.
97 by Moodies. Earlier in 2013, DAA won the Communications Award at the Irish Logistics and Transport Awards for its innovative use of social media. Dublin Airport is featuring a similar social media campaign for the 2013 Dublin Theatre Festival and the Gare St Lazare Players production of âWaiting for Godot.â Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by Dublin Airport are summarized in this section: Twitter highlight, car parking promotions, and Destination Ireland. Twitter Highlight In June 2012, a Dublin passenger on his way to the Euro 2012 football finals in Poland was buying an Irish flag and inadvertently left his match tickets for Irelandâs three group games on the store counter. After the store employee contacted Dublin Airport police about the lost tickets, the name on the tickets was paged over the Dublin Airport public address system multiple times. However, because the tickets were purchased in the name of the passengerâs father, the passenger did not respond to the pages and boarded his flight to Poland. After details of the lost tickets were put on the storeâs Facebook page and tweeted by Dublin Airport, the story went viral. Media outlets quickly picked up on the story and it was broadcast on national television and radio in Ireland. Fortunately, the passengerâs mother was alerted to her sonâs missing tickets and contacted Dublin Airport police. A friend flying to Poland later that day collected the tickets from the airport and returned them later that day. Figure 81 represents an excerpt from the Twitter posts related to the lost tickets. FIGURE 80 Facebook Post: Dubliners @DublinAirport Campaign. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/dublinairport.)
98 Car Parking Promotions DUB offers passengers the option of making online parking reservations at the airportâs parking facilities. To increase awareness of this service, DUB offers parking discounts to Facebook fans by providing a special promotional code, as shown on Figure 82. Destination Ireland Dublin Airport uses its social media channels to promote Dublin and Ireland as travel destinations. DUB posts pictures of key landmarks in Dublin and Ireland, shares information about Irish culture and events, features videos about Irish artists and performers, and notes the number of oversea visi- tors to Ireland reported by Irelandâs Central Statistics Office. Figure 83 presents one of the pictures promoting a historical landmark in Ireland as posted on Facebook. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management DUB uses Hootsuite to schedule posts and monitor mentions made in relation to the airport by iden- tifying key words such as Dublin and Dublin Airport. DUB also uses the analytics of each social media platform to measure the level of engagement, re-tweets, and click-throughs. Customer service comments received through any of DUBâs social platforms are dealt with promptly by engaging the appropriate department to resolve the potential issue. Crisis Management Using Social Media DUB uses social media to post alerts about airport closures as a result of inclement weather, airline computer system failures, and air traffic control system delays. The Airport does not post notices FIGURE 81 Twitter Posts: Lost Euro 2012 football tickets. (Source: https://twitter.com/ DublinAirport.)
99 FIGURE 82 Twitter Post: Online parking at Dublin Airport. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/dublinairport.)
100 about delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines, except in cases of extreme weather condi- tions when multiple flights are affected. DUB has used its social media platforms to manage a number of events, including snow storms during the winters of 2010 and 2013 and an incident involving a deflated tire on an arriving aircraft after landing by quickly tweeting about the incident and providing frequent updates. Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport DUB has used social media to feature a number of significant airport and community events, including: ⢠The Gathering 2013. âThe Gatheringâ was a year-long national tourism initiative developed to celebrate Irish culture. The Gathering was driven by the National Tourism Development Author- ity and Tourism Ireland and provided a framework for various activities throughout 2013, from family reunions and clan gatherings to sports events. To celebrate The Gathering, DAA launched âThe Big Welcomeâ competition, which offers winners the opportunity to fly friends or family home to Ireland and to spend a week in a unique Irish heritage property such as a castle in Kilkenny, a lighthouse in Cork, or a Georgian Mews in central Dublin. Competition participants simply have to visit the Dublin and Cork Airport websites and register. Figure 84 shows the YouTube video announcing the five contest winners. FIGURE 83 Facebook Post: Trim Castle, County Meath, Ireland. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/dublinairport.)
101 ⢠The Rose of Tralee. The Rose of Tralee International Festival is one of Irelandâs largest and longest running festivals; celebrating 54 years in 2013. The heart of the festival is the selection of the Rose of Tralee, which brings young women of Irish descent from around the world to County Kerry, Ireland, for a global celebration of Irish culture. DUB welcomes contestants with personalized greetings on Gathering Screens in the arrivals halls and, on June 14, finalists in the competition took part in a Welcome Home day, when the Roses greeted passengers in Dublin and Cork airports. ⢠Dublin Rock ânâ Roll Half Marathon. The Loop at Dublin Airport was a sponsor of Irelandâs first Dublin Rock ânâ Roll Half Marathon as part of DAAâs support for The Gathering. Nearly 5,500 participants from 49 countries participated in the race on August 5, 2013, which featured live bands positioned at every mile and a scenic tour of Dublinâs famous landmarks. Figure 85 presents the banner for the 2014 Dublin Rock ânâ Roll Half Marathon. Dublin Airport Chief Executive: Kevin Toland Public Affairs Director: Paul OâKane EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT The âFly EIAâ brand for Edmonton International Airport (EIA or the Airport) is well known in the city of Edmonton. EIAâs social media program enhances the fly EIA brand by providing a tool to engage directly with the people of Edmonton and obtain input on the demand for airport and airline services. EIA uses this input to make a business case to airlines for new airline service. EIA regards social media as a âtechnical advancement that is just too good of a thing to pass up on.â Airport Background Edmonton International Airport opened in 1960, occupies nearly 7,000 acres in Leduc County, and is located approximately 16 miles southwest of the city of Edmonton, the capital of the Province of FIGURE 84 YouTube Video: The Big Welcome. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/ dublinairport.)
102 Alberta. The Airportâs primary service region is the Edmonton Capital Region as defined by Statis- tics Canada, with a 2012 population of 1.2 million. The airport is the second busiest in the Province of Alberta in terms of total passengers with 6.7 million in 2012, ranking 5th in Canada. In August 2013, EIA provided an average of 130 daily scheduled departures to 23 destinations in Canada, ten destina- tions in the United States, and three other international destinations, and was served by ten Canadian airlines and six U.S. airlines (mainline and regional). The Airport, shown on Figure 86, is owned and operated by the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority. FIGURE 85 Facebook Post: Dublinâs Rock ânâ Roll Half Marathon. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/dublinairport.) FIGURE 86 Airside view of Edmonton International Airport. (Source: Edmonton International Airport.)
103 Social Media Program The Airport has been using social media platforms since 2008, as shown in Table 22. In August 2013, EIA had more than 8,600 likes on Facebook and nearly 9,400 Twitter followers. Twitter and YouTube are the airportâs primary social media platforms. EIA is considering Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr for future use. EIA uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Promote airfare deals as posted by airlines and airline services such as Icelandairâs new service to Reykjavik, Iceland, and Unitedâs new service to New York; ⢠Provide updates on airport improvement projects such as Expansion 2012âEIAâs terminal development program, EIAâs new iconic central control tower, the new Renaissance Hotel open- ing in the fall of 2013, and the runway rehabilitation conducted during the summer of 2013; ⢠Promote online parking reservations at jetSet parking at the airport through contests and special offers such as jetSet Jackpot; ⢠Promote airline service and EIA as an originâdestination market through contests and special offers such as Destination EIA; ⢠Promote community events such as Heritage Days and K-Days; and ⢠Communicate weather advisories, road closures, major flight delays, and the status of runway closures. Social Media Awards In 2013, Edmonton International Airport was awarded third place in the Social Media Initiatives category by ACIâNA as part of its Excellence in Airport Marketing and Communications Awards. EIAâs award was for its âjetSet Parkingâ campaign, designed to broaden its parking customer base through social media. jetSet Parking opened in September 2010 and was the first airport parking lot in Canada to offer an online reservation system as well as full-service WestJet check-in and bag drop. The âjetSet Parkingâ social media campaign included: ⢠Limited time promotional codes that could only be found by using social media outlets. jetSet opened Facebook and twitter accounts in July 2011 and February 2012, respectively. ⢠Social media contests to promote feedback and customer engagement, particularly around dif- ferent holidays, events, and weekends appealing to EIAâs large leisure audience. ⢠jetSetâs Jackpot, a 24-hour social media promotion on September 30, 2012, offered 99% off and resulted 748 online bookings in under 14 hours. TABLE 22 EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2008 2011 https://www.facebook.com/FlyEIA https://www.facebook.com/jetSetParking 2009 2012 https://twitter.com/FlyEIA https://twitter.com/jetSet_Parking 2009 http://www.youtube.com/user/FlyEIA 2009 http://www.yelp.ca/biz/edmonton-international- airport-edmonton 2010 http://4sq.com/66TihP Source: Edmonton International Airport. Listed by year initiated.
104 jetSetâs initial growth strategy was to increase EIAâs total parking market share by transitioning parkers from independent lots through low-price leadership, proximity to the airport, and a wide ser- vice offering. In 2012, jetSetâs use of social media resulted in an 89% increase in online reservations. In August 2013, EIAâs jetSet Parking had nearly 1,700 likes on Facebook and nearly 700 Twitter followers since being introduced in July 2011 and February 2012, respectively. Figure 87 presents jetSetâs Jackpot Parking promotion. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by Edmonton International Airport are summarized in this section: EIA Live Performances, Destination EIA, and Promoting New Airline Service. EIA Live Performances EIA uses its social media channels to promote live performances by local musicians and entertain- ers at the airport. EIA partners with Edmonton Tourism in the Live All Year program, which brings attention to Edmontonâs internationally renowned festivals. EIAâs live performances have included folk singers, harpists, guitarists, and Edmonton street performers. Figure 88 presents a Facebook post promoting live performances at EIA. Destination EIA In July 2013, EIA partnered with Uniglobe Geo Travel (a travel company based in western Canada) to launch the âDestination EIAâ contest using its social media platforms. The Destination EIA contest is FIGURE 87 Facebook Post: jetSet Parking Jackpot. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/jetSetParking.)
105 one of EIAâs many social media initiatives designed to promote airline service and EIA as an originâ destination market as well as encourage passenger visits to EIAâs concessionaires. Figure 89 presents pictures promoting the contest. The Destination EIA contest guidelines were as follows: ⢠Contest entries could be made using an official entry form received with each purchase made at any participating store or restaurant at EIA or by requesting a âno purchase necessaryâ entry form from EIA. ⢠Contest winners were selected by random drawing from the eligible entries received. ⢠Contest prizes included five Uniglobe travel vouchers for airfare originating and terminating at Edmonton International Airport and 8 days of free parking at EIAâs Value Park. Promoting New Airline Service In 2011, EIA launched a âUnite for more flightsâ campaign to make people aware of improved flight choices at EIA and encourage the community to choose to fly from EIA. The campaign was promoted on EIAâs social media channels and in other media and helped to recapture EIA passengers. Since then, EIA celebrates new airline service on its social media channels and engages the regional community to create excitement for new airline service. EIAâs newest route to Reykjavik, Iceland, is being promoted on EIAâs social media channels and will link Edmonton with Icelandairâs European network beginning in March 2014. Figure 90 presents pictures from the announcement of Icelandairâs new service. Use of Real-time Information for Airport Operations and Management EIA currently uses Meltwater, a social media management tool, to monitor any mentions of Edmon- ton International Airport on social media. By identifying keywords such as EIA, Fly EIA, and FIGURE 88 Facebook Post: EIA live performances. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/jetSetParking.)
106 Edmonton Airport, Meltwater captures conversations taking place about the airport anywhere on social media, not just on EIAâs social media channels. EIA also uses TweetDeck to schedule posts and plans to use 3M for monitoring social media in the future. Customer service comments received through any of the social platforms are dealt with promptly by engaging the appropriate department to resolve the issue. EIA frequently receives customer ser- vice tweets about airport operations that are not controlled by EIA such as baggage handling. To be responsive to customer service comments, EIA responds to these tweets and advises passengers to contact their airline. Crisis Management Using Social Media EIA uses social media to post alerts about airport closures or flight delays resulting from inclement weather such as the flooding in Calgary, airline computer system failure, and air traffic control system delays. The Airport does not post notices about delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines. EIA is currently working on a strategic plan for social media use during crisis events. EIA con- ducted a simulated emergency exercise, including setting up a mock Twitter account, to evaluate the key components of such a strategic plan including the appropriate Twitter protocols and the assign- ment of roles and responsibilities. FIGURE 89 Facebook Post: Destination EIA. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/jetSetParking.)
107 Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport EIA has used its social media platforms to feature some airport and community events, including: ⢠Heritage Days. EIA sponsors a Kidzworld childrenâs tent at Edmontonâs Heritage Days, an annual three-day summer festival held in celebration of cultural diversity. Pictures from the event are posted on EIAâs social media channels and website. Figure 91 shows EIAâs Kidzworld tent. ⢠K-Days. EIA participates in Edmontonâs annual summer fair, K-Days, and promotes the event on its social media channels. The K-days fair is held over 10 days and attracts 700,000 to 800,000 visitors each year. At the K-Days parade, EIA sponsors a float in support of this event and to promote EIA airline service and new destinations, as shown on Figure 92. ⢠EIA Charity Golf Classic. In September 2013, EIA will hold its third annual Charity Golf Classic to benefit Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS), a non-profit organization providing services to at-risk Edmonton youth. This event is promoted on EIAâs social media channels and its website, as shown on Figure 93. Edmonton International Airport President and CEO: Reg Milley Director, Marketing & Communications: Heather Hamilton Communications Advisor: Benjamin Freeland FIGURE 90 Facebook Post: New airline service on Icelandair. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/jetSetParking.)
108 FIGURE 91 Facebook Post: EIAâs Kidzworld tent at Edmontonâs Heritage Days Festival in 2013. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/jetSetParking.) FIGURE 92 Facebook Post: EIA float in K-Days parade. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/jetSetParking.)
109 LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT In 2010, London Gatwick Airport (Gatwick or the Airport) rebranded with the tagline âYour London Airportâ and began making the Gatwick experience a much more human one by engaging instantly and directly with target customers in a way and time that is convenient for them. Gatwickâs new brand and social media programs are directly linked to the overall business ambitions and strategy of the airport. In response to the increasing number of passengers talking about Gatwick online and using smartphones, Gatwick explored how social media could be used to: ⢠Inform passengers about the changes happening at the airport and to acquire their feedback; ⢠Give passengers a way to talk to Gatwick online, while in the terminals themselves, about their experiences; and ⢠Harness what passengers are saying to make improvements to the facilities. Airport Background London Gatwick Airport opened for commercial airline service in 1934 and occupies 1,875 acres (759 hectares) approximately 3 miles north of the center of Crawley and 28 miles south of central London. The Airportâs overall service region is the London metropolitan area and southeast England, with a combined 2012 population of 17.0 million according to the U.K. Statistics Authority. The Airport is the second busiest in the United Kingdom in terms of total passengers with 34.2 million in 2012, ranking 36th in the world. In August 2013, Gatwick provided an average of 392 daily sched- uled departures to 11 domestic, 125 European, and 59 international destinations (multi-airport cities are counted once) and was served by eight U.K. airlines, 25 European airlines, and 11 foreign-flag airlines. The Airport (Figure 94) is owned and operated by Gatwick Airport Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ivy Holdco Limited. The London metropolitan area is also served by Heathrow, Lon- don City, Luton, and Stansted airports. FIGURE 93 Facebook Post: EIA Charity Golf Classic. (Source: https:// www.facebook.com/jetSetParking.)
110 Social Media Program London Gatwick Airport has been active in social media since 2008, as shown in Table 23. In August 2013, Gatwick had more than 40,000 likes on Facebook and more than 82,000 Twitter followers. Gatwick uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media, including 24-hour Twit- ter support with a target 30-minute response time (problems should be dealt with while pas- sengers are at Gatwick); ⢠Announce new service at Gatwick, such as the new British Airways nonstop flight to Las Vegas; ⢠Promote new airline service and concessions through contests and special offers such as easy- Jetâs contest to win a pair of tickets to Moscow, Russia; a two-week holiday to Australia for four when booking Gatwick official parking; or the Twitter contest launched in partnership with YOsushi, to promote the opening of the restaurant in Gatwickâs North Terminal; ⢠Provide updates on the Airportâs £1.2 billion capital investment program, including the refur- bishment of the South Terminal Departure Lounge and the Pier 1 Project; ⢠Evaluate airport concession performance based on customer reviews on Qype; ⢠Provide factual information for the media; and ⢠Provide updates during severe weather disruptions. Social Media Awards Since 2010, London Gatwick Airport has won many awards for its social media strategies and the use of technology, including: ⢠Econsultancy Innovation Awards 2010âInnovation in Online Customer Service. Gatwick was recognized as the first airport in Europe to offer 24-hour Twitter support, the first airport worldwide to use mobile barcodes as information points, and the first airport worldwide to roll out a mobile and web-based retailer review section using Qype. Econsultancy is a publisher of best practice content for doing business online. FIGURE 94 South Terminal departure lounge at London Gatwick Airport. (Source: London Gatwick Airport.)
111 ⢠CorpComms Awards 2011âBest rebranding exercise. Gatwick was recognized for defining a âsignatureâ style identity for the airport in the middle of a £1.2 billion capital investment pro- gram, including adopting the slogan âyourâ London airport as an expression of commitment to customers, simplifying and humanizing signage, and working with staff to encourage their involvement on uniforms and the brand messages. The annual CorpComms Awards are recog- nized as leading awards for in-house communications professionals. ⢠SimpliFlying Awards for Excellence in Social Media 2011âBest Airport in Social Media. In recognition of Gatwickâs Twitter flight information display screens in the terminal allowing customers to tweet about any issues and see Gatwick responses in real time. SimpliFlying is an aviation marketing consultancy. ⢠Digital Impact Awards 2011âBest Use of Social Media in a Crisis. Gatwick was recog- nized for providing reliable information to passengers during the severe snow storms in December 2010, as well as the ash cloud event of 2011. The Digital Impact Awards are Europeâs leading program to recognize, benchmark, and celebrate excellence in digital stake- holder communications. ⢠Digi CorpComms Award 2011âBest Use of Digital Media in Customer Services. Gatwick was recognized for its new round-the-clock Twitter support program, the Gatwick Discovery Tour using Stickybits, a mobile application used to read giant barcodes located in the terminal and explain the construction projects, and the active use of Qype, a social media review service to get instant passenger feedback on all facilities. ⢠Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards 2011âBest Use of Social Media. The award was given in recognition of the âtalk to Gatwickâ social media strategy. ⢠Moodies Awards 2012âBest mobile website (highly commended). ⢠Interactive Media Awards 2012âBest in Class. In recognition of Gatwickâs mobile site. Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2008 http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/Gatwick-airport-london 2009 https://twitter.com/Gatwick_Airport 2009 http://www.flickr.com/photos/Gatwickairport/ 2010 https://www.facebook.com/GatwickAirport 2010 http://www.youtube.com/user/LondonGatwickAirport 2010 http://www.pinterest.com/Gatwickairport/ 2010 http://4sq.com/27d3PN 2010 https://soundcloud.com/Gatwick 2011 http://instagram.com/Gatwickairport 2012 http://www.linkedin.com/company/Gatwick-airport 2013 http://Gatwickairport.tumblr.com/ Source: London Gatwick Airport. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 23 LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM
112 ⢠Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards 2012âBest Use of Internal Social Media. In recognition of Gatwickâs use of internal social media during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. ⢠Digi CorpComms Award 2013âBest Use of Digital Media in Customer Services. In recog- nition of Gatwickâs around-the clock social media responses to customer questions about the status of airport operations and flights during the snow storms in January 2013. Customer ques- tions were answered within 15 minutes over the five days of the storm, and Gatwick gained an additional 5,500 followers on Twitter. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by London Gatwick Airport are summarized in this sec- tion: #askGatwick live Q&A sessions, Official Gatwick Parking, and Snapshot of Moscow. #askGatwick Live Q&A Sessions London Gatwick Airport organizes live one-hour Q&A sessions on Twitter on a regular basis. With the hashtag #askGatwick, @Gatwick_Airport followers can ask questions of senior Gatwick manag- ers. Transcripts of the full sessions are then posted on Gatwickâs blog. Figure 95 presents an excerpt of the Gatwick Twitter feed during the #askGatwick session on retail. Official Gatwick Parking Gatwick offers passengers the option of making online parking reservations at the airportâs parking facilities. To increase awareness of this service, Gatwick sponsored a sweepstakes for an opportu- nity to win a two-week holiday for four to Australia to passengers who booked parking at Gatwickâs facilities during the sweepstakes period, as shown on Figure 96. Snapshot of Moscow In March 2013, Gatwick launched the âSnapshot of Moscowâ campaign in celebration of inaugural service to Moscow by easyJet. The campaign was comprised of five short videos by expatriate and local bloggers in Moscow, who provided unique travel tips and advice for Gatwick passengers. The videos were posted on Gatwickâs social media channels and were accompanied by a sweepstakes FIGURE 95 Twitter Post: #askGatwick live session with Gatwickâs head of retail. (Source: https://twitter.com/Gatwick_Airport.)
113 drawing for the chance to win a pair of flights to Moscow. The fifth and last Snapshot of Moscow featured breakfast in Moscow with blogger Elizabeth Shockman Shvedenko and a visit to her favor- ite places to eat on Kamergersky Streetâa pedestrian street near Red Square and several central Moscow hotels, as shown on Figure 97. Use of Real-Time Information for Airport Operations and Management Gatwick uses Hootsuite to integrate all Twitter feeds from operational and customer service teams. Gatwick constantly monitors all mentions made of the airport and takes the pulse of what is happen- ing at the airport itself. In addition, Gatwick uses Kred, an evaluation tool that measures and compares the influence of Gatwick with other airports in the social space. Gatwick also uses Kred to analyze the responses of Gatwick passengers to new social media campaigns. Crisis Management Using Social Media Gatwick uses social media to post alerts about airport closures resulting from inclement weather, air- line computer system failure, and air traffic control system delays. The Airport does not post notices about delayed or cancelled flights by individual airlines. As noted earlier, Gatwick was recognized for its use of social media, Twitter in particular, during severe snow storms in January 2013. FIGURE 96 Facebook Post: Official Gatwick Parking Sweepstakes. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/GatwickAirport.)
114 Use of Social Media to Promote the Role of the Airport Gatwick has used social media to feature a number of significant airport and community events, including: ⢠Flying Start Charity Event. In 2011, Gatwick hosted a charity event for âFlying Start,â a global charity partnership between British Airways and Comic Relief, a U.K. charity working to cre- ate a just world, free from poverty. The goal of Flying Start is to raise money to help children living tortuous lives in the United Kingdom and around the world. The event included live performances and was featured on Gatwickâs social media channels. ⢠St. Catherineâs Hospice Sussex Weald Bike Ride. In May 2013, Gatwick was an official spon- sor of the St. Catherineâs Hospice Sussex Weald Bike Ride. The Hospice is a charity dedicated to providing specialized end-of-life care and support to local people, their families, and friends. Photos of the 58 Gatwick staff members and their family and friends who took part in the bike ride were posted on Facebook, as shown on Figure 98. ⢠Queenâs Diamond Jubilee Celebration. In 2012, Gatwick hosted a Jubilee celebration in the South and North terminals so that all passengers, arriving and departing, could enjoy the decorations, food, and entertainment. A whole selection of jubilee goodies were on offer for passengers and guests alike, including cucumber sandwiches, royal cupcakes deco- rated with regal crowns, and shortbread. British Airways also took part by providing freshly made scones. Pictures of the Jubilee celebration were posted on Facebook, as shown on Figure 99. FIGURE 97 Facebook Post: Snapshot of Moscow. (Source: https:// www.facebook.com/GatwickAirport.)
115 London Gatwick Airport Chief Executive Officer: Stewart Wingate Head of Communication: Samantha Holgate THE MALL OF AMERICA The Mall of America (MOA) has introduced each of its social media presences based on a specific opportunity or seasonal campaign. Instead of immediately signing up for every new social network, MOA creates a presence when thereâs a clear business case. MOA views social media as a customer engagement and listening tool rather than a vehicle to promote sales. Background The Mall of America opened in 1992 and occupies 4.2 million square feet of gross building area in Bloomington, Minnesota, approximately 15 miles from downtown Minneapolis. MOA serves more than 40 million visitors per year from across the country and around the world, with more than 520 retail and specialty stores, more than 50 restaurants, and the nationâs largest indoor theme park. MOA employs 11,000 people year-round (13,000 during peak periods) and generates nearly $2 billion each year in economic impact for the state of Minnesota. Tourism accounts for four of FIGURE 98 Facebook Post: St. Catherineâs Hospice Sussex Weald Bike Ride. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/ GatwickAirport.)
116 every ten visits to MOA, including visitors from Canada, England, Sweden, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Latin America, France, and Germany. MOA, shown on Figure 100, is owned and operated by The Triple Five Group, a real estate company based in Edmonton, Canada. Social Media Program The Mall of America has been using social media platforms since 2005, as shown in Table 24. In August 2013, MOA had more than 450,000 likes on Facebook and more than 27,000 Twitter followers. MOA uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service comments received through social media; ⢠Promote mall attendance and MOAâs social media following through contests and special offers such as the Big Secret Parking Party and Always New; ⢠Promote upcoming events, performances, and celebrity appearances such as the Cirque du Soleil with its show Amaluna, a visit by the cast of the television series The Days of Our Lives, and The X Factor hit band Emblem3; FIGURE 99 Facebook Post: Gatwickâs Jubilee Celebration. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/GatwickAirport.)
117 FIGURE 100 Aerial view of the Mall of America. (Source: Mall of America.) Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2005 http://www.yelp.com/biz/mall-of-america-bloomington 2007 https://www.facebook.com/MallofAmerica 2008 https://twitter.com/mallofamerica 2009 http://4sq.com/4z906f 2009 http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialMOA Blog 2009 http://blog.mallofamerica.com/ 2010 https://www.facebook.com/MallofAmerica/app_168188869963563 2010 http://www.pinterest.com/mallofamerica/ 2012 http://www.linkedin.com/company/mall-of-america 2012 https://plus.google.com/+mallofamerica/posts Blog 2012 http://blog.mallofamerica.com/ Source: Mall of America. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 24 MALL OF AMERICA SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM
118 ⢠Provide information on the latest fashion trends and styles; ⢠Provide updates on MOAâs construction projects, such as the walkway above Lindau Lane; ⢠Promote new products and MOA stores; ⢠Post MOA job openings; and ⢠Provide information and updates on traffic delays and construction projects affecting access to MOA as well as parking availability. MOA also uses Kitsu, a web- and mobile-based app developed by a Minnesota start-up company that reaches a larger audience, including individuals unfamiliar with social media, and enhances MOAâs customer service. MOA posts signs throughout the mall directing customers to send a text with com- ments and questions to a 10-digit number. MOAâs signs have unique numbers that provide the exact location of where the text originated; for example, each sign in MOA restrooms has a unique number that directs housekeeping to that location in the mall. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by the Mall of America are summarized in this section: Big Secret Parking Party, Always New, and the Extra! Extra! Video Contest. Big Secret Parking Party In December 2010, MOA offered a special perk to its Twitter followers during the holiday shopping season: reserved parking on the busiest shopping day of the year at its Big Secret Parking Party, or #bspp. On December 18, 2010, MOA closed its north surface parking lot, just steps away from the north entrance to the mall, reserving 96 spaces for its Twitter followers. Twitter followers were required to register on Eventbrite to be eligible for one of the parking spots. MOA gained 400 Twit- ter followers during this campaign, increasing from 4,900 followers before the campaignâs launch to 5,300. Figure 101 is an excerpt from the Twitter feed related to MOAâs Big Secret Parking Party. FIGURE 101 Twitter Posts: MOAâs Big Secret Parking Party. (Source: https://twitter.com/mallofamerica.)
119 Always New During the summer of 2013, MOA launched its âAlways Newâ campaign challenging customers to try something new at MOA. To enter the contest, customers were required to take a picture of themselves âtrying something newâ at MOA and upload the photos to a MOA site. Contest winners received a $1,000 shopping spree at MOA and were featured on MOAâs Facebook page (Figure 102). Extra! Extra! Video Contest In February 2013, MOA posted a notice on its social media channels for an opportunity to be an extra in a Nickelodeon Universe television commercial. To be considered, each contest participant had to create and submit a 30-second video explaining why he or she wanted to be an extra, as shown on Figure 103. Use of Real-Time Information for Operations and Facility Management From the various social media management tools available the Mall of America is currently convert- ing from Hootsuite to the use of an ESP, which would monitor public content on a range of social media outlets, including social networking sites, microblogs (e.g., Twitter), video- and image-sharing sites (including YouTube and Flickr), online forums and opinion sites, and LinkedIn. MOA also uses TweetDeck for monitoring social media conversation about MOA. As noted earlier, MOA uses Kitsu, a web- and mobile-based app, to reach a larger audience, including people unfamiliar with social media and to provide immediate real-time responses to cus- tomer comments. FIGURE 102 Facebook Post: MOAâs Always New Campaign. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/MallofAmerica.)
120 Crisis Management Using Social Media Social media play an important role in communicating information and updates during crises. Crisis events at MOA have included shop lifting, issues related to store closings, health issues such as heart attacks, and suicides. MOA uses social media to post information about a situation in the interest of being transparent. In the event of a life-threatening situation, MOA uses its social media platforms to talk, listen, and interact with customers to create a trusting community in the event of a crisis. Use of Social Media for Community Initiatives As the largest business and employer in the Minneapolis area, the Mall of America has an important role in the community. Social media allows businesses such as the Mall of America to highlight that role and feature community initiatives, including: ⢠The Susan G. Komen Twin Cities Race for the Cure. In 2012, approximately 50,000 people gathered at the Mall of America for the Susan G. Komen Twin Cities Race for the Cure to honor those affected by breast cancer (Figure 104). The Susan G. Komen Twin Cities Race for the Cure is one of the largest 5K runs/fitness walks in the world. It raises funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrates cancer survivorship, and honors those who have lost the battle with the disease. MOA and a number of MOA stores and food concessions sponsor the Twin Cities race, with highlights posted on MOAâs social media channels. FIGURE 103 Facebook Post: Extra! Extra! Video Contest. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/MallofAmerica.)
121 ⢠Walk to End Hunger. Since its inception in 2008, the Walk to End Hunger has raised nearly $1.2 million to help put food on the table for people in need. Held at MOA on Thanksgiving morning, the Walk has become one of the Mallâs signature events. ⢠Third Graders Help Underwater Adventures Aquarium. MOA sponsors and hosts a number of events to support regional charity initiatives. In 2010, MOA hosted third graders from a local elementary school for an initiative to send aid to the area affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The third graders took a field trip on World Ocean Day (June 8) to MOAâs Underwater Adventures Aquarium to help package more than 1,000 towels, toothbrushes, and scrub brushes, as shown on Figure 105. The items were sent to the Audubon Nature Institute in Louisiana to clean sea turtles affected by the oil spill. Mall of America Public Relations Vice President: Dan Jasper Digital Public Relations Coordinator: Erin Van Steeg MAYO CLINIC The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media was established to improve health globally by acceler- ating effective application of social media tools throughout the Mayo Clinic and spurring broader and deeper engagement in social media by hospitals, medical professionals, and patients. The Mayo Clinicâs social media philosophy is that âindividuals have the right and responsibility to advocate for their own health and that it is our responsibility to help them use social media FIGURE 104 Facebook Post: Susan G. Komen Twin Cities Race for the Cure. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/MallofAmerica.)
122 tools to get the best information, connect with providers and with each other, and inspire healthy choices.â Background The Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated not-for-profit medical care group practice in the world. Developed from the Rochester, Minnesota, medical practice of William Worrall Mayo in 1864, the Mayo Clinic today has three primary locationsâScottsdale/Phoenix, Arizona; Jackson- ville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. In 2012, the Mayo Clinic treated 1.2 million patients from more than 135 countries, employed 4,000 physicians and 53,600 allied health staff, and graduated more than 2,600 students from its four degree granting schools. The Rochester, Minnesota, campus, shown on Figure 106, is home to three interconnected buildings (Mayo, Gonda, and Plummer) and Rochester Methodist Hospital. FIGURE 105 Facebook Post: Third grade volunteers. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/MallofAmerica.)
123 Social Media Program The Mayo Clinic has been using social media platforms since 2005, as shown in Table 25. In August 2013, it had more than 466,000 likes on Facebook, more than 618,000 Twitter followers, and 10.1 million views on YouTube. The Mayo Clinic uses social media platforms to: ⢠Provide access to medical knowledge and professionals, including new research findings and recommendations for daily living; ⢠Enhance awareness of new and old medical procedures; ⢠Share patient stories; and ⢠Engage with current and prospective patients via recorded interviews and scheduled twitter chats. YouTube and blogs are the Mayo Clinicâs primary social media platforms. Facebook and Twitter are secondary platforms. In 2013, Facebook changed its policy to restrict postings of pictures and videos of medical procedures; as a result, the Clinic is exploring other ways of using Facebook. Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by the Mayo Clinic are summarized in this section: expert blogs, scheduled Twitter chats, and Saving Lives with Gus. Expert Blogs The Mayo Clinic has a dedicated expert blog section on its website, divided into seven categoriesâ Alzheimerâs, Cancer, Diabetes, Nutrition, Pregnancy, Stress Management, and the Mayo Clinic Diet. Each week, new expert commentary is posted for each category, together with comments from inter- ested readers. Traffic is directed to the blog through the website, Twitter, clinician referrals, and word-of-mouth. Blog posts on stress management are shown on Figure 107. FIGURE 106 Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. (Source: Mayo Clinic.)
Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) Podcasts / Blogs 2005 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blogs/BlogIndex 2006 http://www.youtube.com/user/mayoclinic 2007 http://www.yelp.com/biz/mayo-clinic- rochester#hrid:7SmqVzsBPtNrWO7smL8QaA 2008 https://www.facebook.com/MayoClinic 2008 https://twitter.com/mayoclinic 2008 Flickr.com/MayoClinic 2010 http://pinterest.com/mayoclinic/ 2010 https://foursquare.com/mayoclinic 2010 http://instagram.com/mayoclinic# 2010 http://www.linkedin.com/company/mayo-clinic Live chats 2012 https://twitter.com/mayoclinic 2013 https://plus.google.com/117843909302898250180/posts Source: Mayo Clinic. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 25 MAYO CLINIC SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM FIGURE 107 Website Blog: Stress Management. (Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/ health/blogs/BlogIndex.)
125 Scheduled Twitter Chats The Mayo Clinic schedules 30- to 60-minute twitter chats with Clinic physicians to answer ques- tions about specific topics. These chats are typically organized a week in advance in partnership with national or regional media outlets and accompanied by links to the Mayo Clinic website or a YouTube video for additional information, as shown on Figure 108. Saving Lives with Gus In April 2013, the Mayo Clinic launched âSaving Lives with Gus,â a video series designed to edu- cate, entertain, and provide life-saving tips by using high-tech mannequins. The objective of the campaign is to reach a new generation and deliver a succinct health care message to thousands of people through platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The videos cover topics ranging from fireworks safety to Heimlich maneuvers and are less than 2 minutes long. Figure 109 presents a selection of Saving Lives with Gus videos available on the Mayo Clinicâs YouTube platform. FIGURE 108 Twitter Post: Twitter chats on diabetes. (Source: https:// twitter.com/mayoclinic.) FIGURE 109 YouTube Videos: Saving Lives with Gus video series. (Source: http://www. youtube.com/user/mayoclinic.)
126 Use of Real-Time Information for Operations and Facility Management From the various social media management tools available, the Mayo Clinic uses Radian6 to moni- tor news and mentions about the Clinic and to obtain information on its competitive position. bitly, a URL shortening and bookmarking service, is used to create a custom shortened domain (mayocl.in) that makes the tweets look like they are from a trustworthy source. The Mayo Clinic is also test- ing Sprinklr, an enterprise-grade social media management platform that facilitates engagement across multiple divisions, countries, accounts, and channels, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, Foursquare, Slideshare, and blogs. Use of Social Media to Raise Heath Awareness As a leader in medical group practice, research, and innovation, the Mayo Clinic has an important role in improving global health. Social media allows healthcare providers such as the Mayo Clinic to highlight that role and feature significant healthcare initiatives, including: ⢠Heart Health Awareness Campaign. In 2011, the Mayo Clinic kicked off its heart health aware- ness campaign at the Clinicâs third annual Social Media Summit in Minnesota. As part of the push to promote health through social media, the campaign featured a music video called âKnow Your Numbers,â a parody of the 1982 hit song â867-5309/Jennyâ by Tommy Tutone, as shown on Fig- ure 110. The music video was created to help people understand the importance of knowing their numbers for blood pressure, lipids, and body mass index to help prevent heart disease. As part of the campaign, a free application on Mayo Clinicâs Facebook page was made available to calculate the risk of heart attack and learn how to prevent one. Social media fans and followers also had an opportunity to enter a contest to win a trip to the following yearâs Social Media Summit. ⢠The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The Mayo Clinic has a long history of participating in breast cancer awareness events and promotes these events through its social media channels. It sponsors teams and booths for breast cancer awareness events at its three main facilities and posts highlights from these events on its social media channels. ⢠Sharing Mayo Clinic/Patient Stories. The Mayo Clinic features a blog section on its website called âSharing Mayo Clinic,â which features stories from patients, their families and friends, and Clinic staff, as well as videos documenting patient success stories on its YouTube channel (Figure 111). In addition to promoting the successful patient recovery, these posts also help promote and highlight medical procedures. Mayo Clinic President and CEO: John H. Noseworthy, M.D. Director, Center of Social Media: Aase A. Lee FIGURE 110 YouTube Video: âKnow Your Numbersâ Heart Health Awareness Campaign. (Source: https://www.facebook. com/MayoClinic.)
127 FIGURE 111 YouTube Video: Sharing Mayo Clinic/patient stories. (Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/mayoclinic.) STAPLES CENTER Social media is a key component of the Staples Centerâs marketing and communications strategy. Recently, refinements to the Staples Centerâs social media strategy resulted in a four-fold increase in the Centerâs social media activity. These refinements included establishing and maintaining a consis- tent tone and personality, contracting with an outside vendor to develop engaging social promotions, leveraging the Staples Center brand to market event packages to artists and publicists, and enhancing customer service by linking the guest services department to the Centerâs Twitter feed. Social media is also a vehicle for Staples Center ticket sales. Background The Staples Center opened in 1999 and occupies 950,000 square feet of total space in downtown Los Angeles, California, adjacent to L.A. Live and the Los Angeles Convention Center. As a major multi-purpose sporting facility, Staples Center hosts more than 250 events and 4 million guests per year, and is home to Summerslam for World Wrestling Entertainment and four national sports teams: ⢠Los Angeles Lakers, National Basketball Association; ⢠Los Angeles Clippers, National Basketball Association; ⢠Los Angeles Kings, National Hockey League; and ⢠Los Angeles Sparks, Womenâs National Basketball Association. The Staples Center has also hosted concerts by many famous artists, spanning many different genres, including Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Vicente Fernandez, and the Rolling Stones. The Staples Center (Figure 112) is owned and operated by the L.A. Arena Company and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). AEG also developed and owns L.A. Live, an entertainment complex. Social Media Program The Staples Center has been using social media platforms since 2006, as shown in Table 26. In August 2013, it had more than 135,500 likes on Facebook, more than 49,000 Twitter followers, and 1.1 million views on YouTube. Staples Center uses social media platforms to: ⢠Respond to customer service-related comments; ⢠Promote events hosted at the Center; ⢠Attract venue promoters and artists; ⢠Organize contests and ticket giveaways to events;
128 ⢠Announce ticket pre-sales; ⢠Support community events, such as St. Patrickâs Day Festival or street fairs; and ⢠Provide updates on road closures that may affect access to Staples Center. Staples Center is focusing on a selected number of social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter being the primary ones. The arena has collaborated with an external agency to better define its digital strategy and employ techniques to measure the results. FIGURE 112 X Games at the Staples Center in 2011. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/staplescenter.) Social Media Year Initiated Web Address (URL link) 2006 http://www.yelp.com/biz/staples-center-los-angeles 2009 https://twitter.com/STAPLESCenter 2009 https://foursquare.com/staplescenter 2010 https://www.facebook.com/staplescenter 2010 http://www.pinterest.com/staplescenterla/ 2011 http://www.youtube.com/user/SCNTMarketing 2012 http://instagram.com/staplescenter Source: Staples Center. Listed by year initiated. TABLE 26 STAPLES CENTER SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM
129 Social Media Customer Engagement Strategies Three customer engagement strategies used by the Staples Center are summarized in this section: the employee video âCall Me Maybe,â concert ticket sweepstakes, and the âTop 10 Moments in Staples Centerâs History.â Call Me Maybe In May 2012, the Staples Center hosted six playoffs games in four days, as well as the Amgen Tour of California. During this period, 250,000 sports fans visited downtown Los Angeles and staff worked more than 55,000 hours. Despite the long hours, the Staples Center employees created a video to Carly Rae Jepsenâs âCall Me Maybe,â which was posted on the Centerâs YouTube channel. By August 2013, the video received more than 700,000 views and more than 3,000 likes, as sports and music fans got to see the âbehind the sceneâ side of Staples Center. One of the videoâs images is shown on Figure 113. Concert Ticket Sweepstakes The Staples Center regularly organizes contests on its Facebook and Twitter pages to give away tickets to concerts and sporting events. In May 2013, it promoted a sweepstakes on Facebook for the Rolling Stones kickoff performance of the â50 & Countingâ Tour. Staples Center uses Woobox, a tool that offers a selection of promotion apps that can be integrated with social media channels. Woobox is used widely by other event arenas in the United States. Figure 114 is the Facebook post promoting the Rolling Stones concert sweepstakes. Top 10 Moments in Staples Center History On December 12, 2012, the Staples Center celebrated its 12-year anniversary. On this occasion, it invited fans to add two more historic moments to the list created in 2010 called â10 Greatest Moments in the Venueâs history.â Fans were invited to comment on Facebook. Figure 115 is the Staples Centerâs post on Facebook. Use of Real-Time Information for Operations and Facility Management Staples Center uses Hootsuite and Topsy to identify mentions made in social media and obtain infor- mation on its competitive position. Hootsuite is also used to schedule tweets, especially the ones FIGURE 113 YouTube Video: âCall Me Maybeâ by Staples Center team. (Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/SCNTMarketing.)
130 promoting scheduled events. Hootsuite has recently announced that it will have an Instagram schedul- ing platform, which Staples Center is planning to use. Topsy, a platform similar to the Google search filter, is used by Staples Center to monitor comments made on any social platform. Tweets that require customer service are addressed within 24 hours at most, as the Communications Department works closely with the Guest Services Department. Use of Social Media to Promote Community Events As one of the major event arenas in the greater Los Angeles area, Staples Center uses its social media platform to promote events in the Los Angeles community including: ⢠L.A. LIVE St. Patrickâs Day Festival. In March 2013, Staples Center promoted the St. Patrick Day Festival events hosted by L.A. LIVE on its social media platforms. One of the pictures posted on Staples Centerâs Facebook page is shown as Figure 116. ⢠Farmers Field or bringing NFL back to L.A. In September 2012, the Los Angeles City Coun- cil voted on the Farmers Field stadium and convention center renovation, which would bring jobs, revenue, and NFL football to downtown Los Angeles. Staples Center posted its support on Facebook, naming September 28th a âbig day for AEG and us here at Staples Center,â as shown on Figure 117. ⢠Earth Month Free Electronic Recycling. In honor of Earth Month, the Staples Center and LA Live sponsored a free E-waste drive on April 26, 2013 (Figure 118). Staples Center Director, Communications & Social Media: Cara Vanderhook FIGURE 114 Facebook Post: Rolling Stones Concert Sweepstakes. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/staplescenter.)
131 FIGURE 115 Facebook Post: Staples Center 12-year anniversary. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/staplescenter.) FIGURE 116 Facebook Post: the World Famous Budweiser Clydesdales. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/staplescenter.)
132 FIGURE 117 Facebook Post: Farmers Field renovation project. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/staplescenter.) FIGURE 118 Facebook Post: Earth Month Free Electronic Recycling. (Source: https://www.facebook.com/staplescenter.)