Do not attempt to adjust your monitor. This transmission has been taken over for the purposes of...media monitoring.
"Federal Air Marshal Service to close six field offices"
By Pia Malbran
CBS News
February 24th, 2014
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-air-marshals-to-close-six-field-offices/
In an nutshell: Six offices of the Federal Air Marshal Service will be closing, raising concerns over air travel vulnerability.
Why this matters: We need to determine if we can guarantee in-flight safety for our potential passengers, so it might be wise to keep ourselves apprised of this development. The San Diego office is set to close, as is the Seattle one.
"Santee college, airline strike deal for students"
By Karen Pearlman
U-T San Diego
February 24th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/Feb/24/santee-college-airline-students-pilots/
In a nutshell: American Eagle airlines has struck a deal with San Diego Christian College's four-year flight school program to help students transition more easily into aviation careers.
Why this matters: This might prove to be a tactic we could use to increase our employee pool and better ingratiate ourselves with college communities.
"Airline pilot shortage? Report says it's not clear"
The CW-6 San Diego
February 27th, 2014
http://www.sandiego6.com/story/airline-pilot-shortage-report-says-it-s-not-clear-20140227
In a nutshell: The Government Accountability Office, in studying the issue, has estimated that 1900-4500 new airline pilots will need to be hired annually over a span of 10 years.
Why this matters: We can use this opportunity to put our hat into the ring and try and attract new pilots to help our airline get up off the ground.
"Latest airline perk: Safe distance from the masses"
CBS-8 San Diego
February 27th, 2014
http://www.cbs8.com/story/24840784/latest-airline-perk-safe-distance-from-the-masses
In an nutshell: A new kind of 'luxury' is being offered to wealthy passengers from San Francisco to Hong Kong--physical distance in the cabin of the plan from those passengers in coach or first class.
Why this matters: We might want to consider pushing ourselves as an 'airline of the people' in light of this development.
"American Airlines ends bereavement fares"
By Katia Hetter
CNN Travel
February 27th, 2014
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/travel/american-airlines-bereavement-fares/
In a nutshell: American Airlines will no longer be charging bereavement fares due to its merger with US Airways, easing a burden off of customers in times of need.
Why this matters: This opens the door to what other possible add-ons can be phased out, and we could be the first airline to not have any of these impact ticket prices.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part VIII
Today's recap brings things into crisis mode, especially on the corporate level.
From Chapter 10
Public relations, among its many functions, also acts as a way of practicing the management of both conflict and competition in multiple settings. In playing this role, it falls under what is called the contingency theory, which calls for a dynamic, multifaceted method with settling a conflict. Within this, managing a conflict can fall into four phases of a cycle: the proactive, the strategic, the reactive, and finally the recovery phase. Each phase has its own variety of methods and means for carrying it out, ensuring a continuous cycle.
Another way to describe crisis management would also be 'issues management', a proactive, systemic means of anticipating and preventing any potential problems on the rise. In doing so, five steps need to be taken: identification, analysis, strategizing options, coming up with an action plan, and evaluating the results.
An approach to issue management on a public scale can be through risk communication, where a risk to public health, safety, or the environment is attempted to be addressed via dissemination of accurate information. Communicators have to preemptively figure out the concern at hand, ferret out hostility that may arise, respond to the media's needs, and all while maintaining a sense of honesty.
The very idea of crisis management is usually tested when an actual crisis is occurring, no matter which kind it is. Any lack of proper planning for this turns the ordeal into a "smoldering" crisis. On an organizational level, when it occurs within the corporate structure, this sort of planning takes the form of 'reputation management'. This shows how an organization deals with conflict both without and within. By relying on research to gauge reputation during and following a crisis, they minimize the damage to their reputation, and when this is verified, they can return to a proactive approach of preventing further 'catastrophes' (and improve their performance in the process).
From Chapter 17
If there are entities that are at the forefront of crisis management via PR, they are today's giant, globally-reaching corporations. The fact that they are of such a vast size causes mistrust to brew within the public, and the recent financial scandals didn't help their image either. To get back on the public's good side, they need to tell their side of the story, which is where corporate social responsibility comes into play. It is here that PR comes into great play, in three different facets.
In media relations, the corporations need to deal with the public perception of business (which originate from mass media--see films such as Network or Wall Street, for example). To get over this hurdle, corporations build relationships with business editors and reporters by trying to be more open and accessible about their policies, operations, and dealings.
In customer relations, customer service divisions are the most prominent example of corporate PR. By ensuring customer satisfaction, you ensure customer loyalty AND create an 'agent' that spreads word about the service or product to others. PR experts in a corporate setting work to make this happen as much as possible, to the point where they've been given rein to start up communication programs to serve customer bases much better--especially with the case of the increasingly diverse United States population. Keeping corporations in check also falls into the hands of special interest groups, activist groups, and the occasional consumer boycotts.
In employee relations, corporations seek to ensure that their company 'ambassadors' are high in morale, communicate effectively, and are good sources of information on the company. Layoffs and offshoring can often be detrimental to employee morale, though in the case of the former, companies do offer severance packages to ease the pain.
In investor relations, PR experts need to be knowledgeable in the fields of both communication and finance to deal with the other big constituency of corporations: the investors, both corporate and public. They also need to be aware and downright knowledgeable about government regulations, as government is one of a corporation's biggest investors.
To make all the above easier, PR, advertising, and marketing staffs work together to set up proper marketing communication between a company and the public, via product publicity, placement, partnerships with non-profits, and corporate sponsorships.
These days, environmental relations has become greatly important, as corporations have more dialogues with activist groups to deal with both environmental and human rights issues. As part of these efforts, corporate philanthropy often comes into play--every year, corporations give about $15 million dollars to different causes, mostly to those that complement their business and consumer profiles.
(I've got to do something about leaving drafts in the lurch...)
From Chapter 10
Public relations, among its many functions, also acts as a way of practicing the management of both conflict and competition in multiple settings. In playing this role, it falls under what is called the contingency theory, which calls for a dynamic, multifaceted method with settling a conflict. Within this, managing a conflict can fall into four phases of a cycle: the proactive, the strategic, the reactive, and finally the recovery phase. Each phase has its own variety of methods and means for carrying it out, ensuring a continuous cycle.
Another way to describe crisis management would also be 'issues management', a proactive, systemic means of anticipating and preventing any potential problems on the rise. In doing so, five steps need to be taken: identification, analysis, strategizing options, coming up with an action plan, and evaluating the results.
An approach to issue management on a public scale can be through risk communication, where a risk to public health, safety, or the environment is attempted to be addressed via dissemination of accurate information. Communicators have to preemptively figure out the concern at hand, ferret out hostility that may arise, respond to the media's needs, and all while maintaining a sense of honesty.
The very idea of crisis management is usually tested when an actual crisis is occurring, no matter which kind it is. Any lack of proper planning for this turns the ordeal into a "smoldering" crisis. On an organizational level, when it occurs within the corporate structure, this sort of planning takes the form of 'reputation management'. This shows how an organization deals with conflict both without and within. By relying on research to gauge reputation during and following a crisis, they minimize the damage to their reputation, and when this is verified, they can return to a proactive approach of preventing further 'catastrophes' (and improve their performance in the process).
From Chapter 17
If there are entities that are at the forefront of crisis management via PR, they are today's giant, globally-reaching corporations. The fact that they are of such a vast size causes mistrust to brew within the public, and the recent financial scandals didn't help their image either. To get back on the public's good side, they need to tell their side of the story, which is where corporate social responsibility comes into play. It is here that PR comes into great play, in three different facets.
In media relations, the corporations need to deal with the public perception of business (which originate from mass media--see films such as Network or Wall Street, for example). To get over this hurdle, corporations build relationships with business editors and reporters by trying to be more open and accessible about their policies, operations, and dealings.
In customer relations, customer service divisions are the most prominent example of corporate PR. By ensuring customer satisfaction, you ensure customer loyalty AND create an 'agent' that spreads word about the service or product to others. PR experts in a corporate setting work to make this happen as much as possible, to the point where they've been given rein to start up communication programs to serve customer bases much better--especially with the case of the increasingly diverse United States population. Keeping corporations in check also falls into the hands of special interest groups, activist groups, and the occasional consumer boycotts.
In employee relations, corporations seek to ensure that their company 'ambassadors' are high in morale, communicate effectively, and are good sources of information on the company. Layoffs and offshoring can often be detrimental to employee morale, though in the case of the former, companies do offer severance packages to ease the pain.
In investor relations, PR experts need to be knowledgeable in the fields of both communication and finance to deal with the other big constituency of corporations: the investors, both corporate and public. They also need to be aware and downright knowledgeable about government regulations, as government is one of a corporation's biggest investors.
To make all the above easier, PR, advertising, and marketing staffs work together to set up proper marketing communication between a company and the public, via product publicity, placement, partnerships with non-profits, and corporate sponsorships.
These days, environmental relations has become greatly important, as corporations have more dialogues with activist groups to deal with both environmental and human rights issues. As part of these efforts, corporate philanthropy often comes into play--every year, corporations give about $15 million dollars to different causes, mostly to those that complement their business and consumer profiles.
(I've got to do something about leaving drafts in the lurch...)
Friday, February 21, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Seven (February 17th-21st, 2014)
All right, all right, you know the drill. Only problem is, second slow news week. (Man, I've got to readjust my media alert criteria....)
"Animal activists protest outside SeaWorld San Diego: Group also took message to Lindbergh Field"
ABC-10 San Diego
February 16th, 2014
http://www.10news.com/news/animal-activists-protest-outside-seaworld-san-diego-group-also-took-message-to-lindbergh-field-02162014
In a nutshell: 200 animal rights activists staged large protests at both SeaWorld San Diego and at Lindbergh Field, continuing the fervor over Southwest Airlines' partnership with the theme park amidst the controversy brought about by the documentary Blackfish.
Why this matters: Reinforcing a previous entry from a few weeks back, we need to make it clear to potential passengers and customers that we associate our company with partners whose practices are humane and environmentally-conscious.
"Gary Sinise, Hollywood Pals Salute Wounded Warriors with 3-Day Fest"
Breitbart News
February 17th, 2014
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2014/02/17/gary-sinise-wounded-warrior-san-diego
In a nutshell: Actor Gary Sinise, via his foundation and with the support of both American Airlines and the USO (along with some help from some of his fellow actors) to stage a three-day event honoring wounded soldiers.
Why this matters: We should think about finding a way to place ourselves in the position of honoring our troops by giving them a means of returning to their families.
"Fly from LAX or SAN to Mammoth Free with Lodging Purchase"
By Courtney Royce
onthesnow.com
February 19th, 2014
http://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/589308/fly-from-lax-or-san-to-mammoth-free-with-lodging-purchase
In a nutshell: Up to two people are now eligible for free flights from LAX or San Diego International Airport if they make reservations at any Mammoth Lakes resort, between March 23rd and April 4th.
Why this matters: We should start thinking about partnering with resorts or hotels to offer similar premiums to our customers.
"Airlines warned to beware of possible shoe bombs"
By CNN Wire
FOX-5 San Diego
February 20th, 2014
http://fox5sandiego.com/2014/02/19/airlines-warned-to-beware-of-possible-shoe-bombs/#axzz2tziU7tnn
In a nutshell: Airlines have been warned by the US government of possible terrorist threats via hidden explosives in their shoes.
Why this matters: We'll need to figure out how our airline complies with the government in matters such as this.
"Animal activists protest outside SeaWorld San Diego: Group also took message to Lindbergh Field"
ABC-10 San Diego
February 16th, 2014
http://www.10news.com/news/animal-activists-protest-outside-seaworld-san-diego-group-also-took-message-to-lindbergh-field-02162014
In a nutshell: 200 animal rights activists staged large protests at both SeaWorld San Diego and at Lindbergh Field, continuing the fervor over Southwest Airlines' partnership with the theme park amidst the controversy brought about by the documentary Blackfish.
Why this matters: Reinforcing a previous entry from a few weeks back, we need to make it clear to potential passengers and customers that we associate our company with partners whose practices are humane and environmentally-conscious.
"Gary Sinise, Hollywood Pals Salute Wounded Warriors with 3-Day Fest"
Breitbart News
February 17th, 2014
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2014/02/17/gary-sinise-wounded-warrior-san-diego
In a nutshell: Actor Gary Sinise, via his foundation and with the support of both American Airlines and the USO (along with some help from some of his fellow actors) to stage a three-day event honoring wounded soldiers.
Why this matters: We should think about finding a way to place ourselves in the position of honoring our troops by giving them a means of returning to their families.
"Fly from LAX or SAN to Mammoth Free with Lodging Purchase"
By Courtney Royce
onthesnow.com
February 19th, 2014
http://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/589308/fly-from-lax-or-san-to-mammoth-free-with-lodging-purchase
In a nutshell: Up to two people are now eligible for free flights from LAX or San Diego International Airport if they make reservations at any Mammoth Lakes resort, between March 23rd and April 4th.
Why this matters: We should start thinking about partnering with resorts or hotels to offer similar premiums to our customers.
"Airlines warned to beware of possible shoe bombs"
By CNN Wire
FOX-5 San Diego
February 20th, 2014
http://fox5sandiego.com/2014/02/19/airlines-warned-to-beware-of-possible-shoe-bombs/#axzz2tziU7tnn
In a nutshell: Airlines have been warned by the US government of possible terrorist threats via hidden explosives in their shoes.
Why this matters: We'll need to figure out how our airline complies with the government in matters such as this.
Monday, February 17, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part VII
Today's recap focuses on the expanse, highs, and lows, of public opinion, and its relation to some of the biggest moneymakers for PR: entertainment, sports, and for better or worse, politics.
From Chapter 9
Public opinion is one of the most difficult aspects of society to gauge, due to how few there are of issues that the entirety of the public can unanimously agree on. Tackling any level of public interest will involve engaging said public's idea of how the issue will affect their own self-interest.
A prime factor in forming public opinion comes in the form of public discussion, which can be started by people knowledgeable in certain issues: formal opinion leaders, aka power leaders, and informal, or role models. Mostly via mass media, opinion then travels from the leader to the public. Mass media plays such a large role in setting the atmosphere for letting public discourse emerge, though it can be complicated by the idea of the media-dependency theory, where people who know little-to-nothing of a certain issue rely mostly on mass media for giving them information and shaping their opinions. Another theory, the framing theory, fits into the field based on the idea that agents of mass media in the form of journalists and PR personnel promote a fraction of an issue/controversy to bring people in--whereas journalists focus on the conflict in a story, PR specialists look for resolution of a conflict.
On the subject of where PR fits into this, the prominent view--or fittingly, the public opinion--of PR is that it is a means of persuasive communication on behalf of certain parties or clients. Such forms of persuasion temper hostilities, solidify views and feelings, and preserve the more favorable of them. There are some basic factors in communicating persuasively:
From Chapter 18
Among the biggest businesses in the United States, sports, entertainment and tourism reign supreme. Movies, sports games, concerts, travel--all contribute heavily to the public relations bottom line, all because people have many options to spend their income on. In return, these industries do everything in their power to both attract customers and outdo each other by spending large amounts of money on marketing, advertising, and PR.
One of the biggest parts of this climate is the idea of the cult of personality, where mass media glorifies all kinds of celebrities, be they athlete, entertainer, even crooks and politicians--or even crooked politicians. The overall idea is that fame (and sometimes greed) motivates the celebrity for good or ill, and their public is in turn sees in them as fonts of wish fulfillment, belonging, and sometimes entertainment (even when the celebrity in question isn't even trying). In this field, PR people are known as publicists due to their duty of generating buzz and excitement based around a celebrity or something in their line of work, be it a game, a film, a concert, or a benefit. They also act as 'damage control' in the event that said celebrity manages to make a fool of him or herself in public (or make a brush with law enforcement).
In preparing a publicity campaign for the client, a publicist needs to interview him or her, put together a biography that can be accepted by the masses, draft a plan to market the client, and then pull off a campaign involving public appearances, photography shoots, and news releases picked up by multiple media outlets. For something on a larger scale such as an event, drumming up ticket sales, among other things, may require some good publicity campaigns. One greatly-utilized technique may include the 'drip-drip-drip' method of disseminating information to the 'target audience' (a term coined by the film industry). For sporting events, college and professional teams are greatly promoted via buildup of 'star player' images, corporate sponsorship, and these days social media.
With tourism, the idea is selling people on a PLACE. In the United States, home to notable tourist destinations such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, and the Empire State Building, tourism generates 10% of gross national product. To ensure that flow of GNP, travel PR involves giving the public good reason to visit a place, making arrangements for them to reach it, gauging their enjoyment of the trip, and keeping track of their safety. One of the biggest audiences for this industry is retirees, but despite that steady stream of people, tourism is a business with a fluctuating state of being, due to threats such as economic downturn, political instability, and other disasters that can harm tourists.
From Chapter 19
PR in political and governmental settings tend to be a more trickier area than in entertainment, sports, and tourism; then again, government has been playing the PR game for centuries, as they seek to inform and persuade the public on many different issues regarding the state of their nation. In the United States, however, Congress puts limits on federal agencies that seek to 'persuade' the people, so they emphasize 'public information'.
On the federal level, the U.S. government is the largest information dissemination entity in the world, with the centerpiece being the White House (where every action the President takes is observed by mass media). The Presidents past and present have used this to their advantage to guide the nation in certain directions (while also making themselves 're-electable'). All agencies within the government use public affairs officers and public information specialists to present policies in ways their constituencies can easily digest.
On the state level, public information officers inform the people of the moves the state government makes; some agencies even conduct campaigns to promote health and safety issues or tourism. Locally, public information specialists are utilized to spread the word about city services and encourage economic development within.
To better communicate with entities on the federal, state and local levels of government (national and international), most corporate communication involves a public affairs division, which builds relationships between civil servants/elected officials and the client in question. They also keep track of any government actions that could affect said client. An example of this can be found in the activities of trade groups in Washington D.C., where specialists in PA give a government entity and the public it serves the primary viewpoint of the client. Lobbyists tend to be more politically active, participating in attempts to pass, defeat, or amend legislation--something that, as of late, has begun to generate public concern. U.S. business, education, religion, and international groups have their proverbial foot in the door of government via lobbyists.
In a corporate sense, government relations serve to find ways of working with government for a mutual benefit, while getting employees to be more politically active; Washington D.C. and other state-based trade associations are a prominent example.
Come election season, whole armies of specialists in PR and other public opinion fields are brought on (or event retained) by candidates to raise money for, and organize, their campaigns. In this information technology-tinted age, the internet has come in very handy for these efforts.
(Long night drafting this, believe it or not. I nearly forgot to click 'publish' on this until today.)
From Chapter 9
Public opinion is one of the most difficult aspects of society to gauge, due to how few there are of issues that the entirety of the public can unanimously agree on. Tackling any level of public interest will involve engaging said public's idea of how the issue will affect their own self-interest.
A prime factor in forming public opinion comes in the form of public discussion, which can be started by people knowledgeable in certain issues: formal opinion leaders, aka power leaders, and informal, or role models. Mostly via mass media, opinion then travels from the leader to the public. Mass media plays such a large role in setting the atmosphere for letting public discourse emerge, though it can be complicated by the idea of the media-dependency theory, where people who know little-to-nothing of a certain issue rely mostly on mass media for giving them information and shaping their opinions. Another theory, the framing theory, fits into the field based on the idea that agents of mass media in the form of journalists and PR personnel promote a fraction of an issue/controversy to bring people in--whereas journalists focus on the conflict in a story, PR specialists look for resolution of a conflict.
On the subject of where PR fits into this, the prominent view--or fittingly, the public opinion--of PR is that it is a means of persuasive communication on behalf of certain parties or clients. Such forms of persuasion temper hostilities, solidify views and feelings, and preserve the more favorable of them. There are some basic factors in communicating persuasively:
- Audience analysis
- Credibility of source(s)
- Appeal to self-interest(s)
- Clarity of message(s)
- Timing/context
- Audience participation
- Active suggestions
- Message content and structure
- Speaking persuasively
From Chapter 18
Among the biggest businesses in the United States, sports, entertainment and tourism reign supreme. Movies, sports games, concerts, travel--all contribute heavily to the public relations bottom line, all because people have many options to spend their income on. In return, these industries do everything in their power to both attract customers and outdo each other by spending large amounts of money on marketing, advertising, and PR.
One of the biggest parts of this climate is the idea of the cult of personality, where mass media glorifies all kinds of celebrities, be they athlete, entertainer, even crooks and politicians--or even crooked politicians. The overall idea is that fame (and sometimes greed) motivates the celebrity for good or ill, and their public is in turn sees in them as fonts of wish fulfillment, belonging, and sometimes entertainment (even when the celebrity in question isn't even trying). In this field, PR people are known as publicists due to their duty of generating buzz and excitement based around a celebrity or something in their line of work, be it a game, a film, a concert, or a benefit. They also act as 'damage control' in the event that said celebrity manages to make a fool of him or herself in public (or make a brush with law enforcement).
In preparing a publicity campaign for the client, a publicist needs to interview him or her, put together a biography that can be accepted by the masses, draft a plan to market the client, and then pull off a campaign involving public appearances, photography shoots, and news releases picked up by multiple media outlets. For something on a larger scale such as an event, drumming up ticket sales, among other things, may require some good publicity campaigns. One greatly-utilized technique may include the 'drip-drip-drip' method of disseminating information to the 'target audience' (a term coined by the film industry). For sporting events, college and professional teams are greatly promoted via buildup of 'star player' images, corporate sponsorship, and these days social media.
With tourism, the idea is selling people on a PLACE. In the United States, home to notable tourist destinations such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, and the Empire State Building, tourism generates 10% of gross national product. To ensure that flow of GNP, travel PR involves giving the public good reason to visit a place, making arrangements for them to reach it, gauging their enjoyment of the trip, and keeping track of their safety. One of the biggest audiences for this industry is retirees, but despite that steady stream of people, tourism is a business with a fluctuating state of being, due to threats such as economic downturn, political instability, and other disasters that can harm tourists.
From Chapter 19
PR in political and governmental settings tend to be a more trickier area than in entertainment, sports, and tourism; then again, government has been playing the PR game for centuries, as they seek to inform and persuade the public on many different issues regarding the state of their nation. In the United States, however, Congress puts limits on federal agencies that seek to 'persuade' the people, so they emphasize 'public information'.
On the federal level, the U.S. government is the largest information dissemination entity in the world, with the centerpiece being the White House (where every action the President takes is observed by mass media). The Presidents past and present have used this to their advantage to guide the nation in certain directions (while also making themselves 're-electable'). All agencies within the government use public affairs officers and public information specialists to present policies in ways their constituencies can easily digest.
On the state level, public information officers inform the people of the moves the state government makes; some agencies even conduct campaigns to promote health and safety issues or tourism. Locally, public information specialists are utilized to spread the word about city services and encourage economic development within.
To better communicate with entities on the federal, state and local levels of government (national and international), most corporate communication involves a public affairs division, which builds relationships between civil servants/elected officials and the client in question. They also keep track of any government actions that could affect said client. An example of this can be found in the activities of trade groups in Washington D.C., where specialists in PA give a government entity and the public it serves the primary viewpoint of the client. Lobbyists tend to be more politically active, participating in attempts to pass, defeat, or amend legislation--something that, as of late, has begun to generate public concern. U.S. business, education, religion, and international groups have their proverbial foot in the door of government via lobbyists.
In a corporate sense, government relations serve to find ways of working with government for a mutual benefit, while getting employees to be more politically active; Washington D.C. and other state-based trade associations are a prominent example.
Come election season, whole armies of specialists in PR and other public opinion fields are brought on (or event retained) by candidates to raise money for, and organize, their campaigns. In this information technology-tinted age, the internet has come in very handy for these efforts.
(Long night drafting this, believe it or not. I nearly forgot to click 'publish' on this until today.)
Friday, February 14, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Six (February 10th-14th, 2014)
"Hey buddy, you got the time?"
"Why yes, it's....time for more Air-Pac Media Monitoring."
"Airport expansion plan moving forward"
By David Garrick
U-T San Diego
February 10th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/10/carlsbad-palomar-airport-runway-expand-proposal/
In a nutshell: San Diego county officials are moving forward with plans to expand the runway at McLellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California, which is one of the only two airports (the other being Lindbergh Field) that offer commercial service. It would supposedly, among other possible benefits, solve certain noise and safety issues.
Why it matters: When we're considering possible locations where our flights can be offered outside the more larger airports, it might be good to consider where we could expand our reach to smaller and more local airports.
"Spirit Airlines Passengers Go for Cheap Tickets Over Time"
By J. Kyle O'Donnell
Bloomberg.com
February 10th, 2014
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-11/spirit-airlines-passengers-go-for-cheap-tickets-over-time.html
In a nutshell: Spirit Airlines is making a name for itself as a very, very low-cost flight provider, but unfortunately has quite a streak of tardy flights attached to that reputation.
Why it matters: We've got to give our audiences the idea that we stick to our commitments and guarantee on-schedule flights with at little hassle as possible, and make sure that said audiences think of that, among other traits, when they think of Air Pacific.
"Alaska Airlines adding three new transcontinental destinations"
By John Gillie
The News Tribune
February 11th, 2014
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/02/11/3040935/alaska-airlines-adding-three-new.html
In a nutshell: Alaska Airlines will add three new, nonstop transcontinental routes--New Orleans, Louisiana and Tampa, Florida (in June) and Detroit, Michigan (in September).
Why it matters: For those potential customers whose vacation plans extend beyond the confines of the west coast and Midwest, it might be wise to think of the Northeast and Southeastern corners of the country for possible route expansion.
"Storm in Southeast causes flight cancellations in San Diego"
By Nancy Aziz
The CW San Diego-6
http://www.sandiego6.com/story/storm-in-southeast-causes-flight-cancellations-in-san-diego-20140213
In a nutshell: A massive storm hitting the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions has caused quite a lot of disruption for airline travel, including flights bound from San Diego. 3300 flights were cancelled because of those conditions.
Why it matters: Contrary to the previous news story, this is another indicator that there are times where we show our customers and passengers that when it comes to travel and weather conditions, we're just as paranoid as they are.
*Now, I know I came up short on one story (thus depriving myself of meeting the minimum), but to be fair, of all the stories I dug for, let's just say it was a bit of a slow news week.
"Why yes, it's....time for more Air-Pac Media Monitoring."
"Airport expansion plan moving forward"
By David Garrick
U-T San Diego
February 10th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/10/carlsbad-palomar-airport-runway-expand-proposal/
In a nutshell: San Diego county officials are moving forward with plans to expand the runway at McLellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California, which is one of the only two airports (the other being Lindbergh Field) that offer commercial service. It would supposedly, among other possible benefits, solve certain noise and safety issues.
Why it matters: When we're considering possible locations where our flights can be offered outside the more larger airports, it might be good to consider where we could expand our reach to smaller and more local airports.
"Spirit Airlines Passengers Go for Cheap Tickets Over Time"
By J. Kyle O'Donnell
Bloomberg.com
February 10th, 2014
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-11/spirit-airlines-passengers-go-for-cheap-tickets-over-time.html
In a nutshell: Spirit Airlines is making a name for itself as a very, very low-cost flight provider, but unfortunately has quite a streak of tardy flights attached to that reputation.
Why it matters: We've got to give our audiences the idea that we stick to our commitments and guarantee on-schedule flights with at little hassle as possible, and make sure that said audiences think of that, among other traits, when they think of Air Pacific.
"Alaska Airlines adding three new transcontinental destinations"
By John Gillie
The News Tribune
February 11th, 2014
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/02/11/3040935/alaska-airlines-adding-three-new.html
In a nutshell: Alaska Airlines will add three new, nonstop transcontinental routes--New Orleans, Louisiana and Tampa, Florida (in June) and Detroit, Michigan (in September).
Why it matters: For those potential customers whose vacation plans extend beyond the confines of the west coast and Midwest, it might be wise to think of the Northeast and Southeastern corners of the country for possible route expansion.
"Storm in Southeast causes flight cancellations in San Diego"
By Nancy Aziz
The CW San Diego-6
http://www.sandiego6.com/story/storm-in-southeast-causes-flight-cancellations-in-san-diego-20140213
In a nutshell: A massive storm hitting the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions has caused quite a lot of disruption for airline travel, including flights bound from San Diego. 3300 flights were cancelled because of those conditions.
Why it matters: Contrary to the previous news story, this is another indicator that there are times where we show our customers and passengers that when it comes to travel and weather conditions, we're just as paranoid as they are.
*Now, I know I came up short on one story (thus depriving myself of meeting the minimum), but to be fair, of all the stories I dug for, let's just say it was a bit of a slow news week.
Monday, February 10, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part VI
Another recap to cap the week off (see what I did there?), this time an overall focus on PR and diversity, both on the national and international scales.
From Chapter 11
Since not all audiences are the same, and due to the vast numbers of different cultural, ethnic, religious, and economic groups, PR initiatives must be planned carefully to appeal to each one in a different manner. With the case of the United States alone, it's estimated that by 2050 these varying minorities will make up the majority of the population. Yet thanks to recent technological and research innovations, these audiences can be divvied up in ways that can allow PR experts to understand their characteristics more intricately and thus communicate better with them, and help those same PR specialists become more culturally literate in the process.
Right now, the top three major ethnic groups living in the United States are Hispanic, African-American, and Asian-American, each with their own values that need to be understood greatly by the pros. These three groups, according to some studies, are very family-based and community-oriented. Their media outlets are greatly on the rise, evidenced, for example, by the number of Spanish-based media groups out there. Spanish, continuing the example, is thus the go-to language despite younger generations being more bilingual.
On the subject of generations, that idea constitutes the fact that because audiences are generational, their varying values, needs and interests need to be gauged accordingly. In addition to the great number of young people, PR experts need to deal with the great wave of soon-to-retire baby boomers and seniors, who tend to be more affluent (which is why travel and tourism tend to do such great business year-round). With figuring out the requirements of each side, the preferred media channels need to be determined; while young people are mostly online and on their cell phones, seniors still go for traditional newspaper and TV news as their mediums of choice.
Gender and lifestyle tend to complicate PR efforts even further. Since women are 50 percent of the workforce, spend the most disposable income of a family, and are more frequent on social media, they hold much more sway than any of the previously-mentioned groups combined. The LGBT community, being a bit more affluent and well-educated, are given much focus from PR and marketing programs. Religious groups are a tough fish to catch, since they straddle the line between conservative (greatly exemplified by the Christian Right) and liberal. The disability community is more the equivalent of walking on a frozen lake--it needs to be tread upon lightly, but with more sensitivity and well thought-out tactics.
From Chapters 20
In the modern globalized world of today, PR deals with all rungs on the ladder, from customers/employees/vendors to communities and governments. Due to this landscape's conditions, PR is very well-developed globally, particularly in China (with a reputation like theirs, they'd need all the PR they could get).
PR firms represent clients two ways: either for foreign interests in the United States, or for American corporations across the world. PR experts need to deal with the language and cultural barriers when practicing in another country, and sometimes even ethical issues. Much of the effort done for governments and companies involve lobbying, whether it be one nation's elected officials or government agencies big and small, for many different matters. Nations (like the aforementioned China) utilize PR on a global scale to bring their public image up and increase their influence over various international and regional groups or organizations. Nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) are seen as very credible on issues regarding health, the environment, and labor, in the eyes of the news media and the public that watches said media, due to the perception that they don't have the attitude of self-interest possessed by corporations and governments. It is because of those views that larger corporations are finding the courage to cooperate with NGO's to adopt policies that would make them seem more socially responsible.
In the governmental context, the goal is to greatly influence foreign policies of other nations and the opinions/actions of their respective peoples (such as tourism, trade policies, and foreign investment). United States-based PR firms are recruited to work for foreign governments in some cases, be it in peacetime or when conflict is going on between two nations (where PR is used by both sides to justify their actions). The US government, in its attempts to bolster its international information efforts, gave this approach an appropriate moniker: public diplomacy, the activities by which the goal is to promote the understanding of US culture while promoting US foreign policy objectives (one such example of this effort being the Voice of America radio broadcast programs).
Many skills have become required due to the expanding reach of PR across the world: language fluency, international relations, global marketing, socio-economic geography, and cross-cultural communication.
From Chapter 21
Things are greatly different for PR when it involves all things nonprofit, health, and education (and everything in-between).
In the nonprofit sector, organizations are tax-exempt because of their goals of bettering their members or the overall human condition. With fundraising, the PR muscles of these groups are greatly flexed (in the form of communications campaigns requiring a large, sometimes all-volunteer staff). Partnerships with other members are a must for the common goal, resulting in much competition between groups for donations. (Aggravated further by differing opinions held by each organization.)
In membership groups, the membership consists of people with common interests, and can be made up of labor unions, trade groups, chambers of commerce, and professional associations. Advocacy groups usually fight in the name of varying social causes, with methods such as lobbying, litigation, large mass demonstrations/boycotts, reconciliation efforts, and public education. Social service groups usually set out to develop public awareness, convincing people to use their services offered, making educational material, gathering volunteers, and of course raising funds.
Health organizations such as hospitals or certain agencies specialize in the health needs of the public at large, and employ PR specialists to spread the word about medical advances, availability, and potential health risks to be on the lookout for. Educational groups, especially on the college/university level, focus on, among other things, raising the reputation of the institution, aiming all efforts at alumni, students current and prospective, faculty/staff, the government, and the public at large.
On the subject of fundraising, this is of great focus as most nonprofits seek out large companies and individuals alike for contributions large and small. Recruiting volunteers is also pressing, and it allows the community to help the nonprofit reach its goals.
From Chapter 11
Since not all audiences are the same, and due to the vast numbers of different cultural, ethnic, religious, and economic groups, PR initiatives must be planned carefully to appeal to each one in a different manner. With the case of the United States alone, it's estimated that by 2050 these varying minorities will make up the majority of the population. Yet thanks to recent technological and research innovations, these audiences can be divvied up in ways that can allow PR experts to understand their characteristics more intricately and thus communicate better with them, and help those same PR specialists become more culturally literate in the process.
Right now, the top three major ethnic groups living in the United States are Hispanic, African-American, and Asian-American, each with their own values that need to be understood greatly by the pros. These three groups, according to some studies, are very family-based and community-oriented. Their media outlets are greatly on the rise, evidenced, for example, by the number of Spanish-based media groups out there. Spanish, continuing the example, is thus the go-to language despite younger generations being more bilingual.
On the subject of generations, that idea constitutes the fact that because audiences are generational, their varying values, needs and interests need to be gauged accordingly. In addition to the great number of young people, PR experts need to deal with the great wave of soon-to-retire baby boomers and seniors, who tend to be more affluent (which is why travel and tourism tend to do such great business year-round). With figuring out the requirements of each side, the preferred media channels need to be determined; while young people are mostly online and on their cell phones, seniors still go for traditional newspaper and TV news as their mediums of choice.
Gender and lifestyle tend to complicate PR efforts even further. Since women are 50 percent of the workforce, spend the most disposable income of a family, and are more frequent on social media, they hold much more sway than any of the previously-mentioned groups combined. The LGBT community, being a bit more affluent and well-educated, are given much focus from PR and marketing programs. Religious groups are a tough fish to catch, since they straddle the line between conservative (greatly exemplified by the Christian Right) and liberal. The disability community is more the equivalent of walking on a frozen lake--it needs to be tread upon lightly, but with more sensitivity and well thought-out tactics.
From Chapters 20
In the modern globalized world of today, PR deals with all rungs on the ladder, from customers/employees/vendors to communities and governments. Due to this landscape's conditions, PR is very well-developed globally, particularly in China (with a reputation like theirs, they'd need all the PR they could get).
PR firms represent clients two ways: either for foreign interests in the United States, or for American corporations across the world. PR experts need to deal with the language and cultural barriers when practicing in another country, and sometimes even ethical issues. Much of the effort done for governments and companies involve lobbying, whether it be one nation's elected officials or government agencies big and small, for many different matters. Nations (like the aforementioned China) utilize PR on a global scale to bring their public image up and increase their influence over various international and regional groups or organizations. Nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) are seen as very credible on issues regarding health, the environment, and labor, in the eyes of the news media and the public that watches said media, due to the perception that they don't have the attitude of self-interest possessed by corporations and governments. It is because of those views that larger corporations are finding the courage to cooperate with NGO's to adopt policies that would make them seem more socially responsible.
In the governmental context, the goal is to greatly influence foreign policies of other nations and the opinions/actions of their respective peoples (such as tourism, trade policies, and foreign investment). United States-based PR firms are recruited to work for foreign governments in some cases, be it in peacetime or when conflict is going on between two nations (where PR is used by both sides to justify their actions). The US government, in its attempts to bolster its international information efforts, gave this approach an appropriate moniker: public diplomacy, the activities by which the goal is to promote the understanding of US culture while promoting US foreign policy objectives (one such example of this effort being the Voice of America radio broadcast programs).
Many skills have become required due to the expanding reach of PR across the world: language fluency, international relations, global marketing, socio-economic geography, and cross-cultural communication.
From Chapter 21
Things are greatly different for PR when it involves all things nonprofit, health, and education (and everything in-between).
In the nonprofit sector, organizations are tax-exempt because of their goals of bettering their members or the overall human condition. With fundraising, the PR muscles of these groups are greatly flexed (in the form of communications campaigns requiring a large, sometimes all-volunteer staff). Partnerships with other members are a must for the common goal, resulting in much competition between groups for donations. (Aggravated further by differing opinions held by each organization.)
In membership groups, the membership consists of people with common interests, and can be made up of labor unions, trade groups, chambers of commerce, and professional associations. Advocacy groups usually fight in the name of varying social causes, with methods such as lobbying, litigation, large mass demonstrations/boycotts, reconciliation efforts, and public education. Social service groups usually set out to develop public awareness, convincing people to use their services offered, making educational material, gathering volunteers, and of course raising funds.
Health organizations such as hospitals or certain agencies specialize in the health needs of the public at large, and employ PR specialists to spread the word about medical advances, availability, and potential health risks to be on the lookout for. Educational groups, especially on the college/university level, focus on, among other things, raising the reputation of the institution, aiming all efforts at alumni, students current and prospective, faculty/staff, the government, and the public at large.
On the subject of fundraising, this is of great focus as most nonprofits seek out large companies and individuals alike for contributions large and small. Recruiting volunteers is also pressing, and it allows the community to help the nonprofit reach its goals.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Five (February 3rd-7th, 2014)
Time for more media monitoring! (Don't you just love the news...?)
"Batteries on planes pose 'increased fire risk'"
By Richard Westcott
BBC News, Business
February 3rd, 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25733346
In a nutshell: Stemming from an incident at San Diego International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration has determined that lithium-ion batteries could cause potential fire hazards on planes.
Why it matters: This could be a great inspiration for Air Pacific to outline a formal flight safety plan, and get customer feedback on what could and can't work in it.
"Southwest Airlines to Add New Routes From San Diego"
KPBS-San Diego
February 4th, 2014
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/feb/04/southwest-airlines-add-new-routes-san-diego/
In a nutshell: Southwest Airlines announced it will add new flight routes from San Diego once federal limits on the airline's home airport are lifted, putting it head-to-head with American and Delta.
Why it matters: It gives a good indicator of how big a competition we'll be up against once we ourselves enter the race for airport space.
"San Diego County Considers Tighter Flight School Rules"
By Greg Bledsoe, Elena Gomez, and R. Stickney
NBC-7 San Diego
February 5th, 2014
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-County-Considers-Tighter-Flight-School-Rules-243697601.html#ixzz2sfqpZx49
In a nutshell: New regulations are being considered by San Diego County that would require flight schools to do background checks on foreign-born students.
Why it matters: This could either prove beneficial or limiting to the 'talent pool' we would have to choose from when hiring our airline's pilots.
"Foreign travel soars at Lindbergh Field"
By Chris Nichols
U-T San Diego
February 5th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/05/san-diego-international-airport-lindbergh-field/
In a nutshell: "Last year was a record breaker for international travel at Lindbergh Field, driven by the San Diego aviation hub’s first-ever nonstop route to Japan and greater demand for service to Mexico, officials said this week."
Why it matters: Once we launch and become established and successful enough in our initial year in operation, we're going to have to consider our international travel options at some point.
"Southwest Airlines just got even friendlier with craft brew service"
By John Verive
The L.A. Times
February 6th, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-southwest-airlines-just-got-even-friendlier-with-craft-brews-20140206,0,3215683.story#ixzz2sfsOuglH
In a nutshell: Southwest has partnered with New Belgium Brewing to bring craft beer to their flights.
Why it matters: Since we live in an area of the U.S. where craft and micro brewing is popular with people, it might be good to consider partnering with some local breweries to help us plan out our in-flight menu....
"Batteries on planes pose 'increased fire risk'"
By Richard Westcott
BBC News, Business
February 3rd, 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25733346
In a nutshell: Stemming from an incident at San Diego International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration has determined that lithium-ion batteries could cause potential fire hazards on planes.
Why it matters: This could be a great inspiration for Air Pacific to outline a formal flight safety plan, and get customer feedback on what could and can't work in it.
"Southwest Airlines to Add New Routes From San Diego"
KPBS-San Diego
February 4th, 2014
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/feb/04/southwest-airlines-add-new-routes-san-diego/
In a nutshell: Southwest Airlines announced it will add new flight routes from San Diego once federal limits on the airline's home airport are lifted, putting it head-to-head with American and Delta.
Why it matters: It gives a good indicator of how big a competition we'll be up against once we ourselves enter the race for airport space.
"San Diego County Considers Tighter Flight School Rules"
By Greg Bledsoe, Elena Gomez, and R. Stickney
NBC-7 San Diego
February 5th, 2014
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-County-Considers-Tighter-Flight-School-Rules-243697601.html#ixzz2sfqpZx49
In a nutshell: New regulations are being considered by San Diego County that would require flight schools to do background checks on foreign-born students.
Why it matters: This could either prove beneficial or limiting to the 'talent pool' we would have to choose from when hiring our airline's pilots.
"Foreign travel soars at Lindbergh Field"
By Chris Nichols
U-T San Diego
February 5th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/05/san-diego-international-airport-lindbergh-field/
In a nutshell: "Last year was a record breaker for international travel at Lindbergh Field, driven by the San Diego aviation hub’s first-ever nonstop route to Japan and greater demand for service to Mexico, officials said this week."
Why it matters: Once we launch and become established and successful enough in our initial year in operation, we're going to have to consider our international travel options at some point.
"Southwest Airlines just got even friendlier with craft brew service"
By John Verive
The L.A. Times
February 6th, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-southwest-airlines-just-got-even-friendlier-with-craft-brews-20140206,0,3215683.story#ixzz2sfsOuglH
In a nutshell: Southwest has partnered with New Belgium Brewing to bring craft beer to their flights.
Why it matters: Since we live in an area of the U.S. where craft and micro brewing is popular with people, it might be good to consider partnering with some local breweries to help us plan out our in-flight menu....
Sunday, February 2, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part V
Iiiiiiitttt's recap time! Today we focus on a mass medium that's become accepted faster than its brethren: the Internet, and with it one of its most prominent 'regions', social media.
From Chapter 13
The internet, aka the World Wide Web, is unique in that it's taken the shortest amount of time to be adopted by people the world over. It's also probably the most 'free' of the world's mass mediums in that it allows anyone to distribute and receive information of varying types and amounts, no matter the location, without the need for a middleman. Among the myriads of users of the Web are public relations specialists, since the internet can function as both an information hub and a research tool. In and of itself, the Web maintains such a reputation because it is easily updated almost every day, serves as a quick funnel for information at instantaneous speeds, has a near-infinite amount of available space, and allows people to interact with one another no matter the distance. These days, such interaction can be done via webcasting, where audio and video are streamed in real time over a website; it is greatly used by many organizations for news conferences, employee training, and a variety of other functions.
A new territory currently being explored in this vast, relatively new medium is social media, a spawn of what's been dubbed "Web 2.0". It's in this field that most internet content is consumer-generated, and with it comes an opportunity for PR professionals to both gain feedback from, and build relationships with, their customer base. There are many different types of social media at their disposal:
From Chapter 13
The internet, aka the World Wide Web, is unique in that it's taken the shortest amount of time to be adopted by people the world over. It's also probably the most 'free' of the world's mass mediums in that it allows anyone to distribute and receive information of varying types and amounts, no matter the location, without the need for a middleman. Among the myriads of users of the Web are public relations specialists, since the internet can function as both an information hub and a research tool. In and of itself, the Web maintains such a reputation because it is easily updated almost every day, serves as a quick funnel for information at instantaneous speeds, has a near-infinite amount of available space, and allows people to interact with one another no matter the distance. These days, such interaction can be done via webcasting, where audio and video are streamed in real time over a website; it is greatly used by many organizations for news conferences, employee training, and a variety of other functions.
A new territory currently being explored in this vast, relatively new medium is social media, a spawn of what's been dubbed "Web 2.0". It's in this field that most internet content is consumer-generated, and with it comes an opportunity for PR professionals to both gain feedback from, and build relationships with, their customer base. There are many different types of social media at their disposal:
- Blogs, going back as far as 1998, are now accepted among the mainstream due to its usefulness for small businesses and larger companies. They aren't costly, the content is mostly informal in nature, it can serve as a link to other pages, and readers can comment on whichever posts are interesting to them. PR-wise, there are three blog categories in the corporate blogosphere: corporate, employee, and third party.
- Social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace (is it even relevant anymore?), designed to connect friends and family alike, can also serve PR people in that they can gain customer insights, build brand awareness on an unprecedented scale, and generate consumer loyalty instantly. The only catch is that the PR material needs to be subtle, yet creative, in order to make a splash with the audience.
- YouTube, a social networking site specializing in video clips (and even whole videos), are great for organizations to spread their message along with actually giving their customer base something to look at. Whatever video content they create, however, must be engaging and creative enough to strike a chord with whoever is watching it.
- Flickr, a site specializing in sharing photographs, is a challenge for organizations due to their rule against trying to use the site as a platform for selling products or services. PR people have found ways to get around this, with one such method being getting a photographer to share a photo they've taken on the organization's Flickr page.
- Text messaging allows organizations and PR staff to get in touch with employees, customers, and certain audiences in a fast manner, either by broadcast text, subscription text, or the one-off text. The most well-known form of text messaging is via Twitter, where messages must be under 140 characters.
- Wikis, named for the internet encyclopedia Wikipedia, are collections of web pages that can be updated or modified by anyone.
- Podcasts, either audio or video, are played over the internet via RSS feeds, with a name originating from Apple's iPod and broadcast. They're cost-effective, able to be accessed 24/7, and portable, hence their popularity among smartphone and MP3 device users. For PR specialists and their client organizations, whatever podcasts they conceive need to be informative in a conversational manner.
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