Captain's log--star date, 03142014. Due to scarcity of time, this will be my final report on airline activity in recent days.
"Airline's lack of information angers relatives"
By Didi Tang, Gillian Wong and members of the Associated Press
U-T San Diego
March 10th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/10/airlines-lack-of-information-angers-relatives/
In a nutshell: Relatives of Chinese passengers who were on board the currently-missing Malaysia Airlines flight have aired their grievances with the airline over their lack of responses to their concerns.
Why this matters: There is no better company philosophy than 'communication is KEY', especially in those occasions where one were to deal with an angry customer base.
"Airlines hurt as Ukraine crisis lifts oil price"
By John Heilprin
U-T San Diego
March 12th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/12/airlines-lower-forecast-for-record-2014-profit/
In a nutshell: The crisis in the Ukraine has caused the price of fuel the world over to go up, alarming those within the global airline industry.
Why this matters: This effectively would affect the cost of doing business for a small airline such as ours, as no fuel means no flights.
"Agency suing American Airlines over tax incentives"
By Don Babwin
U-T San Diego
March 12th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/12/agency-suing-american-airlines-over-tax-incentives/
In a nutshell: American Airlines is being sued by the Regional Transportation Authority for false claims of buying large amounts of jet fuel from a small office in a rural community to avoid tax payments, ones that number in the tens of millions.
Why this matters: Simply put--we can NEVER lie in the face of government oversight, because no matter how clever we could attempt to be, we can still get caught.
"Bad decade: Malaysia Airlines has catalog of woes"
By Kelvin Chan
U-T San Diego
March 12th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/12/bad-decade-malaysia-airlines-has-catalog-of-woes/
In a nutshell: Malaysia Airlines' reputation has been sinking in the public eye ever since the start of the missing flight incident, with its financial pressures and instances of lack of professionalism coming to light.
Why this matters: In times like this, a PR department's going to be working overtime to help clean up messes this massive.
"Friends Fear USC Graduate Student Was Aboard Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight
By Jonathan Lloyd, Nyree Arabian, Steven Covelman and Conan Nolan
NBC-7 San Diego
March 14th, 2014
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/SD-Friends-Fear-USC-Graduate-Student-Was-Aboard-Missing-Malaysia-Airlines-Flight-250369461.html#ixzz2vyE2i400
In a nutshell: "Friends fear a 27-year-old University of Southern California graduate student was among the 239 passengers on board a Malaysia Airlines jet that went missing last weekend."
Why this matters: Crisis communication needs to be not just practiced by us, but it needs to become a force of habit should we ever face similar events.
As the late Walter Cronkite always used to say: "And that's the way it is."
Friday, March 14, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Finale?
This might be the final recap I've got up my sleeve, and it covers quite the amount of legal territory.
From Chapter 3
Ethics, described in a single sentence, is the study of how we as a people should behave. Our behavior is derived from values for any situation. Ideally, one can be an honest, open, and fair advocate, since society at large knows that said advocate is functioning in a specific role. For the case of PR specialists, groups such as the PRSA, IABC, and IPRA set the particular standards and ethics for the profession. The main goal is to provide a continuous education of standards to all members, as well as raising those same standards.
Almost every professional organization (including the aforementioned three) have published and documented codes of conduct for how professional behavior is measured. There are also codes published dealing with financial relations; video news release production; working with bloggers; and social media networks.
From Chapter 12
(That is the last time I leave an entry unpublished.)
From Chapter 3
Ethics, described in a single sentence, is the study of how we as a people should behave. Our behavior is derived from values for any situation. Ideally, one can be an honest, open, and fair advocate, since society at large knows that said advocate is functioning in a specific role. For the case of PR specialists, groups such as the PRSA, IABC, and IPRA set the particular standards and ethics for the profession. The main goal is to provide a continuous education of standards to all members, as well as raising those same standards.
Almost every professional organization (including the aforementioned three) have published and documented codes of conduct for how professional behavior is measured. There are also codes published dealing with financial relations; video news release production; working with bloggers; and social media networks.
How an occupation becomes a profession involves an ever-changing process that requires following many steps, with a prime one being accepting of, and following, professional standards--this mainly applies to those with no formal training. How PR is considered a profession is because of the following criteria:
- Possesses a body of knowledge
- Is a widely-accepted discipline at the college and university level
- With that comes academic centers for research.
From Chapter 12
PR practitioners can land themselves in legal hot water in many ways, most of which guarantee a lawsuit or dealing with a government regulator. Among those offenses can be either providing advice to, or otherwise supporting, the client's illegal activities. Other major subjects of offense include:
- Libel and slander, or collectively defamation, where the emphasis is on false and negligent communication with a subject who suffered financial, reputational, or mental loss. There are exceptions, such as the bad reviews of movie critics (which are seen as 'fair comment').
- Invasion of privacy (which really speaks for itself)
- Copyright law, which deals with protecting creative works
- Trademark law, which deals similarly with names, symbols, slogans, etc.
- Government regulations, where one treads carefully to not incur the wrath of agencies such as the FTC, SEC, FCC, FDA, and EEOC.
- Corporate speech, which is a murky area as organizations are allowed to express opinions and views on public issues.
- Employee speech, especially in an age where digital communications makes it possible to almost freely express opinions within a corporate landscape.
- And then there's liability for sponsored events; any safety or security issues during different types of promotional events press the need for companies to possess liability insurance.
In those cases, there must be a good cooperative relationship between PR personnel and legal counsel to handle each one effectively. They both must do the following:
- Report to the same top exec.
- Be represented on key committees.
- Be aware of the legality that comes with almost anything and be up-to-date on certain protocols via briefings.
(That is the last time I leave an entry unpublished.)
Friday, March 7, 2014
Air Pacific Media Monitoring, Take Nine (March 3rd-7th, 2014)
More from the world of air travel comes your way:
"Worst time for air travel since 9/11"
By Linda Loyd
philly.com/inquirer
March 5th, 2014
http://articles.philly.com/2014-03-05/news/47899204_1_united-airlines-american-airlines-masflight
In a nutshell: Loyd recaps the costs that were inflicted upon the air travel industry by this year's winter weather.
Why this matters: This would serve as a means of measuring how much we could prepare for any sort of weather-related emergency both financially and with regards to our customer base.
"Air travel this spring will take off, airline industry predicts"
By Hugo Martin
The Los Angeles Times
March 5th, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-air-travel-this-spring-20140305,0,4251891.story#ixzz2vJWxIMHD
In a nutshell: Declining fuel prices, among other factors, may ensure that this spring will bring in a record number of passengers for international flights, for what may be the highest levels for U.S. carriers in six years.
Why this matters: Among the factors that were considered were rising household net worth and an improving economy, so this may feed into our growing customer base if we use this to our advantage.
"Consumer Groups Question U.S. Inaction on Critical Air Travel Rulemaking"
By Susan Young
travelagentcentral.com
March 6th, 2014
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/air-travel/consumer-groups-question-us-inaction-critical-air-travel-rulemaking-44969
In a nutshell: "Multiple U.S. consumer groups made public a letter they've jointly sent to Sylvia Mathews Burwell, director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget about delayed Department of Transportation (DOT) "Enhancing Consumer Protections III" rulemaking."
Why this matters: Despite our relative newness in the airline world, we still will fall under these particular rules and would be wise to pay attention to these developments as they happen.
"Delta spells out miles needed to earn free flights"
By David Koenig
U-T San Diego
March 6th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/06/delta-spells-out-miles-needed-to-earn-free-flights/
In a nutshell: "Delta is leaving the minimum number of miles needed for a U.S. trip at 25,000 miles and lowering requirements on some flights, especially international ones in business and first class."
Why this matters: This might give us pause on how we decide to structure our own miles plan, since we are a relatively new airline and customers have yet to actually accumulate miles with us.
"Woman Fights to Make Air Travel Safer for Food Allergy Sufferers"
By Erin Billups
Time Warner Cable News NY1
March 7th, 2014
http://brooklyn.ny1.com/content/lifestyles/health/204704/woman-fights-to-make-air-travel-safer-for-food-allergy-sufferers
In an nutshell: Lianne Mandelbaum, whose son has a serious food allergy, has launched a website called NoNutTraveler.com, which provides resources for allergy-riddled air passengers.
Why this matters: That right there gives us a great way to broaden our customer base--calling ourselves (and actually making ourselves) the first 'hypo-allergenic' airline.
"Worst time for air travel since 9/11"
By Linda Loyd
philly.com/inquirer
March 5th, 2014
http://articles.philly.com/2014-03-05/news/47899204_1_united-airlines-american-airlines-masflight
In a nutshell: Loyd recaps the costs that were inflicted upon the air travel industry by this year's winter weather.
Why this matters: This would serve as a means of measuring how much we could prepare for any sort of weather-related emergency both financially and with regards to our customer base.
"Air travel this spring will take off, airline industry predicts"
By Hugo Martin
The Los Angeles Times
March 5th, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-air-travel-this-spring-20140305,0,4251891.story#ixzz2vJWxIMHD
In a nutshell: Declining fuel prices, among other factors, may ensure that this spring will bring in a record number of passengers for international flights, for what may be the highest levels for U.S. carriers in six years.
Why this matters: Among the factors that were considered were rising household net worth and an improving economy, so this may feed into our growing customer base if we use this to our advantage.
"Consumer Groups Question U.S. Inaction on Critical Air Travel Rulemaking"
By Susan Young
travelagentcentral.com
March 6th, 2014
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/air-travel/consumer-groups-question-us-inaction-critical-air-travel-rulemaking-44969
In a nutshell: "Multiple U.S. consumer groups made public a letter they've jointly sent to Sylvia Mathews Burwell, director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget about delayed Department of Transportation (DOT) "Enhancing Consumer Protections III" rulemaking."
Why this matters: Despite our relative newness in the airline world, we still will fall under these particular rules and would be wise to pay attention to these developments as they happen.
"Delta spells out miles needed to earn free flights"
By David Koenig
U-T San Diego
March 6th, 2014
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/06/delta-spells-out-miles-needed-to-earn-free-flights/
In a nutshell: "Delta is leaving the minimum number of miles needed for a U.S. trip at 25,000 miles and lowering requirements on some flights, especially international ones in business and first class."
Why this matters: This might give us pause on how we decide to structure our own miles plan, since we are a relatively new airline and customers have yet to actually accumulate miles with us.
"Woman Fights to Make Air Travel Safer for Food Allergy Sufferers"
By Erin Billups
Time Warner Cable News NY1
March 7th, 2014
http://brooklyn.ny1.com/content/lifestyles/health/204704/woman-fights-to-make-air-travel-safer-for-food-allergy-sufferers
In an nutshell: Lianne Mandelbaum, whose son has a serious food allergy, has launched a website called NoNutTraveler.com, which provides resources for allergy-riddled air passengers.
Why this matters: That right there gives us a great way to broaden our customer base--calling ourselves (and actually making ourselves) the first 'hypo-allergenic' airline.
Monday, March 3, 2014
In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part IX
Today's recap reminds me of a party planner I once knew....Anyway, on with the show:
From Chapter 16
For public relations specialists, events and other types of meetings are great ways to reach people, and they are also good ways to involve those same people and their five senses (touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight). These events need to be deliberately planned right down to every detail.
In the group or club meeting, these particular details that require the most attention are time and location, facilities and their seating capacity, invitations, name tags, a menu if refreshments are possible, who will be the speakers, how one registers, and of course the costs of it all.
Banquets tend to be more formal affairs, and need to be planned greatly in advance--sometimes months, sometimes weeks. Besides the aforementioned details found in a group meeting, banquets also require additions such as decorations, the choice of entertainment, A/V equipment, fees for the speakers, and charts detailing seating arrangements.
Cocktail parties and receptions have the greatest care taken into account, mainly because of possible liability that stems from alcohol consumption and the amount of food and soft beverages available.
With the cases of open houses or plant tours, the planning that goes into each requires carefully handling visitors and meticulous training of personnel in contact with said visitors.
Conventions are a greater challenge as the professionals in charge need to oversee multiple events and meetings over a select number of days. These conventions may even consist of the previously mentioned events all grouped together as part of the schedule.
Trade shows attract millions of people, and exhibit space costs can vary from the figures of $50,000 to $1 million. A relative of these shows, promotional events, also has costly fees, but with good reason--the occasional celebrity appearance. Such promotional events can be grand openings, product announcements or unveilings, or even charity races like a 10-K. The only things that need to be taken into great consideration are city permits in order to actually hold the event; security to make sure nothing disrupts it; and liability insurance in the event that something does indeed go wrong.
From Chapter 16
For public relations specialists, events and other types of meetings are great ways to reach people, and they are also good ways to involve those same people and their five senses (touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight). These events need to be deliberately planned right down to every detail.
In the group or club meeting, these particular details that require the most attention are time and location, facilities and their seating capacity, invitations, name tags, a menu if refreshments are possible, who will be the speakers, how one registers, and of course the costs of it all.
Banquets tend to be more formal affairs, and need to be planned greatly in advance--sometimes months, sometimes weeks. Besides the aforementioned details found in a group meeting, banquets also require additions such as decorations, the choice of entertainment, A/V equipment, fees for the speakers, and charts detailing seating arrangements.
Cocktail parties and receptions have the greatest care taken into account, mainly because of possible liability that stems from alcohol consumption and the amount of food and soft beverages available.
With the cases of open houses or plant tours, the planning that goes into each requires carefully handling visitors and meticulous training of personnel in contact with said visitors.
Conventions are a greater challenge as the professionals in charge need to oversee multiple events and meetings over a select number of days. These conventions may even consist of the previously mentioned events all grouped together as part of the schedule.
Trade shows attract millions of people, and exhibit space costs can vary from the figures of $50,000 to $1 million. A relative of these shows, promotional events, also has costly fees, but with good reason--the occasional celebrity appearance. Such promotional events can be grand openings, product announcements or unveilings, or even charity races like a 10-K. The only things that need to be taken into great consideration are city permits in order to actually hold the event; security to make sure nothing disrupts it; and liability insurance in the event that something does indeed go wrong.
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