Archive for July, 2009

Paying in-flight to use the toilet? Ryannair thinks so

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Admittedly, when I first heard about this, I though O’Leary - the airline’s chief executive - was crazy to do this.  It’s always interesting to predict how passengers would react to having to pay to use the toilet, to change diapers for little ones, and so on.  But, customer service is not what this airline wants to be known for, and it is proud of that.  In the global edition of the New York Times, there was an article explaining O’Leary’s business model for Ryannair:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/01/world/europe/01oleary.html?_r=1&ref=global-home.  If anything, especially in these economic times, his distaste for quality and customer service paired with the promise of on-time service and low cost fares seem to balance out.  It almost made sense to me. 

A nice media relations example, this article concretely communicated Ryannair’s promise as an airline.  Zero customer service, a ton of fees tucked away here and there, but the expectation is that customers get what they pay for.  If any loyalty is gained, it is because of low fares and on time departures, not because you’ll get away with excess luggage or complain why your seat did not recline!  Messages from a PR perspective were clear and to the point, as shocking and annoying to some readers.  Overall, a great PR piece that surely will lead to lots of sales as Ryannair expands its short-haul flights. 

However, if it doesn’t respond to emails (according to the article, no one responds to email), then good luck with tapping into the potential of social media.

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »

Why PR is the new customer service

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

A friend of mine recently passed along an interesting article that discussed the idea of how customer service utilizes PR efforts to maximize retention, loyalty, and satisfaction.  With social networking, PR tools have become broader, more flexible and much more instantaneous in reaching the public.  While PR is the communication practice of managing perception and establishing relationships.  With customer service going through its own crisis in the downturn, borrowing PR’s flexibility and success tools to enhance the process is very smart.

With Twitter, Facebook and tons of other sites popping up each day, gathering feedback and addressing issues has become so much easier.   From a PR perspective, notifying customers of an award, a special recognition for service or performance provides the opportunity to stay in touch with customers frequently, putting a stop in the days of sending outdated newsletters every two months or so that ended up in digital and/or real trash.  With social media, customers feel empowered and engaged, which is good in many ways… and bad in some ways!  That’s why monitoring social media are a full time job.

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 2 Comments »

Marriott International crisis response and the PR challenges ahead

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

Terrible tragedy six years after another terrorist attack in the Jakarta Marriott hotels.  It is interesting how Marriott has handled the PR response to the crisis so far, especially how it has successfully - so far - incorporated traditional and social media to keep the public informed.

With over 12,000 followers, Marriott International posts regular updates on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Marriottintl

A press release came out over the wire yesterday expressing sympathy, and measures they hotel management has taken to restore the properties and ensure guest and employee safety.  While the hotels continue to remain closed, their PR departments are working in synergy to properly handle the crisis.

Given, however, that this is the second time a bombing incident has taken place at one of the two Jakarta luxury hotels, the challenge to calm the public will be very difficult to achieve.  Security is always a huge issue in hotels, and one that perhaps should be discussed more openly with existing and potential guests, who spend good money to wake up safe in the morning. 

From a PR perspective, Marriott is good with expressing sympathy, providing information in a timely manner, and containing the situation.  However, Marriott International’s main PR and perception challenge will be to answer the myriads of questions as it pertains to hotel security the second time around, and what will be done to ensure that an incident like this won’t be repeated in another six years - or ever again.

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Ethics in PR: tell all?

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

When a new product doesn’t perform, when a service doesn’t quite provide, when a situation goes out of control, PR pros are faced with the same dilemma regardless of their industry: when, if, and how to tell the truth.

Since I am of the school of thought that you should never say no comment, and telling all and the truth is the way to go, you won’t find me in much of a dilemma when it comes to being ethical.  The problem with the PR field, and why it is not respected the way it should, is because professionals (or those who call themselves professionals) don’t follow suit.  Myriads of crises over the years would have been avoided if PR counselors would just take the bull by the horns and deal with the issue - not by spending endless hours in a war room trying to cover it up, but by being strategic about approach the press, and forthcoming with information to the public.

Naturally, by telling all I don’t mean analyzing every single detail that’s not necessary.  Being truthful, creating well-crafted talking points that will satisfy the media’s everlasting hunger is challenging enough.  However, in order to take control of the situation, you have to be honest, truthful, and confident with the public.  If you aren’t, it will show over time, and there goes your credibility.  Good luck in getting another favorable placement again.  

Another example is of those PR practitioners who have no problem issuing press releases and announcements with either completely fabricated facts or over-the-top exaggerated information.  Worse are those who claim they were pushed into issuing a statement that was false because otherwise they would lose their job.  Yes, I understand you want to get public attention for your client.  And maybe the client doesn’t care because the client places trust in your efforts and pays for you to use good judgement.  But, credibility is earned with time and is so easily broken.  Since the media are so fickle, if you burn reporters with bad information in releases, your name will forever be remembered as an unreliable source.  And even with the short term memory of Facebook and Twitter, some of us may be even more tempted to post exaggerated info just to get that five-second attention.  Is it worth it though?  Why not spend the time to learn your client inside out, so that you can best represent them to the public and bring out the best for them and for you as a reputable PR professional:

And most of us know that all we really have in this life is our name.

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »

Hotels: is green still the new black?

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

In the last three to five years we have been bombarded with promises of sustainability efforts on the part of hotels who chose to make social and environmental responsibility a top priority.  Multiple hotels have succeeded in that effort and for a long time, the “green amenity” angle was mainstream in the dailies, trade and travel news.   As much as sustainability is a large undertaking for corporate hotel chains, there are some great examples of sustainable boutique hotels all over the world including brands such as Kimpton, NYLO, and other independent properties worldwide.

My question is: how is the sustainability promise kept during the economic crisis, and how much PR shelf life does the green angle still have?  Is it our duty and responsibility to keep sustainability mainstream in the news, or has it reached a peak?  How can we keep the flow of green information interesting and in the forefront of editor’s minds, Twitter and Facebook?  Have we talked the angle to death, or are there new ways of showcasing the efforts of sustainability of hotels all over the world? 

Food for thought.

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | 1 Comment »

Why PR and SEO should be seamless

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

As we continue to mourn the impending death of print (or at least the decrease in its popularity), one thing is for sure: for PR/Media relations to work effectively, a strong online presence must be acquired.  The concept and practice of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is certainly not new, and it has become a necessary element in the PR toolbox.

SEO helps PR professionals think in terms of their audience.  As chief communicators, we’re increasingly challenged not just with our style of writing, but more so with our understanding of what our audience is searching for on the Internet.  How we make news and how it is delivered is only one part of the equation.  Nowadays, we are constantly thinking who is reading our news (=press releases/announcement), and most importantly… is that actually relevant to that person (=reporter, writer, site visitor, etc)?

We now train ourselves in writing optimized press releases, rich in links and tags, in order to maximize our message’s viral ability.   By thinking in terms of our audience, we can create and deliver news that is important. 

Don’t underestimate good media relations and PR: in the world of blogs, Twitter and Facebook, getting a message or news item to someone who is actually searching for it is a huge feat.

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Posted in European Destinations, Hospitality, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, PR, Top Accommodations, social media | No Comments »