Cleaning Up Communications

On the thupr event, Cleaning up Communications

Despite the fact that the World Cup and various PR conferences were on, despite the fact that it was a hot and sunny Friday afternoon, and despite the fact that I hadn’t been able to put in the normal amount of effort around the thupr event on June 25, there was a committed core of people who cared enough to come and talk around the subject of ‘Cleaning Up Communications’.

It was anything but a normal thupr event – although each event has been so very different that what ‘normal’ is remains a moot issue. Each has taken on its own personality and this one was all discussion.

So how do we ‘Clean Up Communications?’

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PR Implications of the Volcano Crisis

Claire Thompson, Freelance PR Consultant, Waves PR

On the PR Implications of the Volcano Crisis for the airlines.

I ran a very quick and unempirical (manual) search to see how the airlines are faring on the PR front 24 hours after they won the right to put flights back in the sky* following the volcanic ash cloud which grounded flights – ie looking at their management of getting people moving and handling stranded passengers.

The airlines were highly variable in how well they communicated to stranded customers what actions passengers needed to take, and not one had really harnessed the opportunities and speed offered by social media outlets for communication, although there were rumblings in that direction.

The (customer) expenses issue came to the fore as a result of RyanAir’s early refusal to meet it’s legal obligations. Whether this is going to impact anyone’s reputation long term is a moot issue.

The financial implications loomed larger in many communications than the stranded customer issue, largely because so many of the official communications were aimed at financial markets (for regulatory reasons).

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BMI’s Volcanic PR

Claire Thompson, Freelance PR Consultant, Waves PR

On BMI’s Communications during the volcano crisis

Although BMI initially joined RyanAir in refusing to pay up it was a lot less publicised (perhaps more banked goodwill?)

I wanted to love BMI’s communications – some years ago I flew with British Midlands to Amsterdam very other week for work, and they were right up there as my preferred airline. But times change!

Akin to Virgin, it was hard to find customer focussed information – search on  BMI and Virgin names offer up information on so much more than flying (clue: from body masses to sexual preferences.)

Akin to RyanAir, BMI introduced an ash week discount code offer, but has communicated very little for stranded passengers, all a little perfunctory. Whilst there are communications about flights on their site, there is no information for customers about what to do if you haven’t yet had a confirmed flight.

Their media information is password protected – access is subject to approval – and appears to go to PR company  Four Communications.

In short, BMI offers very little information, and what’s there is with a perfunctory delivery: not earning much loyalty, and lucky (so far) to be ‘getting away with it’.

Twitter account

http://twitter.com/flybmi

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• Stranded Britons could wait ‘up to a month to get home’ (telegraph.co.uk)

British Airway’s Volcanic PR

Claire Thompson, freelance PR consultant, Waves PR

On British Airway’s Communications during the volcano crisis

British Airways’ primary communicated concern around the recent volcanic activity appeared to be money.

This is perhaps understandable: British Airways estimates that the lost passenger and freight revenue together with the costs incurred on supporting passengers is approximately £15-20 million a day.

But financiers must be loving company bigwig Willie Walsh. BA has joined with other European airlines to ask the EU and national governments for financial compensation for the closure of airspace. (There is a precedent for this to happen as compensation was paid after the closure of US airspace following the terrorist events of 9/11.) It was BA that seemed to lead the test flights, took the risks of getting flights moving to UK (which forced urgent decisions), and fought for the flight ban to be lifted.

A BA spokeswoman said (in a press statement): “Our priority is to bring stranded customers home as soon as possible. When our long-haul aircraft took off , we were optimistic that London airspace would reopen after 1900 in the evening. We had contingency plans for the aircraft if the air space restrictions changed. Safety is our top priority.”

So BA are the heroes of the hour?

Copy tweet:

RT @experthacker: Honestly THANK you Willi Walsh #BA without your push d flies would still be silent #ashgate

How that will be viewed long term will depend upon results, but meanwhile BA’s financial motivation is coming in for some flack. Stranded passenger Kim Biggins’ story appeared to tell a tale of profit over passengers ($6k for a one way flight home) , as did tweeted reports of being charged £3k to fly home in first class or wait til May for a flight. Whilst  the news that they’ll have to pay passengers’ expenses may yet change their minds on that front, BA has let it be known that it wants the Government to reimburse them.

However, BA did communicate clearly, and will probably be loving that it detracted from cabin crew strikes for a while.

Twitter Presence:

http://twitter.com/British_Airways

http://twitter.com/BritishAirways

Various other regional sites also operate, and BA appeared to be using these sites professionally to respond to concerned tweeters and point them in the direction of information.

Communications:

A clear statement was made via the website: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/volcano-update/public/en_gb?refevent=volcano_home_banner

And their refund policy was clear: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/volcano-rebooking/public/en_gb

Statements to the media focussed far more on the business implications, however:

Statement April 20 to media: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bapress/public/en_gb

Statement April 19 to media: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bapress/public/en_gb

There is more room here to split financial/regulatory releases from more general customer focussed news and information here if British Airways wants to present a better public face.