Enhancing Aviation Industry's Public and Media Relations with CommTech; 2 Tips that will Make a Difference.

Over the past 15 years I have been involved in the digitisation of workflows within corporate communications departments across many industries. I have, however, spent a particular amount of time consulting with corp comms teams in the aviation industry; airports and airlines in particular. In this short blog, I have tried to highlight my views on proactive storytelling and the use of CommTech for effective media management.

This is part 1 of of a series 3 posts on airport communication strategies. In part 2 I will discuss 10 Real-Life PR Airport Communications cases and highlight some beast practices. In part 3, I will discuss airport PR/comms benchmarks and provide some industry numbers concerning audience, campaign reach, and newsroom key performance indicators.

The aviation industry plays a crucial role in connecting people, cultures, and businesses, driving economic growth, trade, and tourism. However, this sector also faces significant challenges, including major concerns on global warming, the inconvenience to living conditions near airports, and workforce shortages, which all place aviation (related) companies under intense public and media scrutiny. To navigate these challenges, aviation communications teams must adopt more proactive storytelling and efficient crisis communication strategies.

The Importance of Proactive Storytelling

Aviation companies frequently find themselves in the spotlight, often due to crises such as workforce shortages or environmental criticisms, or -unfortunately- due to safety issues and incidents. Traditionally, communication teams spend a substantial amount of time on re-active "firefighting" in which they address immediate issues rather than focusing on long-term brand building. This reactive approach can overshadow positive stories about innovation and sustainability within the industry. Which I know of first hand and are abundant and inspiring.

The media narrative for airlines and airports has singled out the negative angles on global warming, greenwashing, noise pollution and safety concerns… It is up to corporate communications teams to turn the tide…

Proactive storytelling involves sharing these positive narratives consistently, helping to build a strong, resilient brand image. By focusing on proactive communication, aviation companies can for example highlight their contributions to sustainability and innovation. Will this make the pressures of negative media narratives disappear overnight? No. It will not. But in many of my conversations with aviation comms teams, they do state that consistent proactive storytelling do open public perception and media narratives to also include more favourable angles.

For airports in particular, proactive storytelling could be combined with 'positions' and 'statements' in their comms strategy. For those not familiar with the inner workings of an airport: an airport is perceived as a single entity. Meaning that everything happening in and around the airport is the responsibility of the airport (brand). Fact of the matter is, that an airport is only the physical area where many different organisations (many suppliers and aviation brands) conduct their activities. An issue with an airline, can quickly affect the reputation of the airport.

Proactive and Efficient Media Management

There is probably no industry as pressured and scrutinised for handling crisis communications better than in the airline and airports. After all, an airplane incident is a fear that society as a whole can relate to.

Crisis (but also 'issue') communication is essential for maintaining trust and safeguarding the reputation of aviation companies. Effective crisis communication strategies involve real-time information sharing, ensuring stakeholders are well-informed and aligned with the company's narrative.

Over the past fifteen years I have seen amazing crisis plans. In most cases incredibly well thought through narratives based on extensive -and sometimes frightening- scenario planning. However, in most cases, all the plans lack the operational tech-stack aspect. And with that… the best crisis responses could fail due to operational issues that could have been resolved.

Key features in the operationalisation of a more proactive and effective media strategy include CommTech:

1. Quick Digital Response Times: Is the corporate communications and crisis (or 'response') teams able to access and manage the newsroom, social channels, and listening tools themselves and without dependency on other departments? In most cases, the answer is no. Fix this!

A pivotal change for Schiphol Airport was centralising their communications through a dedicated newsroom and live blog. By offering immediate, accurate information and preemptively answering common questions, Schiphol reduced incoming media inquiries significantly. This streamlined approach allowed the team to focus on delivering timely updates to both travellers and journalists.

Schiphol Airport's on Crisis Management: Lessons in Adaptability and Resilience

2. Integrated Media Enquiries: Handling media inquiries efficiently is critical during a crisis. Does the team have a centralised ‘something’ where press requests are gathered, logged, prioritised, and managed? The influx of queries during a crisis can be overwhelming. A team without real time overview that allows categorisation and prioritisation will soon be washed away. Especially as in times of crises, narrative discrepancies can slip in deepening the reputational damage.

3. Pre-prepared Dark Sites and? Holding Statements: Having pre-drafted holding statements allows companies to quickly disseminate information, providing basic facts and reassuring the public and stakeholders that the situation is under control. These statements are crucial for managing the initial impact of a crisis. They also help in reducing incoming questions (see 2).

Leveraging CommTech for Aviation PR

In conclusion, the aviation industry's unique challenges necessitate a shift towards proactive storytelling. By highlighting positive narratives of sustainability and innovation, aviation companies can build a resilient brand image and mitigate the impact of the over trending negative media narratives. Furthermore, the adoption of a fit-for-purpose tech stack (CommTech), including quick digital response times, integrated media inquiry management, and the capability to have pre-prepared holding statements, is essential for handling crises and maintaining public trust.

If you have any questions concerning this article or would like to reach out to me to discuss your organisation's corp comms workflow, feel free to send me a LinkedIn invite. I am more than happy to connect. My views are my own.