To quote a generation: Whatever. We’d given up on trains. Trains were inefficient and clunky, but also the best option for people who wanted something more upscale than a bus but not as cost prohibitive as air travel. Train travel was the purgatory of movement. It’s where people ended up who didn’t commit to any other means of transportation. Then something happened.

Air travel became increasingly exasperating as perplexing security measures, delayed flights, lost luggage, hidden fees and overworked employees became the face of air travel. Airports were places where one could inadvertently end up for the weekend, and on the local news holding a cot. Rising fuel prices also conspired against travel by car, and snarling traffic around major hubs could delay travel plans for hours. And then came Wi-Fi. Glory. Glory. continued…

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But consider this little fact: every minute of boarding time on an airline flight costs $30 per flight. Sure, in an airport $30 may represent a few beers at the terminal’s TGIF or a hidden fee for some minor (and infuriating) infraction of small-print protocols, but that number adds up when multiplied throughout the day. Just imagine all of those fellow passengers and the number of flights in a 24-hour period. Cha-ching.

Airlines view boarding times as an exploitable revenue area. Reducing boarding times translates into more efficient procedures, more flights and increased income. Therefore, American Airlines is rewarding passengers who travel without overhead compartment baggage the luxury of boarding early, just after first-class and other premium level passengers. Yes, American Airlines is encouraging customers to be low maintenance.

By now the public has learned to abandon hope of air travel ever returning to its glory days. We fully understand the impersonal, probing, fee-mongering practices of a business model that struggles to serve its customers. Most of us have already found ways of taking our trip into our own hands. We already travel light. We show up galvanized in an attitude that expects things to go wrong. We emotionally prepare ourselves for stuff—delayed flights, lost luggage or weary customer service. continued…

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Delta Airlines is here to help the public do exactly that. Yes, you read that correctly, a U.S.-based airline is stepping up to make customers actually feel good about air travel. The last time that happened passengers were actually living the Mad Men life and not watching it on AMC. Yes, it’s been quite a while since the public had a reason to smile about flying.

But now Delta, as evidenced by a $1.2 billion investment in Terminal 4 at New York’s JFK airport, is unveiling a new attitude toward industry operations, profitability and most importantly, customers. You and me. The public. Yes, Delta wants to be liked by us. After years of saturating the public with promises of low fares and no-frills travel experiences, Delta is investing in the public’s emerging need for a break from the tedium and madness of air travel.

The public has had enough of the long and cringe-worthy security lines, the worn carpets and tired terminal aesthetics, the cancelled flights and cattle-call explanations from overworked employees, and the predatory fees for carry-on baggage and schedule changes. We can have nice things when we fly. And we deserve them. continued…

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To the public this move is cheap, opportunistic and completely forgettable because if you don’t have access to a cell phone somewhere—an uncle, a neighbor, even a complete stranger will lend you a phone—then you probably have bigger challenges to address than being fleeced by Spirit Airlines. (This weekend many grandmothers will be receiving iPads for Mother’s Day so they can follow their kids and grandchildren on Facebook; restricting minimal fees to landlines hardly seems exploitative unless you’re currently in jail, in which case you shouldn’t be traveling anyway.)

As PR professionals, businesspeople and capitalists, we understand that the airline industry is a tough venture. Customers want cheap prices, but the gate fees and fuel required to move those customers over state lines are very expensive. As businesses, airlines have to find some way to be profitable. So they cleverly have garnered their profits from the reliable shortcomings of human nature.

Back in the day Blockbuster raked in profits from late fees knowing that people consistently return movies past their return dates. That pronounced flaw in human nature also applies to travel, where passengers habitually make last minute plans and need to change their tickets or arrive with an extra carry-on bag. But Spirit Airlines, which has 71 different passenger fees, has taken this business strategy to another level.

So if you’re going to fly Spirit Airlines make sure you’re obsessively organized. And have a cell phone.

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Any adult who hasn’t had their inner child beaten out of them by life would jump at the chance to go to space. Who hasn’t dreamed of walking out of your kitchen only to pause and tell your spouse and kids, “Hey, I’ll be home a little late this evening. My spacecraft doesn’t land until 6:45.”

Today, Virgin Galactic took a major step forward with the successful test run of its SpaceShip 2 spacecraft, which reached an altitude of 56,000 feet and broke the sound barrier. Though SpaceShip 2 did not enter space, it did effectively demonstrate that its rocket and critical systems were ready for the next step. In fact, Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson said the brand plans on full space flight by the end of 2013—yes, this year. Cool.

As a child you probably thought we’d all be commuting to work in flying cars by now, but that’s what happens when you’re raised on The Jetsons and Star Wars. Reality, of course, is much different. Today, it doesn’t matter when you were born as much as how much money you have. And for a mere $200,000 you too can soon experience the miracle of space flight and even several minutes of weightlessness.

What does any of this have to do with public relations? Plenty. People want to be inspired. Deep within everyone’s DNA is the spirit of human adventure—that same cryptic drive that took mankind across tumultuous seas and frigid mountaintops just to see what lied beyond them.

We went island to island, continent to continent, and space is the logical next step. It comforts and excites the public to know that we’re not done. That we’ll keep pushing forward. Brands that can capture this dream will resonate with the public. So kudos to Virgin Galactic. You get us, and by us we don’t mean simply the people with a spare $200,000, but all of us.

Sure, there are aspirational brands out there that promise a life of exquisite luxury and decadent indulgences, but those promises only work for a certain demographic. Even the wealthiest and most perfectly tanned financiers who have just returned from St. Barts can’t compete with the pale geek who just returned from outer space. That’s just how the universe works.

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Although the primary goal of Mariner is help generate buzz for Holland America Line cruises, the magazine also aims to provide material on par with other consumer travel publications.

“Mariner engages Holland America Line’s premium and returning passengers with a mix of cruise line service information, alongside literate travel narrative, world-class photography and high-level design and production,” said editor-in-chief Chuck Thompson.

And, lucky for you, the magazine is open to pitches from any publicist involved with tourist hot spots, as well as those with celebrity clients that have a strong connection to certain locales. For the whole story, including editors’ contact info, read How To Pitch: Mariner.

– Nicholas Braun

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

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We’ve gathered twelve methods across categories to show how selected brands remain in public view. While these are similar to initiatives that year-round brands use, they often require more resourcefulness and additional resources.

     Make your presence known

1. Events: Offering a rich history, scenic countryside and famous golf courses, Scotland is a popular destination. During off-season April, Scotland hosts Tartan Week in New York. Festivities include a parade with Scots (and Scottish terriers) in kilts, and a trendy plaid fashion show.

2. Pop-up/temporary exhibits: Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum closed temporarily for an upgrade and will re-open this spring. Meanwhile, museum-goers can view the Dutch painter’s works at Amsterdam’s Hermitage museum.

     Get the word out

3. Generate buzz: Last year when New York’s legendary Waldorf Astoria was under construction, the hotel created an amnesty program  where prior guests were encouraged to return items they’d “borrowed” during their stays to showcase in the lobby. The program was intended to feed the hotel’s social media platforms and appeal to younger guests.

4. Sharing expertise: New York’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is currently closed during renovations. To draw designers’ notice, their acting director and curators started a blog. Called Object of the Day, it features graphic design items from the museum’s collection.

     Brand extensions

5. New location spin-offs: In 2002 Tribeca Film Festival launched to revive downtown New York after 9/11’s terrorist attack. The brand expanded its universe in 2010 by adding a Doha, Qatar location. In 2012 Sundance Film Festival introduced a London edition.

6. Counter-seasonal additions: Marketers learned about these brand extensions from the ski industry. Years ago Aspen was known just for snow sports. Ever since Aspen’s Food & Wine Classic was introduced, the town is also recognized for summertime culinary fare. Countless brands have copied this concept.

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Air travel is critical to the personal and professional lives of the American public. So, it is important that we recognize the recognition of Virgin Airlines as the most reliable domestic airline in the United States (according to the 2013 Airline Quality Rating report).

Though many in the public see Richard Branson, the public face and private owner of Virgin Airlines, as some creepy billionaire hybrid of Mary Poppins and Andy Gibb, the brand certainly resonates with local travelers — and airlines everywhere should take note.

The Airline Quality Rating report does something very simple in measuring how successfully airlines fulfill the four most basic and pressing needs of customers: continued…

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The ship drifted for several hours before being returned to its dock position and surrounded by tugboats for good measure. The cause of this incident was “hurricane-force winds” in the gulf that had nothing to do with Carnival — but of course that doesn’t matter a whole lot to the public.

We honestly don’t know what Carnival can do to combat the cascade of bad news beyond what it’s already done: issuing sincere public apologies, offering refunds to everyone involved and getting ready to defend itself from a class-action lawsuit. Last month New York Senator Chuck Schumer proposed a “bill of rights” for cruise passengers that would give them more power in the case of such technical failures and require every ship to have both a backup power source and a team trained in emergency response.

We have a strong suspicion that the cruise industry doesn’t like Schumer’s proposal. But it’s not like they have any other options at this point.

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So what about Samoa Air‘s decision to charge passengers by the pound — yes, the sum total of the weight of their bags and bodies — to fly? Nothing could be more fair than that, right?

At the local store we all pay the same amount for a pound of hamburger meat, or a box of tissues or a pair of jeans. Fair is fair. So why is Samoa Air’s decision to charge the public the same rate per pound to fly so controversial? Answer: because this is the worst public relations decision a brand can make. It may sound good in theory, but in practice it’s a PR disaster because it’s discriminatory, cruel and ignorant.

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This week Hickenlooper’s government called upon centennial state dwellers to share their ideas, photos, illustrations, etc. about what “makes Colorado, Colorado” via the official website Makingcolorado.gov and the hashtag #makingcolorado. The public will also be able to vote on ideas for a new state identity created by professionals like Made Movement, Sterling Rice Group and Karsh/Hagan.

The promotional video/call for submissions begins, “Colorado has always rocked…but…there’s been a renaissance in the Rockies.” It goes on to ask, “who better to help make the new brand, the new look and feel of the state of Colorado” than the state’s innovative, creative, and passionate residents. “We’re asking you, the people who have made Colorado so much more, to show us what makes Colorado Colorado.” Quite stirring, even to those of us who live on the other side of the country.

We look forward to seeing the outcome of this professional/public partnership, and we can’t help but wonder whether the team will seriously consider all the inevitable weed-themed submissions…

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Southwest Airlines enjoys a strong brand identity associated with being a less expensive and reliable alternative to juggernauts like American Airlines that only deal with major hubs while charging exorbitant baggage fees.

Though Southwest Airlines is the largest domestic airline in America, the public still views it as a renegade and underdog brand in an industry vilified for being unconcerned and out of touch with customers. So industry experts and PR professionals were understandably confused by a new ad campaign launched by Southwest during the NCAA basketball tournament that is surprisingly, well, off-message and even serious.

continued…

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American Airlines

Jill Surdek, American’s managing director of brand and customer experience strategy, called the process a “saga”, reminding the audience that the campaign began prior to major unforeseen events (namely the airline’s late 2011 bankruptcy and recent merger with U.S. Airways). She then laid out, piece by piece, a plan that was that much harder given industry, financial and self-inflicted PR problems (with our comments in italics):

Multilayered rationale. “It was a slow, methodical process to build the case for change, but there wasn’t much pushback from senior management”, Surdek said. She explained the reasoning:

• AA’s competitors all refreshed their brands within the past decade, but American hadn’t done so since 1967.
• While many fans identified with American’s iconic look, it had undeniably lost its luster.
• American ordered several new aircraft a few years ago, so the time was right to change customer perceptions.
• Marketing priorities include expanding international business and attracting younger customers.
• The airline needed to streamline its vast array of different logos across business units.

Business reasons for rebranding were compelling. American competes with branding stars Jet Blue and Virgin (America and Atlantic) and with legacy carriers. Appealing to a younger base is essential moving forward.

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The country’s representatives want to change all that with an extensive rebranding campaign designed to focus on the more exclusive and luxurious elements of the Mexican tourism experience with the tagline “Mexico: the place you thought you knew.”

The campaign and tagline aren’t new, but we recently had the opportunity to speak to Gerado Llanes, CMO of the Mexico Tourism Board, about the latest elements of this countrywide shift in marketing and public relations strategies.

What is the primary goal of this campaign?

We want to convey the fact that Mexico is a lot more than beaches, margaritas and mariachis. Of course we are a spring break destination, but we want to more aggressively push the message about our luxury offerings.

For example: if you put all the hotels in North and South America together, you still wouldn’t have as many five-diamond locations as Mexico. We also have three of the world’s top 100 golf courses and the number one and two ranked spas in the world. Mexico also has many four-star restaurants that some people may not know about.

From business standpoint, we want to increase the average US spend in Mexico. We’re aiming for high-level consumers by saying “look and see what Mexico has to offer.”

How have you changed your marketing and PR strategies?

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To its credit, Carnival is getting creative with its problem-solving strategy this time around: the team plans to fly all passengers back to Florida after keeping them on the boat in order to ensure that no one gets left behind. A sensible move, but passengers aren’t happy, and more email quotes about “human waste all over the floor in some of the bathrooms” and elevators turning “on and off, on and off” obviously amount to very, very bad PR.

A commenter on a previous story made a great point: companies like Carnival often hire “party planner” PR teams that excel at event promotion but aren’t quite as experienced when it comes to dealing with disasters like this one. We’re not sure who’s handling crisis communications for the company right now, but they are about to earn their pay.

Oh, and Carnival might want to move ahead with that “comprehensive review” of the entire fleet. Just a friendly suggestion.

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