Centerlines - September 2008 - (Page 74) M E D I A R E L AT I O N S NEW MEDIA The impact of blogs B Y JODI R IC H A R DS ver the last decade, the Internet has had a tremendous impact on daily life. That impact can be seen most evidently in the way people communicate with one another. They have gone from sending a single email to a single person to having the ability to share their entire lives with the world through social media forums such as Facebook, MySpace, blogs, video blogs and podcasts. And, according to industry experts, this is a realm that the aviation industry should keep on its radar. A blog (short for web log) is similar to a personal diary—topics can include family, pets, politics and hobbies (like travel). With the growth of the Internet, said David Parmet, a public relations consultant and founder of Marketing Begins at Home, LLC, anybody can publish and blogs are just one vehicle for that. Parmet said people are naturally very opinionated and chatty. Plus, they “love to be seen as somebody who has information they can share with their friends.” In terms of airports, if a traveler had a bad (or good) experience at an airport 10 years ago, he or she might tell a couple of friends. Today, that same traveler can write about it online and it is there for anyone to see. “That’s one angle that airports and airport management and marketers need to be very aware of,” Parmet said. Airports can definitely use blogs to their advantage, said Parmet. They can serve as an intelligence system. “Where else can you find such immediate feedback on the passenger’s experience?” he said. Blogs are a good way to communicate with the people using the airport facilities in a “friendly, human sort of way,” Parmet said. “You have to remember that going to the airport is a very stressful experience. The more you can make it a human experience … the more people will understand and appreciate it.” O IN terms of airports, if a traveler had a bad (or good) experience at an airport 10 years ago, he or she might tell a couple of friends. Today, that same traveler can write about it online and it is there for anyone to see. 74 CENTERLINES | SEPTEMBER 2008
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