Tuesday, 18 March 2014

How companies cope with communication. Let's have a look on Air New Zealand communication skills.



Hi guys !!
Hope you are well on this beautiful week ! 
Yeap Yeap, sunny week after the "hurricane". Such a good thing ! Let's go to Mission Bay after school ! ;)

More officialy, this week, on the Business class, we focus on a specific but very important point in the company life and connection with their customers: I mean the outward communication skills. I think you all know a lot about technology in everyday life, but, what does technology, and notably communication through technology improvements, mean for companies?

Indeed, communication becomes more and more important for companies in our countries, where offer is higher than the customers demand. A good outward communication often means better results on selling products (and so on turn over), and still more, as better reviews from customers. Communication can be used in two senses: first to give widespread information about new products or services, as well as communicate directly with the "customer-buyers" about lots and lots of things, notably about follow up, after sales and complains.

I would like to highlight Air New Zealand, and reward them for their good and wide communication skills. Effectively, the most famous Airliner of New Zealand, I would say THE flagship of NZ air commercial transportation, knows exactly how to communicate in both ways: wide communication and customer-buyer communication (after sales communication). For the first item, I mean “communicate widely”, Air New Zealand has developed an internet website with heaps of features and links to several others channels of communication. Indeed, this company uses widely the video communication through YouTube for example, where it’s easy to follow up the latest Air NewZealand news and/or see the in-flight safety short movie (my favourite, the last one: “Safety in Paradise” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQDip9V49U0). You can also find some features of the movie in the Auckland International Airport (billboard), and, of course, on the planes before taking off.


Moreover, you can see the commercial ads directly on your TV screens, as well on the web thanks to GoogleAds (advertisements on the right on your webpage when you are finding out other information or flight information…). As well, you can follow this company (and join the community too!) in it:
In all of these pages, Air New Zealand releases some information about flights, sales and about a wide range of subjects as information about the destinations for example (food, culture, getting around...). Finally, you can ask for receiving information e-mails directly in your mailbox, through the official website.



About the customer-buyer communication, Air New Zealand use a large range of communication channels, as phone contact, emailing with the details of your booking, which one includes lots and lots on information (security requirements, customs restrictions and visas, weather at the arrival city…). Finally, they release a first and new mobile app in which you can directly do your check-in, and receive your flight information (time and status of flight, gate ...), a lot of notifications (as for check-in and boarding opening…), and information relative to the traffic near from the International Airport you flight out, the 7-days weather at your arrival city…I would really recommend this app, it’s so useful! For further information about the app: http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/air-nz-app

Even if Air New Zealand is, in my opinion, one of the best examples of communication-skilled company, not all of these ones are as well as good in communication… Sometimes, bad skills in communication can create a negative company’s image and damage its renown. If I don’t have any example yet, I can just tell us to spend maybe more time and money in that department, I mean look at others companies, and above all, grant more funds in finding/hiring skilled employees. Finally, to grant a reasonable budget to the communication department would be my first advice, even if the company is running down. As Communication as Marketing departments are two crucial departments in which most of companies do not trust enough in creating value. But, it’s maybe the firsts departments, I mean under a long-term vision/strategy.


      Air New Zealand, Falaolo International Airport (Apia), Samoa (WS), 17th March 2014
                                                                  Photo credits : Romain Teyssier





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