Clarity Strategic^TM

On July 21, the Social Media Club - Cleveland chapter held its meeting at Akron-Canton Airport. As you may know, this airport is exemplary in its use of social media to develop its brand. And though I'd heard this pitch before, I felt my hearing to be incomplete until I was there tweeting it. Educators know: to know you've learned it, teach it.

Kristie Van Auken is the airport's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. Her LinkedIn profile is of course filled with honors, but this statement caught my attention: "Kristie is committed to using creativity and innovative thinking to protect the airport's good name and to shape the airport's future." To apply social media to our businesses, this is, I think, what we want to do.

As for Akron-Canton Airport, they have been called "a marketing organization with an airport attached." People STILL fly from there, mind. LOL But happily. This is because the airport listens to, and responds to, its customers. Ms. Van Auken tells us their social media effort started - and is still based on - this commitment. "We ask ourselves, 'What does it feel like to be an airline traveler?'" They would find sources of stress, and find ways that an airport can relieve stress. (This sounds simple, but you won't have to look far to find companies who never think of treating customers this way.)

So here is this airport, 20 miles away from my home, now ranked seventh among US airports in affordability, and no doubt ranked #1 for customer appreciation. Airports call Ms. Van Auken darn near every other day, asking for social media advice. "We are using smart and genuine social strategies to turn the customer relationship into one for life..."

Here are a few things that they see as part of their strategy.

• AirTran Airways, because of its affordable fares, has become a kind of featured carrier, and the airport uses its Web site, Facebook presence, etc. to steer visitors toward buying tickets from AirTran and other carriers.


• The airport has not changed its commitment to traditional media at all as a result of its commitment to social media. Consider as an example their billboard display on E. 9th St. in Cleveland (which has its own airport, after all).


• When possible, the airport displays local vendors prominently. Fisher's Foods prepared yummy cookies with the airport logo for this meeting, so we were all chattering about that online. Maybe we still are. This makes vendors and potential customers both feel good.


• The airport will periodically highlight a particular destination on its Facebook - right now it's Milwaukee in January. Not an easy sell there. But if anyone can, they can. Ms. Van Auken said something about the Harley-Davidson HQ and Museum...


• The airport will periodically offer contests (tickets and airport goodies as prizes) that require Facebook posts or other online responses to enter, including short essays.


• They are constantly monitoring activity, and they have to, with so many fans and followers. But Ms. Van Auken indicates that this is especially important when a customer is unhappy. Social media is a powerful tool here. If you answer the dissatisfied customer promptly and take effective action you can win over not only THAT customer, but who knows how many other others who follow the conversation?