Twitter. Facebook. Pinterest. HootSuite. Blogger. All a few of the plethora of social media applications that today’s businesses need to master in order to gain marketshare. Hawaiian Airlines has aced their social media approach and continue to attract followers and significant customer buy-in through this interactive medium.
We took some time to talk with the marketing and social media departments @HawaiianAir– winner of the 2011 Pacific Edge Magazine Business Achievement Award for Best Social Media Campaign.
How has the Pacific Edge Magazine Business Achievement Award impacted your business?
Winning the Best Social Media Campaign award in 2011 was an important recognition of our social media strategy. The high visibility that our social media strategy has in the organization gives us ability to push the creative envelope with campaigns such as “Send A Friend” and “Hang 30” and has led us to add 183,000 new social media members since we won.
Since receiving the award, what are some new initiatives your business is undertaking?
We have expanded our team to include a second full-time social media coordinator, opened an Instagram account (HawaiianAirlines), and increased the number of social media campaigns from a quarterly to an almost monthly frequency. The importance of social media to Hawaiian Airlines has steadily increased over the past few years and we are excited about the connection it provides us with our customers.
What do you attribute your success to?
We believe that our company’s dedication to social media, from our CEO Mark Dunkerley to our front line employees, has attributed to our success. The support we receive internally allows us to be nimble in a space where immediacy is important. We pride ourselves on being very responsive in the social media space. Our front line employees embody an authentic Hawaiian hospitality that results in positive posts and Tweets along with brand advocates that refer their friends and followers to us. These elements play an important role in our success in the social space.
What is one piece of advice you would give young professionals?
In order to attract Fans and Followers, in social media marketing, one must be a Fan and Follower. That means aspiring social media marketers should Like and Follow brands that they respect, admire, and interact with as a consumer. By becoming an avid user of the medium, you will understand what it takes to acquire new community members – an objective of any social media team. Also, keep in mind that social media is a communication channel, so a strong base in the communication field will give you a good foundation for success.
What is your favorite part of your job, what drives you to do what you do?
My favorite part of being the Social Media Marketing Specialist for Hawaiian Airlines is interacting with our Fans and Followers on a daily basis. I relish every moment from one-to-one conversations with Fans to witnessing a collective reaction to something we posted. Social media has allowed us to connect with our customers in real time.
Who is your business role model and why?
I would say Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, because he is a maverick who not only reshaped the values of corporate culture, but Tony is a champion of social media strategies. From customer service to marketing, Zappos does an amazing job with utilizing Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to better serve its customers and market its products.
For more information about the 2013 Best Social Media Campaign Award, please visit http://www.pacificedgeawards.com/categories/. For more information about Hawaiian Airlines please visit http://www.hawaiianairlines.com/.