The (Un) Friendly Skies

I have a confession to make. I don’t turn off my mobile phone on airplanes. Yet, I have never failed to make it to the correct destination because of some mythical “interference with the aircraft’s navigational equipment.”

Keeping mobile phones in the off position on US airlines has always been more about making money and keeping the peace than getting lost in route to LaGuardia. Thanks to non-US airlines, that may be about to change.

Just about all the US legacy and low-cost carriers are rushing to add wi-fi to their domestic fleet. What they are also finding is that crafty passengers are (easily) finding a way around the blocks that are supposed to prevent VoIP calls in the air. Browsing and chatting online are okay. Talking, according to Delta, AirTran and others is not.

The airlines claim the FCC, FAA and passengers themselves want to keep the friendly skies a call-free zone.

While I’ve always enjoyed the sanctuary offered by hurtling through the air in a toothpaste tube at 600 mph, I’ve also longed for the option to make or take a call if I wanted to do so. There’s that whole consumer control issue again – I’ll make the decision, don’t decide for me, thank you very much!

Without knowing it, I had allies in my clandestine fight to keep my phone powered up after the boarding door has closed – European and Asian airlines. They, it seems, have cracked the code and figured out how to solve the real technical issue – interference with cell towers – and how to make money while doing so.

Emirates Airlines already offers the ability to use your mobile phone in the air and British Airways will offer the same in its new London City airport to JFK all business class service.

US regulators and airline operators take notice. No passenger riots from too loud phone conversations and no planes landing on taxiways in the wrong cities. Imagine that.

Chalk up another win for those brands that believe in letting the customer decide.

The Return of the Brand

You may have missed this tidbit - what with Kanye stealing a little girl's limelight and Joe Wilson forgetting he was a US Congressman not a member of the British Parliament during PMQs - but it seems there's a whole lot of trust going on in the world of brands. How'd that happen?

We all know that brands have been beaten and battered by the double whammy of a shattered economy previously built on consumption and the rise of social media, where a company becomes the caretaker of a brand - not the owner.

Consumers, too, have become incredibly mistrustful of institutions - especially large corporations, the government and the media.

I take heart that perhaps the tide is about to turn. The brand and reputation equivalent of "the recession is over, but the recovery will be slow." Here's why:

A study by Capstrat of Raleigh, NC shows the slide in consumer trust in brands has stopped the death spiral and is now climbing back up in some cases - including trust in bank brands. Trust in the media continues to spiral down the drain, though.

Trust is a two way street and it seems that Wall Street is also more willing to trust Main Street, to use a well-worn cliche`. Nine companies have announced they will follow new executive pay rules proposed by The Conference Board that is based on increased public transparency and shareholder involvement. Among the first nine, AT&T, HP, and Cisco Systems. Microsoft has adopted a similar policy.

"You can't be in the top 25% in pay if you're in the bottom 75% in performance," Bill Ide, director of the Conference Board's Task Force on Executive Compensation told CNN. "That's universal. We think all regulators and policy makers would be comfortable with that."

With trust breaking out all over leading companies, let's hope the rest of the brand community falls in line, too. Soon.

Life Advice from the Technologist-in-Chief

Life's full of little ironies. On the same day former British PM Tony Blair was telling David Letterman about how he got his very first mobile phone AFTER he left office, President Obama was telling school kids to watch what they post on Facebook.

Blair, only 44 when first elected Prime Minister, told Letterman about how his first attempt to send a text - not realizing his name was not attached to the message - resulted in a reply of "who are you?" Humbling words for the man who. 24 hours prior, was the second most powerful politician on the planet.

That, by the way, was only two years ago.

Fast forward to now, only hours before Blair's Letterman debut, when the current most powerful politician in the world was dispensing sage tech advice to school children across the country via a video and Internet link.

Responding to a question about how to succeed in business or politics, the first words from President Obama's mouth were not eat a good breakfast, wear clean undies or even finish school. His recommendation: be careful what you post online - words, pics or video.

Good advice, since what you write at 15 will still be around somewhere at 25, 50 and for your obit writers to mine for pithy quotes like "LOL. Wasted. Again." Your future employers will be looking, too, according to recent stats, and they are notorious for having even less of a sense of humor than your parents. Hard to believe, but true.

President Obama's words on the topic of social media probably won't join the ranks great presidential quotes. Hopefully he did, though, save a few future leaders from explaining how the YouTube video of them jumping naked into a frozen lake in January seemed like a good idea at the time.

Not that I have any personal knowledge of such activities. Really.

Chickens vs. Eggs

I recently had a lengthy debate with my youngest daughter about the eternal question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? As it turns out, it was a good warm-up for a business discussion.

Remember when you were a teenager and you argued everything with a passion worthy of death row appeal? That’s how it was with my high schooler after watching Jurassic Park. I made the mistake of quoting some article I read that said a T-Rex is more closely akin to a chicken than a lizard. Darwin aside, we launched jaw first into the classic Chicken and Egg argument. When you’re fifteen, there is no “agree to disagree,” there is only ”I win, you lose!”

What does this have to do with business? Well, it wasn’t too many days afterward that a request came across my desk from a prospective client wanting a social media marketing (SMM) campaign to help drive revenue.

ME: “Do you have any research that shows how your ideal customer uses social media?”

THEM: “No.”

ME: “Do you have a profile of their Web habits?”

THEM: “No.”

ME: “Then why do you believe a social media marketing campaign will be successful?”

THEM: “Because we were told social media is less expensive and we want to try it to win new customers.”

This was a discussion as timeless (and endless) as the chicken/egg debate. What comes first, the strategy or the tactic? Social media marketing is the new toy that everyone wants to play with, but even toys come with warning labels about appropriate use.

Not all social media techniques are effective in every situation. It takes research and planning before making the decision if, and, if so, which SMM tool is appropriate for your organization. Not to mention, you have to make sure your goal is appropriate and realistic.

Take the time to develop an appropriate strategy before assuming SMM is the right thing for you. Otherwise you may end up with egg (not chicken) on your face.