6Marketing and PR in Real Time
Several years ago, I was flying on the American Airlines shuttle from Boston to New York. Soon after takeoff, we hit a flock of geese.
The pilot declared an emergency, and we landed 11 minutes later back at Boston Logan airport. As soon as I deplaned, I shot from the terminal window a photo showing blood and feathers on the nose and windscreen of the plane. Then I posted it on my Twitter and Instagram feeds: “A first for me in something like four million air miles. We hit a goose on takeoff and the skilled @americanair pilots brought us back for an emergency landing.”
About 30 minutes later, American Airlines tweeted back to me: “We have some of the best captains in the business! Thanks for hanging in there with us today.”
While I was pleased to see American Airlines get back to me in real time, I never imagined that my photo would soon become famous.
I've learned that the news media continually tracks air traffic control chatter. When our pilot declared an emergency, news editors around the world instantly knew something was happening. The word “emergency” gets their attention. Instantly, reporters began scrambling for information, anything that could help tell the story.
Because my tweet used the word “emergency” and I tagged American Airlines, a real‐time search let members of the media know we had landed safely. My tweet also provided a photo of the plane with blood and feathers on it, ready for news outlets to publish.
Throughout the day, ...
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