ronaldl79
Member
In late 1994, a year before the "World Wide Web" took the Internet by storm, I asked the CIO of a multi-billion dollar company why his employer lacked a web presence. FedEx and UPS were already online, but not this company. They were already "ahead of the pack" with asset tracking technology co-developed with IBM, but their lack of a web presence confused me.
In early 1995, I again asked the same question. He still didn't have an answer. You guessed it, I asked again that same year and to my surprise, his reply was, "Ron, we're finally developing a web presence." Music to my ears.
Today, a web presence alone isn't enough. Technology is a lot different than 12 years ago and some companies are still maintaining a "Web 1.0" identity. While I think AA.com is a great "gateway" for AA, I have this question to ask:
What else is AA doing on the Internet?
One mistake many large corporations seem to make -- over and over again -- is ignore the increasing necessity of retrofitting their businesses for the "Internet era." I understand that AA employs at least one individual to monitor various websites and discussion forums for the company. Why isn't this same person suggesting ideas to engage new and existing customers alike beyond AA.com?
The reality here is that American corporations aren't innovative, nor imaginative. We're still operating on old ideas and thinking while we continue to miss new opportunities in a virtual environment which is limitless in potential.
If American is truly interested in finding new ways to differentiate themselves from the competition, then I'd think it would be wise to seek new opportunities online that doesn't encompass a few websites alone.
Here's my first suggestion for AA: Redesign AA.com. Need a little inspiration? Look no further than AA's own http://www.whyyoufly.com.
Why should AA care about any of this? Because another carrier will siphon away their customers via innovative Internet campaigns, tools and services. "Cute" and "inspiring" ad campaigns are wonderful, but how effective are they when fewer people are watching TV today? The Internet cannot be ignored. One cannot be comfortable because of their dominant position in an industry. There's increasing competition, pressure and challenges to address on a consistent basis.
Finally, another idea came to mind (and it's certainly not a new one): In an effort to find new savings, why won't AA consider "virtualizing" a portion of their workforce? Such a move would reduce real estate costs, taxes and other expenditures. They can start with reservations -- send those people home, deploy broadband and VoIP to each CSR, and watch the expenses fall while productivity and morale increases.
In early 1995, I again asked the same question. He still didn't have an answer. You guessed it, I asked again that same year and to my surprise, his reply was, "Ron, we're finally developing a web presence." Music to my ears.
Today, a web presence alone isn't enough. Technology is a lot different than 12 years ago and some companies are still maintaining a "Web 1.0" identity. While I think AA.com is a great "gateway" for AA, I have this question to ask:
What else is AA doing on the Internet?
One mistake many large corporations seem to make -- over and over again -- is ignore the increasing necessity of retrofitting their businesses for the "Internet era." I understand that AA employs at least one individual to monitor various websites and discussion forums for the company. Why isn't this same person suggesting ideas to engage new and existing customers alike beyond AA.com?
The reality here is that American corporations aren't innovative, nor imaginative. We're still operating on old ideas and thinking while we continue to miss new opportunities in a virtual environment which is limitless in potential.
If American is truly interested in finding new ways to differentiate themselves from the competition, then I'd think it would be wise to seek new opportunities online that doesn't encompass a few websites alone.
Here's my first suggestion for AA: Redesign AA.com. Need a little inspiration? Look no further than AA's own http://www.whyyoufly.com.
Why should AA care about any of this? Because another carrier will siphon away their customers via innovative Internet campaigns, tools and services. "Cute" and "inspiring" ad campaigns are wonderful, but how effective are they when fewer people are watching TV today? The Internet cannot be ignored. One cannot be comfortable because of their dominant position in an industry. There's increasing competition, pressure and challenges to address on a consistent basis.
Finally, another idea came to mind (and it's certainly not a new one): In an effort to find new savings, why won't AA consider "virtualizing" a portion of their workforce? Such a move would reduce real estate costs, taxes and other expenditures. They can start with reservations -- send those people home, deploy broadband and VoIP to each CSR, and watch the expenses fall while productivity and morale increases.