After chopping through turbulence with its maiden voyage into the blogosphere, Southwest Airlines seems to have found some smooth air. It's flights into the new territory have become more frequent, and like so many of it's tangible flights, it is learning that brevity is appreciated.
Yesterday,Angela Vargo, who has been busy emailing many of us, asking us to be patent, started joining the conversation with links back to Brian Oberkirch and some guy named Robert Scoble. She also revealed that she is getting help from the very competent PR -blogging maestro Andy Lark.
Angela, it turns out, is a public relations specialist for Southwest. Many have argued that corporate PR people should not blog. I'm not so certain that this is the case, if they are transparent. After all, the emerging new role for PR people is to get closer with the customer in my view,and this seems to be a good way to do it. I wish all the Southwest people would show their titles. I found out about Angela by Googling her.
It's just a week later and Southwest has soared up in my opinion to a rating of not bad. This is how I've been picturing it happening for large customer-focused companies. An awkward toe dip, an adjustment of course and then--dare I say this about an airline company--taking the full plunge into the blogosphere.
Angela, I expect I'll be meeting you or someone else from Southwest when you start showing up at industry conferences telling your story.
