Centennial Airport: A case study for small airport social media strategy

Large commercial airports dedicate robust resources to marketing and communication efforts: investing heavily in dedicated staff and consulting firms to build community, increasing stakeholder engagement and aggressively managing reputations during times of crisis. Smaller regional, non-hub and general aviation airports face many of the same challenges, but often with fewer available resources and resulting in greater image vulnerability. Social media and its ability to instantly — and directly — connect airports with their stakeholders, however, can effectively level the playing field. Smaller airports are discovering they too, in most cases, can have a powerful voice without the expense of a public relations armada. Small airports that commit to building — and nurturing — a strong digital voice distinguish themselves from those without a significant social media presence or those that choose to use it solely for self-promotion. A strong social media voice serves as an effective tool to attract new business, as well as mitigate rumours, misinformation and build brand loyalty. This case study explores how Centennial Airport (KAPA), one of the busiest general aviation airports in the USA, built a strong and trusted digital voice using a surprisingly simple in-house strategy.