EBAA Gathers Industry Communicators to Change Perceptions of Business Aviation
24 May 2017
A constant refrain among attendees, panelists and exhibitors at this year’s European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2017) has been that public perception of the industry either drags down or lifts all companies together.
“We all know the diversity of our industry – the roles and responsibilities, the equipment and the passengers – however, there are other, one-sided perceptions of business aviation out there,” said Taunya Renson-Martin, strategic communications advisor for the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA). “That is part of the problem.”
The perception that business aviation is only for a privileged few, or is not transparent or accessible, is widely cited as a barrier keeping potential users from entering the industry.
“By not speaking up about business aviation in the past, by being modest or discrete, we have let other people tell our story,” reflected Renson-Martin, who is also the co-founder and managing partner of Mach Media. “Now, the industry has said loud and clear to EBAA that it is time to reclaim our narrative.”
An Ambitious Initiative
At a Business Aviation Communicators Breakfast on day two of EBACE2017, Renson-Martin told a roomful of European marketing and public relations leaders that “EBAA has committed to putting resources behind telling the story of business aviation.”
Renson-Martin and her EBAA colleague Keir Bonine, communication manger, unveiled an “ambitious, five-year initiative” to tell the real story of business aviation to essential stakeholders, including current and potential users, EU and national governments, regulators, airport communities and the next generation of aviation professionals.
EBAA worked with a communications advisory board of senior communications and marketing professionals in the aviation industry, as well as a coalition of agencies. The new initiative will involve market research, EBAA-commissioned surveys and studies to share industry data, toolkits, workshops and coordinating activities.
“Imagine you’re in an elevator with a key politician, you’ve got 60 seconds and you want to get the message across,” said Bonin, presenting the EBAA Communications Toolkit. “These materials and messages are a way to present the value of business aviation, what it brings to the community, economy and people.”
The toolkit includes a storybook with testimonials from real European business aviation professionals, a messaging guide, one-page factsheets with industry data and a downloadable presentation deck.
“Because this initiative is ambitious, we need your involvement, feedback and ideas,” Renson-Martin said to the gathered communicators. “We need your help telling the story of our industry, and publicly promoting that story.”
EBAA members may access the toolkit through the association’s website. Learn more about the toolkit.