Connecting to Audiences via Mobile Apps

Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) is the national airline of Malaysia. MAS began in 1947 as Malayan Airways and then being renamed as Malaysian Airways after Malaysia achieved independence. After that, it changed the name again to Malaysia-Singapore Airlines. It was then divided into Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Then, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) operates flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and later with a secondary hub at Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. Malaysia Airlines operates flights in Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East and on the Kangaroo Route between Europe and Australasia. Malaysia Airlines achieved a significant milestone in 2012 when it received its first Airbus A380-800 followed by a historic Malaysian record on 1 July 2012 with the launch of its A380 scheduled service between KL International Airport and London Heathrow. On 1 February 2013, Malaysia Airlines became a full-fledged member of Oneworld alliance and is now connected to some 850 destinations in 150 countries across the Oneworld alliance network. MAS hold a lengthy record of service and best practices excellence, having received more than 100 awards in the last 10 years.

The objective of creating this mobile apps is to provide the most convenient way for customer, MAS come out MHmobile that allow people to book, check-in, share passenger travel plans and fly on the go when you want it, where you want it. It is currently available in English and Bahasa Malaysia and can be downloading by iPhone and iPod Touch, iPad, Andoid, Nokia Symbian Phone and also Windows Phone 8. With this mobile application, public can conveniently pay for flights booked through their mobile phone by using Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards, or PayPal account. Besides that, customer can share their itinerary on Facebook and Tripit. MHmobile also able passenger check-in and choose their preferred seat 48 hours before flight. With MHmobile, passenger can check the latest flight arrival and departure times and choose a flight straight away with the booking details pre-filled, check the status of the lost baggage. People can get in touch with MAS offices worldwide and find their way with Google Maps. Malaysia Airlines does not charge a fee to customers accessing MHmobile.

However, MHmobile check-in is currently only available for all Malaysian domestic flights, fights from Singapore to Langkawi, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu (vice-versa, flights from Kuala Lumpur to Bandar Seri Begawan, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Yangon, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, Phuket, Manila, Jakarta, Medan, Denpasar-Bali, flights from Kuala Lumpur to Paris (vice versa) and flights from Kuala Lumpur to Frankfurt (vice versa).

The target audience of MAS to create this mobile application is those who like to travel around the country or the world. MAS were awarded as the World’s Best Cabin Crew for 7 years (2001-2004, 2004, 2007, and 2009) by Skytrax UK. With this application, people can plan their holiday anytime and anywhere.

            The linkage of this mobile application is to increase the business of MAS. MHmobile able to download immediately, fast loading and easy, it help public save a lot of time by just clicking in to the application.

            Last but not least, the measuring result of this mobile application can be done by calculate the number of people download the apps. MAS can also record the number of passengers who use MHmobile to book their flight so that they can get the exact measurement result. Besides that, focus group can be conducted to know the different of the users before and after use the mobile apps.

Do we hire "free" media

New Media PR vs Marketing & Advertising

Public relations:

The function of PR is to disseminate the information and persuading internal and external audiences to form a mutual understanding instead of earning profits. PR focuses in creating positive publicity and good reputation about particular company, organization or individual through usage of new media in a long term orientation. PR is responsible in building and maintaining a good relationship between organization and its stakeholders.

Marketing and advertising:

Marketing and advertising were more concerned with the outcome of a plan such as the profit earn through the strategies and tactics used. It is a short term orientation and required immediate gratification.

Differences in using new media:

Public Relations:

PR uses new media to create awareness among publics for its client. The information about an organization was published in the form of text, audio and video news releases about an individual or organization distributed through internet. PR also uses new media to update the information about the organization to their target audience. PR can be a persuasive interpersonal communication by using new media. New media also helps PR to build and maintain the relationship between the organization and their publics. New media has the ability to skip through the stage of gatekeeper and directly communicate with their public, where they could not in traditional media. PR practitioner could easily create a forum to allow stakeholders, shareholder or even person in charge of branches to have a discussion space through the usage of new media. PR practitioner could easily create a forum to allow stakeholders, shareholder or even person in charge of branches to have a discussion space through usage of new media. With the help of new media also, information about the organization would be directed to them and shared at the same time by using e-mail and forum. The organization also be able to get immediate feedback easily through comments by the public.

Advertising:

Advertising is the use of persuasive way to promote the products, services or ideas. It is a short term process as its function is to penetrate into audiences’ mind to create awareness to the target audience as many as possible. Products are always changing; therefore new media helps advertisement to change the information and also the ideas at any time. As new media can save the cost of the advertisement placement, thus advertising can reach global audience through new media in no time.

Marketing:

Marketing uses new media to help the company to increase their profit. New media offers creative way to promote the products and sell the products. The emergence of creative online shopping occurs has changes purchasing style too. With new media, marketers could directly get to consumer without needing their physical attendance.

Similarities in Using New Media

PR, marketing and advertising shared similarities when they use new media. New media can cover large audience in a shorter time and the coverage also can be expanding.