A person in charge will explain the background to the decision to convey the charm of travel through travel Instagrammers rather than JAL itself, and the thoughts behind the program.
*Masks are removed only for photo shoots.
"JAL Travel Reporter" is a partner that delivers the pure "charm of travel"
Hatano: "We think of travel as something that creates new bonds through encounters between people and enriches lives. However, the current situation has caused many people to distance themselves from travel, and we feel that this charm of travel is in danger of being forgotten. Especially now, we wanted to help people rediscover the charm of travel, and have been looking for new ways to promote it."
These are the words of Eri Hatano of the Public Relations Department's Web Communications Group.
As we came up with various ideas, we decided on the direction of collaborating with "travel professionals," and the experience of our colleagues was the deciding factor. We heard many people say, "When deciding on a travel destination or places to visit, we refer to information on social media."
Hatano: "When we think from the customer's perspective, we feel that it is important not only to look at the information provided by airlines, but also to listen to the opinions of people who are knowledgeable about travel. When we look at the posts of people who are actually sharing travel information on social media, we see photos that make us think they must have waited hours for the best opportunity to post, and they respond thoughtfully to comments from their followers. They are filled with love for travel and people, and this made us feel even more strongly that we want to work together to spread the appeal of travel."
We start by making an appointment with contributors who are serious about travel and people, and conveying JAL's message to each one of them: "Would you like to help us spread the appeal of travel?" From there, we move forward with the program by having those who agree to the idea spread information as JAL Travel Reporters. The important point is that JAL Travel Reporter posts are not advertisements.
Hatano: "What we provide to the JAL Travel Reporters is only the opportunity to experience things like flying on airplanes, and we do not pay them advertising fees. We also tell them, 'Feel free to share your thoughts about JAL and the places you have visited,' and we do not check the posts beforehand. The most important thing about this program is that people who see the posts receive honest information, not advertising JAL. Other than using the hashtag '#JALTravelReporter,' we do not impose any restrictions on them when they post."
I want many people to feel like they want to visit this area.
JAL Travel Reporter posts are not advertisements, but are purely travel-related posts. What we want to convey to our readers is the "charm of travel."
Hatano: "Even though we can't travel safely right now, I don't want people of all ages, from young to old, to forget about the interest and joy of travel, and I hope that the posts on JAL Travel Reporter will help make that happen. I want to make this a place to share information and photos that make people who see the posts think, 'I want to visit this area,' or 'I want to take photos like that,'"
First of all, JAL Travel Reporter exists as a way to raise interest in travel and help people think positively about going on a trip.
As we were actually working on submitting our posts, the JAL travel reporters came up with some unexpected suggestions.
Hatano: "We had originally thought of this as a program to promote the appeal of travel itself, but we received feedback from the JAL Travel Reporters saying, 'The plan we used this time is useful information for our followers, so we want to actively introduce it,' and 'Our followers also want to know about great deals.' Initially, we had planned to proceed without putting JAL in the forefront, but in the future, we are thinking of creating opportunities to promote our own products and services. Some of our followers are young people who will be applying for mileage cards in the future. We feel that there is a possibility that we can deliver information to young people through the posts of the JAL Travel Reporters."
What JAL can do:
The launch of the "JAL Travel Reporter" initiative has also highlighted some issues. These are issues that, as an airline, we face with regard to all of our customers who use our products and services.
Hatano: "JAL travel reporter Yukkie plans her trips down to the minute. She told me that she does thorough research so as not to waste a single second in order to provide useful information to her followers. Hearing this made me realize that as an airline, we could also help make travel more comfortable by collecting and disseminating information about transportation from local branches. This incident made me realize that I need to take this seriously while providing information to other JAL travel reporters."
Rather than simply asking JAL Travel Reporters to provide information, we want to build a mutually pleasant relationship through communication and deliver more useful and attractive information. That is the purpose of JAL and influencers teaming up.
Hatano: "When I look at the posts by JAL travel reporters, I see comments like, 'That's a place I was curious about, too,' and 'After seeing your post, I want to go there,' and I'm honestly happy about that. It's encouraging to know that a visible change in attitude and behavior is occurring. In addition to those who comment, I think there are also people who save the posts and use them as reference for their own travels, even if they don't comment, so I feel like there is a sense that there is even more potential."
As colleagues who can sincerely exchange opinions, our goal is "co-creation"
JAL Travel Reporter has just started, but in the future we plan to expand beyond simply disseminating information.
Hatano: "Through our activities, we hope to turn the JAL Travel Reporters into JAL fans. We also think that in the future we may develop products together. Those who have actually traveled with us have given us frank opinions about our services and the areas they visited, such as 'We could make it more appealing if we did it this way' or 'We think the presentation would be better like this'. The JAL Travel Reporters take us more seriously than we expected, and their opinions, as both travel professionals and customers, are very valuable and something that we at JAL should take seriously. We are hopeful that we will be able to develop even better services with the people with whom we have already built relationships that allow us to exchange opinions."
The JAL Travel Reporter initiative has become clearer with each post and exchange with the JAL Travel Reporter, as it is a program that has brought great awareness to JAL. In order to communicate with more people and expand the possibilities, we will also start recruiting JAL Travel Reporters.
Hatano: "Through my interactions with the JAL Travel Reporters, I realized that this program has great potential, so I hope to further increase the connections between people. I want people who love travel, photography, and social media to join us. Also, since we are not looking to end it with a single post, but to build a medium- to long-term relationship, I hope that people who agree with the flat relationship between JAL and the JAL Travel Reporters will apply."
JAL Travel Reporters convey the "charm of travel." Behind each post is meticulous planning, a sincere attitude, and love for the viewers. If you're interested, try searching for "#JALTravelReporter."
Applications for JAL Travel Reporters will begin on October 6th. We look forward to your applications.
Click here to apply. *Applications are now closed.
We are looking for "JAL Travel Reporters" to spread the appeal of travel
We are looking for "JAL Travel Reporters" who will help us spread the word about the "charms of travel" and "regional charms" and make those who see them think, "I want to go on a trip!"
Would you like to join us in spreading the word about travel and the appeal of our region?
We'll take you behind the scenes of JAL's work, including inside stories on the introduction of the A350 and the development of in-flight meal menus.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
