201 16.14 Advertising: Locate Information from Sources (151/94) -- Information Strategies for Communicators

201 16.14 Advertising: Locate Information from Sources Depending on the questions you need to answer, there is a vast array of potential sources of information. Following is a sampling of the contributors that would have relevant information and the kinds of information you could find. Private-sector institutional sources: - associations that are important for that industry (Airlines for America, Airline Passenger Experience Association, etc.) - trade journals that discuss the most recent news and trends for that field (Aviation Week, etc.) - financial records that detail the industry’s economic health from the company itself and from financial analysts who monitor the industry - unions that represent the workers in that field (Airline Pilots Association, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Transport Workers Union, etc.) - demographic data that describe the customers for that industry’s products/services and the audiences for its ads - syndicated research service reports about airline advertising Public-sector institutional sources: - court records that document the interactions the company and competitors in the industry have had with the U.S. justice system - government records that document regulation of the industry (Federal Aviation Administration reports, Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports, etc.) - government records that provide insight into the financial health of the industry (Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports) - government records about consumer complaints about the industry (Aviation Consumer Protection agency reports which are housed in the U.S. Department of Transportation) Scholarly sources: - experts who can speak authoritatively about the commercial airline industry - experts who can speak about the effectiveness of advertising in that industry Journalistic sources: - news operations that write about the industry or are published in towns where key companies in that industry operate Informal sources: - social media pages where people talk about that industry and its products/services Once you have a good understanding of the industry overall and the types of advertising that are typical for companies in that sector, you can start to search for specific information about United Airlines, the company for which you are preparing the new business pitch. Again, you would identify a number of important questions to answer: - How does United stack up against its competitors? - Is the company financially sound? - Does the company have a “unique selling proposition”? - Who are United’s current customers and what do customers think about United? - What do relevant workers’ groups think about United? (pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, air traffic controllers, aircraft manufacturers, etc.) - What have United’s ads looked like in the past? To whom were they targeted? Where did the ads appear? Were they effective? - How much has United spent on advertising in the past? - Who should we propose t