Yes I’m talking about Etihad Airways again, however unlike the last time I wrote about them this article is to praise them. The reason being their new linkedin application which I somehow stumbled upon:
The “Etihad Mapped-Out” tool is the 1st ever LinkedIn mapping tool & is available exclusively to LinkedIn members at etihadmappedout.com
— Etihad Airways (@EtihadAirways) April 29, 2013
Etihad Airways did a really great job with this application, you can geographically map out all of your Linkedin connections (both 1st and 2nd degree) and filter them by industries, you can choose to show if there are any Etihad flights between you and your connections as shown in the image below:
The reason I like this application is because it utilizes Linkedin’s API and not one of the more familiar networks such as Facebook or Twitter, so its something new I guess. Also it is generally well designed and easy to use with a quick tutorial to take you through everything you can do on the application.
I can see how this is relevant for Etihad Airways since no doubt people looking to create business deals and opportunities need to look outside where they are currently residing and maybe they will consider flying with them.
This is definitely a step in the right direction for Etihad Airways, and for brands in the MENA region in general, in terms of social media. This shows a clear sign of dedication to this area of communication and hopefully they’ll keep on producing new and interesting ideas to compete with international and regional airlines such as Emirate’s who have just announced their 25th consecutive profitable year. I guess Etihad just raised the bar!