Subscribe
Login
Coronavirus

Travel CEO Video Messages: Best Practices for the Coronavirus Pandemic

Dennis Schaal photo
Dennis Schaal

Photo Credit: Delta CEO Ed Bastian addresses customers about the coronavirus crisis in a video March 29, 2020 Delta Air Lines

Skift Take

Like any great speech, CEO videos about the coronavirus crisis need to be straightforward, authentic, and personal — and most important there needs to be substance to reinforce the message. Some brands have been able to deliver these crisis communications messages much better than others.

Since the coronavirus pandemic struck, the CEO message to employees, partners and customers has become a thing, a mandatory exercise, and whether done internally to employees or publicized to the public, many travel industry bigwigs have gotten the word out via video. Skift looked at five such CEO video messages from travel leaders, from Arne Sorenson of Marriott International, Ed Bastian of Delta Air Lines, acting CEO Bill Hornbuckle of MGM Resorts, Richard Fain of Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Steve Kaufer of Tripadvisor. We'll present some fundamental best practices, and then show you the videos.

Get the Latest on Coronavirus and the Travel Industry on Skift's Liveblog

Be Authentic, Make It Personal, Use Emotion The best CEO video messages during this global crisis combine emotion with substance. Arne Sorenson's video stood out for authenticity when he said in a quivering voice in referring to furloughing thousands of employees, "I can tell you I have never had a more difficult moment than this one." That statement, of course, came from a guy who addressed employees while battling pancreatic cancer, and acknowledging that some of his sta

Get unlimited access with Skift Pro.

Subscribe now for complete access to Skift.com's trusted coverage of the travel industry.

Apple Pay, Google Pay, Paypal, VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express

Already a subscriber? Login