Come Sail Away

Carnival Cruise Line recently tracked down a 15-year-old boy who used @CarnivalCruise as his Snapchat handle. The boy, who fell in love with cruises when he was nine, used the handle to share his experiences on various cruises, including tubing and ziplining. In exchange for the handle, Carnival Cruise offered the boy and his family a free trip aboard its newest ship, Carnival Horizon, to Barcelona.

One of our clients, Airbus Americas, found themselves in a similar situation. In 2010, Xenophon Strategies, one of the leading PR agencies in D.C., worked with Airbus to establish “Airbus In The U.S.” Facebook and Twitter pages. After researching various Twitter handles, it was discovered that the @AirbusInTheUS had already been acquired by a private citizen. This gentleman, an aviation enthusiast, reserved the handle knowing one day Airbus would want it, and he didn’t want it in the wrong hands. This self-proclaimed #AVGeek, said he had been waiting for our call.

As companies build up their social media channels, it’s nice to know that there are still people out there who aren’t just trying to make a quick buck. They are passionate about their hobbies and interests and want to help preserve the integrity of a brand.

– By: Jennifer June Lay – Vice President | JLay@xenophonstrategies.com