With my general bad attitude about travel I was intrigued to hear a radio ad about Alaska Airlines inviting its passengers to log on to YourAlaskaStories to share their happy travel stories on Alaska Airlines.

“Your stories. Our history. For 75 years, we've been taking people to great destinations. But as you'll see in these customer stories, what happens along the way is often just as interesting. We're proud to say these stories are our stories, too. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. And don't forget to share your own story--it's an important part of who we are.”

For some reason I can sit and watch Numa Numa but I can’t see taking the time to read about people's experiences on a plane. Nevertheless, I find it telling that a large company is seeking feedback and trying to create a connection and community with its customers. I just think it is misguided. Reading what is being published on other blogs will ultimately yield better and more valuable information about how the world sees your company and its products and/or services than soliciting and selectively editing and then publishing content.

Alaska Stories is a case of trying to apply traditional media principles to the new media. Sorry folks, it doesn’t work. Companies want to control their message and what is said about them in public (formerly PR) but that is futile and no longer possible. Cell phone cameras, blogs, YouTube have made it too simple and easy to publish your own experience interacting with a company. You no longer need the traditional media or a company’s permission to share your story. Take for example Jeremy Hermanns blog and 476 comments about his experience with Alaska Airlines. 

The challenge for any company to succeed in the new media will be to deliver quality and value. Ultimately, capitalism is  a democracy. Consumers vote with their wallets (or PayPal). You can’t control what will be said about your company in new media but you can do your best to have customers that want to tell great stories about your company in their own voice, on their own terms and in their own medium (text, video, podcast).