American Airlines Leadership Announcement

In a video and website statement, American Airlines announced a new CEO. President Robert Isom will succeed Doug Parker, who served as CEO for two decades. Parker will become the board chair.

The company statement is typical, with glowing quotes to be easily lifted into news articles. A two-and-a-half-minute video of Isom and Parker is upbeat, with each executive complimenting the other. The primary audience is employees, although the video is posted on YouTube, clearly intended for the press and public as well.

Obviously scripted, the video includes some staid language, for example, “I’m confident that now is the right time,” “with change, comes opportunity,” and “together, we will achieve great things.” What a great example to analyze with class. I wonder how students would describe the communication objectives and assess the delivery style and how well the executives achieved their purpose.