il-bizzilla talks to Alison Casha
Project Leader, Customer Social Engagement & Innovative Channels PHOTOS BY Domenic Aquilina
How long have you been working with Air Malta? I joined the national airline in January 2014 after 20 years in the private industry. Having worked in telecoms and online technologies, I find the aviation industry extremely interesting and dynamic, it feels awesome to be connecting so many countries and millions of passengers every year. I was engaged to manage the eCommerce function and after a year I was asked to set up a Social Engagement hub and setting the standards for Air Malta’s presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and other social sites relevant to our industry. Branding is also a function I recently took over and I feel pride and a certain degree of responsibility in caring for the Air Malta brand, an international icon for Malta and its people.
I plan, co-ordinate and execute resulting in the regular posts you see on the social sites. These require a lot of thought and dedication in delivering the right message to our varied audiences, at the right time of the day. My job allows me to interact with colleagues in different areas within the airline as I assist our guests or put together surprises for them to create unique experiences throughout the entire journey. The few hours I manage to be offline it’s work at the office overseeing our marketing campaigns that extend to the classical media.
Three words that describe your job? Creative, engaging and demanding. Managing social sites might sound like a fun and frivolous job, but in reality there is a lot going on behind the scenes. I am the one always online to engage with customers, guests and followers on a daily basis, practically 24x7. Then there’s the content which
4. Do you have any hobbies? Oh I do, I love photography and healthy cooking, and wish I had more time to experiment with vegan recipes. I also love sculpting and drawing, a talent inherited from my late dad and artist Joseph Casha, who was a versatile sculptor and painter. Most of my free time is taken by Snoopy though, a very playful beagle I adopted
3. What is the biggest challenge of your job? Being a live environment, time is key to being successful. Reacting to customers’ comments and chat questions in an efficient manner is essential, especially when considering that flights are intangible and perishable products.
soon after I joined Air Malta. He truly filled my home and life! 5. Which is your favourite destination and why? I am no globe-trotter. To date Rome is the city I have visited most times, and I keep going back! Apart from the fact that it’s only a one hour flight away from our Island, the Italian capital is the heart of history, art, culture and gastronomy – all in one cosy city! I feel it is my home away from home, it gives me a sense of well-being which I just love. Thanks to my job at Air Malta I am having more opportunities of visiting new places and discovering new cultures. 6. What are your favourite spots or tips for anyone visiting Malta? I think very few countries can boast the impressive historical and architectural sites which the Maltese Islands have to offer, like the Neolithic temples, the fortifications around Valletta, the Three Cities together with the Silent City of Mdina and the Cittadella in Gozo. I am always blown away by the grandeur of these buildings and today that most sites have been lovingly restored with the support of EU funding, we can appreciate their bold beauty even more. This is what makes our Archipelago simply unique.
Do you wish to celebrate a special occasion on board and willing to allow us to share it with our social followers? We would be delighted to help you make your flight experience unforgettable! Send us an email at socialmedia.airmalta@airmalta.com and we will be in touch.