Airline Safety Videos with an Entertaining Spin May Potentially Reduce Passenger Awareness of Precautions
In a recent study led by Yaqi Gong, a doctoral candidate at Pennsylvania State University, it has been revealed that the inclusion of tourism marketing in airline safety videos may impair passengers' memory recall of critical safety protocols. The research, published in the Journal of Travel Research, found that while such videos enhance national branding and passenger engagement, they may pose risks to safety.
The study, which involved 214 participants in the U.S., investigated the effectiveness of safety-demonstration videos with tourism content from four national flagship airlines: Nepal Airlines, Air Mauritius, Sri Lankan Airlines, and Singapore Airlines. Participants watched one of the videos and then answered questions related to the video's content. On average, they correctly answered only about 40% of the safety questions.
This finding is concerning, as attentiveness during safety briefings is crucial for survival in emergencies. According to the United States National Transportation Safety Board, attentiveness to safety demonstrations can significantly affect a passenger's chances of surviving a plane crash.
The study found that viewers of in-flight safety videos enriched with tourism marketing were more likely to forget the guidelines compared to those who watched regular safety videos. Exciting local images in safety videos may distract from safety messaging, leading to less remembered important information. For instance, the popular Lord of the Rings-themed safety video by Air New Zealand, which has more than 25 million views on YouTube, comes at the cost of reduced memory recall among viewers.
However, it's important to note that this study did not take place in a real-world environment, so results may differ on an actual plane. Bing Pan, a Penn State professor, suggests that these videos can change traveler impressions and influence visitor preferences. He emphasises the need for everyone to pay attention to safety demonstrations, as they could potentially save lives.
The study did not investigate the effects of an entertaining video with marketing elements on safety information retention. It did, however, find that the inclusion of destination content, particularly when presented through live-shot imagery, positively impacts destination image and increases visit intentions.
In conclusion, while tourism marketing in airline safety videos may enhance national branding and passenger engagement, it also impairs the primary objective of these videos—effective communication and retention of safety procedures. Passengers are advised to watch safety demonstrations carefully, as they could potentially save lives.
- Incorporating tourism marketing into airline safety videos, as demonstrated in the study led by Yaqi Gong, might affect the recall of critical safety protocols, which could be detrimental in emergencies.
- The research, published in the Journal of Travel Research, reveals that passengers who watched safety videos with tourism content, like Nepal Airlines, Air Mauritius, Sri Lankan Airlines, and Singapore Airlines, scored an average of 40% on safety questions.
- The United States National Transportation Safety Board emphasizes the importance of attentiveness during safety briefings, stating that attentiveness can significantly impact a passenger's chances of surviving a plane crash.
- The study found that viewers of safety videos with tourism marketing were more likely to forget safety guidelines, with exciting local images possibly distracting from safety messaging.
- Bing Pan, a Penn State professor, suggests that these videos can potentially change traveler impressions and influence visitor preferences, but the study underscores the importance of paying attention to safety demonstrations for safety reasons.
- The study did not determine the effects of an entertaining video with marketing elements on safety information retention; however, it did find that destination content presented through live-shot imagery positively impacts the destination's image and raises visit intentions.
