--- title: "The Plane Truth: Brand journalism and the new Boeing site" image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604038456-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2013480b5d316970c-120wi.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/05/the-plane-truth-brand-journalism-and-the-new-boeing-site.html#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # The Plane Truth: Brand journalism and the new Boeing site May 12th, 2010 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604038456-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2013480b5d316970c-120wi.jpg?width=120&height=35&name=6a00d83451f23a69e2013480b5d316970c-120wi.jpg) [![Boeing_logo](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604038456-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2013480b5d316970c-120wi.jpg)](http://freshspot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f23a69e2013480b5d316970c-pi) [The Boeing Company](http://www.boeing.com/) recently launched a completely new approach to the Web. The dramatic shift in direction brings what was a dull technology and product focused site to one focused on brand journalism, with interesting stories about people. [Brand journalism](https://www.webinknow.com/2010/03/brand-journalism-.html) is the creation of videos, blog posts, photos, charts, graphs, essays, ebooks, and other information that deliver value to your marketplace. Brand Journalism is not a product pitch. It is not an advertorial. It is not an egotistical spewing of gobbledygook-laden, stock-photo enhanced corporate drivel. The [new Boeing site](http://www.boeing.com/) does an excellent job at putting a human (and canine) face on the company. [![Rocky](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604038471-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e20133ed828d0d970b-250wi.jpg)](http://freshspot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f23a69e20133ed828d0d970b-popup) One of the featured stories as I write this is [Rocky earns his rest](http://www.boeing.com/Features/2010/05/feat_rocky_retires_05_10_10.html), about a Belgian Malinois, who served for 56 "dog years" as a Boeing explosive detection dog. "Rocky's story is unusual and we never would have used him on the site before," [Todd Blecher](http://twitter.com/boeingcorporate), Communications Director, at The Boeing Co tells me. "Now on our site we show there are real people who work in the company. And we are willing to talk about them even if they are a dog." **Humanizing a giant company** Todd heads up the editorial team at Boeing, gathering story ideas from all over the company. An interesting aspect of the brand journalism approach now used at Boeing is that each of the stories carries a byline of the person who wrote it. "The bylines are another way that we humanize the stories," Todd says. I particularly liked [Freezin' in Florida](http://www.boeing.com/Features/2010/04/bca_cold_soak_04_22_10.html), about testing the 787 Dreamliner in the largest refrigerated hangar in the world. The hangar simulates temperatures as low as minus 65 degrees Fahrenheit or as high as 165 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a fascinating two-minute video of the very, very cold airplane featuring the people who are testing it. "Rather than have a standard news release that describes testing, we take you inside the hanger to actually show what people have to do to freeze the airplane," Todd says. "No airplane comes together without the people who work on it. Now we're talking about our technology from the perspective of the people." This is a terrific example of [brand journalism](https://www.webinknow.com/2010/03/brand-journalism-.html) from a company whose products I fly in almost every week. I'll be keeping an eye on the site and look forward to watch what comes next. *Rocky photo by Boeing’s Marian Lockhart* [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Brand Journalism ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/brand-journalism) [ Best Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/best-practices) [ Business to Business ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/business-to-business) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Chef%20Todd%20Edwards.jpg?width=1500&height=1010&name=Chef%20Todd%20Edwards.jpg) ### Pulling Back the Curtain to Show What Happens Behind-the-Scenes October 15th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/pulling-back-the-curtain-to-show-what-happens-behind-the-scenes) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Writers%20thrive%20in%20world%20of%20AI.png?width=1536&height=1024&name=Writers%20thrive%20in%20world%20of%20AI.png) ### How Writers Thrive in the Age of AI October 9th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-writers-thrive-in-the-age-of-ai) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/write%20compelling%20headlines.jpg?width=2248&height=1506&name=write%20compelling%20headlines.jpg) ### The Fine Art of Crafting a Not-Quite-Clickbait Headline August 1st, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-fine-art-of-crafting-a-not-quite-clickbait-headline) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMS%20Banner%20Option%202%20-%20LinkedIn%20_%20Facebook%20Sizing.png?width=1200&height=627&name=DMS%20Banner%20Option%202%20-%20LinkedIn%20_%20Facebook%20Sizing.png) ### How to Write and Publish a Book that Supercharges Your Personal Brand July 2nd, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-to-write-and-publish-a-book-that-supercharges-your-personal-brand) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stefano%20Paciotti.jpg?width=1500&height=1084&name=Stefano%20Paciotti.jpg) ### The Ham Whisperer of Rome: How Stefano’s Honest Videos Won the World’s Heart June 24th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-ham-whisperer-of-rome-how-stefanos-honest-videos-won-the-worlds-heart) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/story%20time%20shutterstock_2078659261.jpg?width=1500&height=999&name=story%20time%20shutterstock_2078659261.jpg) ### The Story Customers Tell Themselves May 6th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-story-customers-tell-themselves) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_2485310835.jpg?width=1500&height=846&name=shutterstock_2485310835.jpg) ### Your Original Content: Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose! October 31st, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/your-original-content-repurpose-repurpose-repurpose) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/hq720.jpg?width=686&height=386&name=hq720.jpg) ### KOREAZ YouTube Channel Delivers Digital Public Diplomacy as Entertainment January 3rd, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/koreaz-youtube-channel-delivers-digital-public-diplomacy-as-entertainment) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Apple-WWCD23-Vision-Pro-with-battery-230605.jpg?width=1960&height=1102&name=Apple-WWCD23-Vision-Pro-with-battery-230605.jpg) ### Apple Vision Pro Spatial Computer Launch Is PR Done Right June 6th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/apple-vision-pro-spatial-computer-launch-is-pr-done-right) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202022-12-15%20at%207.17.45%20AM.png?width=940&height=585&name=Screenshot%202022-12-15%20at%207.17.45%20AM.png) ### Apollo 17 Was 50 Years Ago. What Can We Achieve Today? December 15th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/apollo-17-gave-us-something-to-cheer) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/how%20to%20poop%20in%20the%20woods.jpg?width=1810&height=1002&name=how%20to%20poop%20in%20the%20woods.jpg) ### How to Poop in the Woods and Tons of Other Awesome REI Marketing Content October 26th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-to-poop-in-the-woods-and-tons-of-other-awesome-rei-marketing-content) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/publish.jpg?width=1602&height=1064&name=publish.jpg) ### Back to the Basics: Create Content Like a Publisher March 2nd, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/create-marketing-content-like-a-publisher) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/marketing%20is%20publishing.jpg) ### Successful Marketing Means Becoming a Publisher June 1st, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/successful-marketing-means-becoming-a-publisher) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/shutterstock_503377519.jpg) ### The Incredible Power of a Simple Gift April 28th, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-incredible-power-of-a-simple-gift) [![marketing assets](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/shutterstock_257675371.jpg) ### Are You Creating Marketing Assets or Just Generating Marketing Expenses? October 16th, 2019|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/are-you-creating-marketing-assets-or-just-generating-marketing-expenses) [![Bridenstine](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Bridenstine.jpg) ### How NASA Builds Space Fandom July 24th, 2019|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/nasa-administrator-jim-bridenstine-discusses-space-fandom-with-me) [![How NASA sold the moon](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/How%20NASA%20sold%20the%20moon.jpg) ### How NASA Sold the Science and Glamour of Space Travel July 20th, 2019|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-nasa-sold-the-science-and-glamour-of-space-travel) [![Hasselblad Visor](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Hasselblad%20Visor.jpg) ### IBM, Omega, and Hasselblad Celebrate Apollo 11 fiftieth Anniversary with Exclusive Content July 10th, 2019|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/ibm-omega-and-hasselblad-celebrate-apollo-11-fiftieth-anniversary-with-exclusive-content) [![marketing meeting](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/shutterstock_562442005.jpg) ### Marketers: Here’s How to Manage Your Bosses July 2nd, 2019|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/marketers-heres-how-to-manage-your-bosses) [![Apollo 11 contractor press kits](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Apollo%2011%20contractor%20press%20kits.jpg) ### Amazing Content Marketing History: My Apollo 11 Press Kits Now Digitized March 14th, 2019|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/my-apollo-11-press-kits-digitized-sharing-amazing-content-marketing-history) [![Gillette YouTube](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Gillette%20YouTube.jpg) ### Gillette #MeToo Newsjacking Film Fails Because It Promotes Gillette Products January 15th, 2019|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/gillette-metoo-newsjacking-film-fails-because-it-promotes-gillette-products) [![storytelling](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/shutterstock_1107066452.jpg) ### Your Story vs Your Product November 19th, 2018|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/your-story-vs-your-product) [![DMS and Bek](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS%20and%20Bek.jpg) ### Rebekah Keat Grows Coaching Business by Marketing to Beginner Triathlete Buyer Persona October 9th, 2018|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/rebekah-keat-grows-coaching-business-by-marketing-to-beginner-triathlete-buyer-persona) [![Nike ad](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Nike%20ad.jpg) ### Nike Video Featuring Women And Sport In Mexico: Unstoppable Together October 1st, 2018|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/nike-video-featuring-women-and-sport-in-mexico-unstoppable-together) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "datePublished" : "2010-05-12T11:10:05.000Z", "headline" : "The Plane Truth: Brand journalism and the new Boeing site", "image" : [ "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604038456-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2013480b5d316970c-120wi.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/05/the-plane-truth-brand-journalism-and-the-new-boeing-site.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person", "@type" : "Person", "description" : "Marketing and sales visionary, international bestselling author of 12 books, keynote speaker in 47 countries, and advisor to emerging companies.", "email" : "mailto:David@DavidMeermanScott.com", "image" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS-Homepage-Featured.jpg", "jobTitle" : [ "Keynote Speaker", "Author", "Business Growth Strategist", "Marketing Advisor" ], "knowsAbout" : [ "Content Marketing", "Fandom Marketing", "Newsjacking", "Real-Time Marketing", "Public Relations", "Sales Strategy", "Business Growth" ], "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "sameAs" : [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Meerman_Scott", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott", "https://x.com/dmscott", "https://www.instagram.com/dmscott/" ], "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "SearchAction", "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string", "target" : { "@type" : "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/search?q={search_term_string}" } }, "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "dateCreated" : "2014-09-10T22:45:17", "datePublished" : "2010-05-12T07:10:05-0400", "description" : "", "headline" : "The Plane Truth: Brand journalism and the new Boeing site", "image" : [ "http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/413105/file-1604038456-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2013480b5d316970c-120wi.jpg" ], "inLanguage" : "en-us", "keywords" : [ "Brand Journalism", "Best Practices", "Business to Business" ], "learningResourceType" : "article", "name" : "The Plane Truth: Brand journalism and the new Boeing site", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://413105.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/413105/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "Freshspot Marketing LLC" }, "timeRequired" : "1 minutes", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2010/05/the-plane-truth-brand-journalism-and-the-new-boeing-site.html" } ```