Skift Take
In a sitdown interview with Skift, Michael O'Leary reveals some of the secrets to Ryanair's viral success, and tells us the two subjects that are absolutely off-limits.
Michael O’Leary doesn’t understand TikTok. He isn’t on X, and you definitely won’t find him sharing his vacation snaps on Instagram. Yet the Ryanair CEO is proud to describe himself as “one of the original creators of social media.”
Speaking with Skift, O’Leary describes the online platforms as a “way to reach lots of people at no cost,” but that’s only half the story. The real social media magic comes with the addition of a second ingredient.
“All you have to do is make noise. I’ve been making noise whether it's charging for toilets, standing-only cabins, or whatever. Social media kind of accentuates that nonsensical rubbish.”
While it’s unsuitable for most brands, there’s no denying that O’Leary’s approach has been hugely effective.
His stunts have generated social media buzz and coverage at top-tier outlets: From Time Magazine concerned about paying to pee on the plane to ABC News grappling with the concept of vertical seating.
TikTok is ‘Mindless Rubbish’Courting controversy and the associated free publicity has been a calling card of Ryanair since the early 2000s. However, more recently the airline has fine-tuned its social media strategy.