... ABSTRACT Allison R. Soule: Fighting the Social Media Wildfire: How Crisis Communication Must Adapt to Prevent from Fanning the Flames (Under the direction of Dr. Lois Boynton) When a nine-month correspondence seeking reparations for musical instruments damaged by United Airlines employees stalemated, Canadian musician Dave Carroll took action online. Utilizing the video-sharing Web site YouTube, Carroll narrated his ordeal went viral generating a torrent of negative YouTube comments about United, commentary from the mainstream media, and more than 3 million views the first week of its launch. United Breaks Guitars embodies the new phenomenon of a social media wildfire in which the rapid proliferation of information through social media causes severe reputational damage to organizations whose crisis communication plans are ill equipped to handle online dilemmas. CO iii PY Using symbolic interactionist theory, this case analysis explores the phenomenon in detail and provides suggestions for how organizations must re-evaluate existing crisis communication plans to respond effectively to an online audience in the billions. RI G H through the lyrics of a music video entitled United Breaks Guitars. Within hours, the video TE D TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM...
Words: 30330 - Pages: 122
...TUI UNIVERSITY Angelica M. Johnson Module 3 Case Study ITM 501 Management Information Systems and Business Strategy Prof. Sam Biragbara March 14, 2014 Introduction The purpose of this case study is to examine whether the availability and use of social media on the internet really provides businesses with new and different useful information. We will explain the reasons why we feel this is true. Additionally, we will provide a counterargument to my original position, and finally, re-address my original position in light of the counterargument. Businesses and Social Media The availability and use of social media on the internet absolutely provides businesses with new and different useful information. The key question is; are businesses ready to use social media, and the information exchange opportunity it provides, to their advantage? The internet and social media is a fast moving train; businesses can either get on that train, deliberately evolving in this frightening economy, or get run over by the train and die a sure death (Rodriguez, 2011). What Not To Do United Airlines Customer service is something all businesses know is important; however, not all businesses invest and prioritize customer service in their vision or strategic plans. If a business is a service or product provider with a well known name and brand, not paying attention to customers could be a big mistake. One such service provider, United Airlines, committed one of those big mistakes...
Words: 1818 - Pages: 8
...United Breaks Guitars In March 2008, Dave Carroll, a musician from Halifax, NS and his band, the Sons of Maxwell, traveled from Halifax to Nebraska via O’Hare airport in Chicago. What happened on the journey became the subject of outrage, embarrassment, amusement, and transformed Carroll from country singer to customer service guru. Carroll claimed that his guitar was severely damaged by United Airlines baggage handlers at O’Hare. His attempts to pursue a damage claim with United having been frustrated, he posted two amusing videos about the incident on YouTube. The overwhelming response raised questions about brands and the nature of marketing communications in the internet age. The Incident and Carroll’s Response In Carroll’s own words, what happened was as follows: “In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-‐ week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed...
Words: 3984 - Pages: 16
...evaluate the effectiveness of United Airlines’ response to Carroll’s viral video, we have to take into consideration what they were hoping to achieve with their responses. In this case, the messages that United issued contain indications that their focus was on damage control rather than process improvement. Although United did indeed actively reply to tweets and other social media communications, they made no real effort to amend the underlying issue that caused the PR debacle in the first place. United’s treatment of its customers has not improved, as evidenced by their continued inadequacy in customer service. This is shown by their poor standing on J.D. Power & Associates’ 2011 North American Airline Satisfaction Study. United’s response is also lacking in transparency and candor that a sincere admission of guilt would have displayed, and this is evidenced by their vague assurances such as that they would use Carroll’s video for “training purposes.” However, it is also possible that United’s management was aware of the fact that damage control by issuing apologies, however insincere, would be adequate. After all, although it is hyped that United’s shareholders lost $180 Million from Carroll’s video, data shows that they quickly regained this “loss” within a month. Thus, it is fair to say that United handled the incident well in a purely financial sense, but not in an ethical sense. In retrospect, it is not surprising that “United Breaks Guitars” became a viral video. According...
Words: 462 - Pages: 2
...address the public relationship outfall of United Airline by considering the issues and causes and choosing a recommended solution on the base of decision criteria. Methods used in this report include empirical and theoretical analysis. In aviation industry, airlines experienced a cost pressure and that is the main reason that they cut cost wherever possible. Ethical issues and stakeholders’ benefit would be considered and play key roles in decision criteria to value the solution. United Airline would be suggested to establish a temporary team to solve the short-term crisis and invest in customer service departments to prevent similar issues in the future. The balance between cost and profit would be achieved to save the reputation and earn the profit, which would maximize the stakeholders’ value. Limitation of this report could be found in the scope of decision criteria. Some main points are covered and other attributes are not. Introduction The purpose of this report is to deal with the customer service issues facing United Airline. The causes would be discussed and the decision criteria would be considered to measure the alternatives which could be taken to address these issues. Moreover, recommended solution would be derived as the best of the alternatives with supported reasons. Finally, suggestions would be provided on how to implement the solution as well as the related implications. Issues United Airline suffered a public relationship...
Words: 2164 - Pages: 9
...Questions for Cases All groups need to prepare the PPTs and groups for presentations will be selected during the sessions 1. Infosys’s Relationship Scorecard 1. How does Infosys’ customer-centric organization compare with that of other companies? What challenges does this organization try to address? What tensions do these challenges create, and how does Infosys deal with them? 2. What is the role of the RSC in a customer relationship? What does an RSC offer that is not already contained in the client’s SLAs? What are the opportunities and challenges involved in building an RSC? 3. Infosys has learned through its RSCs that some customers are dissatisfied with its team turnover. How would you respond to Apted’s request to keep the best people in the Syngenta team? How would you deal with this issue from Syngenta’s perspective? 4. How should Sanjay deal with the challenges and tensions that have arisen with the use of the RSC? Could you help Sanjay design an action plan to improve the RSC? Should Infosys make it a priority for EMs to get their clients to embrace RSCs? Should Sanjay suggest using the RSC earlier in the relationship with a client? Is there any change that you would introduce to the content of the RSC? 2. Chantale and Clinton 1. What were Chantale and Clinton’s service expectations? How did they develop? 2. What is your evaluation of the Canadian’s provision of repair service? 3. Should The Canadian or other stores be concerned about incidents of this...
Words: 644 - Pages: 3
...music both developed in the 19th century in the Southern United States. They share a similar history. For this reason, they share many of the same musical and lyrical characteristics. Read more: How to Compare Blues & Country Music | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5888119_compare-blues-country-music.htInstructions 1. * 1 Learn the history behind blues and country music. They are both forms of American folk music influenced by earlier styles brought overseas. Blues music grew out of field hollers and chants sung by African slaves. Irish and Scottish balladeers borrowed the guitar and banjo of blues and thus created "country". According to Reebee Garofalo in "Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA", "Terms like country and blues are only used to separate the same kind of music made by blacks and whites ... designations like race and hillbilly intentionally separated artists along racial lines and conveyed the impression that their music came from mutually exclusive sources." Country is an offshoot of blues. They are essentially the same thing. In the PBS special, "Rhythm, Country and Blues," country is referred to as "white man's blues." * 2 Listen to the instrumentation in country and blues songs. They share many of the same instruments. These include guitar, bass, piano and drums, among others. Traditional country music differed from blues in that it utilized instruments such as the pedal steel guitar and fiddle. Modern country doesn't necessarily include...
Words: 13547 - Pages: 55
...noncommunist world advertising has become a large and important service industry. In the ancient and medieval world such advertising as existed was conducted by word of mouth. The first step toward modern advertising came with the development of printing in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 17th century weekly newspapers in London began to carry advertisements, and by the 18th century such advertising was flourishing. Modern advertising was created with the innovative techniques introduced with tobacco advertising in the 1920s, most significantly with the campaigns of Edward Bernays, which is often considered the founder of modern, Madison Avenue advertising.[5][6][7] In 2010, spending on advertising was estimated at $143 billion in the United States and $467 billion worldwide[8] Internationally, the largest ("big four") advertising conglomerates are Interpublic, Omnicom, Publicis, and WPP.[9] DISCUSS MODERN ADVERTISING VIS-A-VIS ANCIENT METHODS ADVERTISING Media and advertising approaches Increasingly, other media are overtaking many of the...
Words: 1565 - Pages: 7
...Philippines is a mixture of indigenous foreign countries. The United States occupied the Islands in 1898 until 1946, and introduced American blues folk music, Rock &Blues, and rock and roll became popular. In the late 1950s, native performers adapted Tagalog lyrics for North American rock and roll music, resulting in the seminal origins of Philippine rock. The most notable achievement in Philippine rock of the 1960s was the hit song "Killer Joe," which propelled the group "Rocky Fellers" which reached number sixteen on the American radio charts. Up until the 1970s, popular rock musicians began writing and producing in English. In the early 1970s, rock music began to be written using local languages, with bands like the Juan Dela Cruz Band being among the first popular bands to do so. Mixing tagalog, and English lyrics. Background of the Study Joseph William Feliciano Smith born on December 25, 1947 is a Filipino singer-songwriter, drummer, and guitarist. More commonly known alternately as Joey Smith or Pepe Smith, he is an icon of original Filipino rock music or "Pinoy Rock". His father, Edgar William Smith, was a United States Airforce, and his mother, Conchita Feliciano, was from Angeles, Pampanga, where the huge Clark Air Force base was located. Joey spent his first years in Angeles, often visiting the airbase, where his father would take him to the flight line to watch the United States military aircraft take off and land. To this day, he has...
Words: 12257 - Pages: 50
...Chapter 1 Case Study: Harmonix Embrace Your Inner Rock Star Little more than three years ago, you had probably never heard of Harmonix. In 2005, the video game design studio released Guitar Hero, which subsequently became the fastest video game in history to top $1 billion in North American sales. The game concept focuses around a plastic guitar-shaped controller. Players press colored buttons along the guitar neck to match a series of dots that scroll down the TV in time with music from a famous rock tune, such as the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” and Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.” Players score points based on their accuracy. In November 2007, Harmonix released Rock Band, adding drums, vocals, and bass guitar options to the game. Rock Band has sold over 3.5 million units with a $169 price tag (most video games retail at $50 to $60). In 2006, Harmonix’s founders sold the company to Viacom for $175 million, maintaining their operational autonomy while providing them greater budgets for product development and licensing music for their games. Harmonix’s success, however, did not come overnight. The company was originally founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy in 1995, focused around some demo software they had created in grad school and a company vision of providing a way for people without much musical training or talent to experience the joy of playing and creating music. The founders believed that if people had the opportunity to create their own music, they would jump...
Words: 25169 - Pages: 101
...Chapter 1 Case Study: Harmonix Embrace Your Inner Rock Star Little more than three years ago, you had probably never heard of Harmonix. In 2005, the video game design studio released Guitar Hero, which subsequently became the fastest video game in history to top $1 billion in North American sales. The game concept focuses around a plastic guitar-shaped controller. Players press colored buttons along the guitar neck to match a series of dots that scroll down the TV in time with music from a famous rock tune, such as the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” and Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.” Players score points based on their accuracy. In November 2007, Harmonix released Rock Band, adding drums, vocals, and bass guitar options to the game. Rock Band has sold over 3.5 million units with a $169 price tag (most video games retail at $50 to $60). In 2006, Harmonix’s founders sold the company to Viacom for $175 million, maintaining their operational autonomy while providing them greater budgets for product development and licensing music for their games. Harmonix’s success, however, did not come overnight. The company was originally founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy in 1995, focused around some demo software they had created in grad school and a company vision of providing a way for people without much musical training or talent to experience the joy of playing and creating music. The founders believed that if people had the opportunity to create their own music, they would jump...
Words: 25518 - Pages: 103
...Quality Management at United Airlines Brandon L. Smith Keller Graduate School of Management GM 588 6/20/2012 Dr. Kim Hunley INTRODUCTION United Airlines is a major airline based in the United States and one of the world’s largest airlines. It was formed in 1934. It is a subsidiary of United Continental Holdings Inc. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, IL. United is a founding member of the Star Alliance, the largest alliance in the world. On October 1, 2010 United and Continental airlines merged together forming the world’s largest airline in revenue passenger miles and second largest in fleet size and destinations. “The new United will offer customers an enhanced travel experience, combining the best products and services each carrier has to offer,” (The World's Leading Airline, 2012). The airline is supposed to be the airline that customers want to fly, the airline employees want to work for and the airline shareholders want to invest in. The key highlights of the merger are the following: * World’s most comprehensive global network, including world class international gateways to Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Middle East with non-stop or one stop service from virtually anywhere in the United States * Most modern and fuel-efficient fleet and the best new aircraft order book, among U.S. network carriers * Industry-leading frequent flyer program that will provide more opportunities to earn and redeem miles worldwide *...
Words: 3053 - Pages: 13
... 6/15/2011 | INTRODUCTION United Airlines is a major airline based in the United States and one of the world’s largest airlines. It was formed in 1934. It is a subsidiary of United Continental Holdings Inc. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, IL. United is a founding member of the Star Alliance, the largest alliance in the world. On October 1, 2010 United and Continental airlines merged together forming the world’s largest airline in revenue passenger miles and second largest in fleet size and destinations. “The new United will offer customers an enhanced travel experience, combining the best products and services each carrier has to offer,” (The World's Leading Airline, 2011). The airline is suppose to be the airline that customers want to fly, the airline employees want to work for and the airline shareholders want to invest in. The key highlights of the merger are the following: * World’s most comprehensive global network, including world class international gateways to Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Middle East with non-stop or one stop service from virtually anywhere in the United States * Most modern and fuel-efficient fleet and the best new aircraft order book, among U.S. network carriers * Industry-leading frequent flyer program that will provide more opportunities to earn and redeem miles worldwide * Optimal hub locations in 10 cities, including hubs in the four largest cities in the United States As of right now the two...
Words: 3063 - Pages: 13
...permission in writing from the publisher. First Edition ISBN 0-9725300-3-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2004102958 Visit our website: www.languagesuccesspress.com Bulk discounts are available. For information, please contact: Language Success Press 2232 S. Main Street #345 Ann Arbor, MI 48103 USA E-mail: sales@languagesuccesspress.com Fax: (303) 484-2004 (USA) Printed in the United States of America The author is very grateful to the following people for their collaboration and advice while preparing this book and CD set: Vijay Banta, Jacqueline Gillett, Thomas Gillett, Marcy Carreras, John McDermott, Natasha McDermott, Cat McGrath, Patrick O'Connell. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amy Gillett has taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Stamford, Connecticut and in Prague, Czech Republic. Her essays and humor writing have appeared in many publications, including MAD Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Family Circle. Amy majored in Slavic Languages and Literature at Stanford University and holds a Master's degree from Stanford in Russian and Eastern European Studies. Amy has studied and worked abroad in many countries and speaks several foreign languages, including Russian, Czech, French, and Italian. She is also the author of Speak English Like an American for Native Spanish Speakers, Speak English Like an American for Native Russian Speakers, and Speak English Like an American for Native Japanese Speakers. ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR Manny Jose is an illustrator...
Words: 27413 - Pages: 110
...Abstract Brands rushed into social media, viewing social networks, video sharing, online communities, and microblogging sites as the panacea to diminishing returns for traditional brand building routes. But as more branding activity moves to the Web, marketers are confronted with the stark realization that social media was made for people, not for brands. In this article, we explore the emergent cultural landscape of open source branding, and identify marketing strategies directed at the hunt for consumer engagement on the People’s Web. These strategies present a paradox, for to gain coveted resonance, the brand must relinquish control. We discuss how Webbased power struggles between marketers and consumer brand authors challenge accepted branding truths and paradigms: where short-term brands can trump longterm icons; where marketing looks more like public relations; where brand building gives way to brand protection; and brand value is driven by risk, not returns. # 2011 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. All rights reserved. 1. The party crashers: Marketers and the Social Web Brands today claim hundreds of thousands of Facebook friends, Twitter followers, online community members, and YouTube fans; yet, it is a lonely, scary time to be a brand manager. Despite marketers’ desires to leverage Web 2.0 technologies to their advantage, a stark truth presents itself: the Web was created not to sell branded products, but to link people together in collective conversational...
Words: 12470 - Pages: 50
