United Airlines: Dragging Through Crisis Management
A recent scandal at United Airlines involving a routine overbooking of a flight and a non-routine removal of a passenger after none volunteered to de-board has thrust United into a rather negative spotlight. Its image has been tarred by widespread public disapproval thanks to social media, and the company's settlement with the customer out of court has done little to polish the airline's image. Its attempt to contain the crisis has proved futile and has raised the question: Are companies desensitizing customer service by relying too heavily on crisis management via public relations? From the look of it, it appears that United would do well to re-focus its attention on vitalizing its customer service approach instead of relying on its PR team to clean up the mess. This paper will discuss the issue of United's crisis management approach and examine another possible approach that could better serve as a solution to the underlying issues.
The PR Problem
The problem with relying on a PR team to address crises in the Digital Era is that it has become virtually impossible to contain a story and control a narrative once it has been picked up by social media. Traditional news outlets used to be the go-to source for information but the Internet has changed all of that. Today, any individual can make and spread news via social media feeds such as Twitter, Facebook. Strategic communications has been revealed to be a two-way street: consumers now have access to their own form of strategic communications (social media) just as businesses have their own (public relations teams). The result is a battle of communications, and -- as the recent case shows involving the physically assaulted doctor, removed for not giving up his seat when United overbooked the flights -- the consumer has far more power to control a narrative today via social media than the business has via PR.
Strategic Communications and Marketing vs. Social Media
United has attempted to rely on strategic communications and marketing to construct a positive image of itself for public consumption. This type of strategy...
Social Media's Massive Influence On Society Does Media-Based Relationship and Communities Have a Damaging Effect on Society Social Media's Massive Influence on Society Current mass media enduringly influence people. People undergo exposure to this impact, which they are unable to shun since mass and social media exists in all dispensations. Modern media are a crucial element of the contemporary culture, and they fashion cultural characteristics and viewpoints of people. In this situation and
Social Media and Emergency Communications Social Media Emergency Communications Social media popular crucial crisis emergency communications. Responders communicating public social media outlets, public communicating, responders. Individuals provide important information disaster The pros and cons Social media has allowed people to communicate with a large group of people in real time. The integration of social media in mobile devices has also spread its reach, which has allowed for ease of communication between individuals. In
Social Media and Law Enforcement Social Media Issues in law Enforcement Social media and law enforcement: Boon or bane? Social media is a fact of everyday modern life. For law enforcement personnel, it has created new opportunities to share resources with the public, including as 'tweeting' information about a possible suspect or releasing safety information to the public about terrorist incidents or natural disasters. At first, in the Internet age, police departments were
Social Media - a New Kind of Security Problem in Business The Newest Threat to any Business: Social Media Social media is one of the most significant changes that has come about in communication today. However, it can also have serious implications for business and for the privacy and protection of businesses and employees. Overall, social media is not something that can be ignored by businesses today, because it can offer worries
Social Media Marketing Risk in Social Media Marketing Role of Federal Government in Managing Cross Country Transactions Regulation of Customer Transactions through Government Branches Agency Relationship in Social Media Sites Social Media marketing is increasing at fast pace and giving business organizations an opportunity to offer their products to diverse market located all over the world. Likewise, customers are getting unlimited product varieties to choose from according to their need and preference. There are certain
Social Media The "United Breaks Guitars" phenomenon spawned a new era in consumer empowerment. As Kaufman (2012) states, "until very recently, there seemed to be fewer and fewer ways for ordinary people to fight back against powerful corporations." Now, consumers have a range of possible ways to get other consumers to change their purchasing behaviors -- hitting companies where it hurts the most. A friend recently posted on Facebook about a
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now