kamui Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 This is an fantastic example how one disgruntled costumer can damage a whole brand within less than a week: :thumbup: United Airlines Complaint Song Breaks 1M Views in 4 Days United Breaks Guitars, the sudden viral hit produced by distraught United Airways passenger Dave Carroll and his band, broke 1M views a mere 4 days after he posted it on YouTube. According to his blog, Carroll decided to write the song after his guitar was broken in United's care and 9 months of back-and-forth resulted in no settlement. As he sings in his catchy song, "I've heard all your excuses and I've chased your wild gooses, and this attitude of yours I say must go." Here's the incredibly short timeline: • Monday - Carroll posts his video to YouTube • Tuesday - United says in a public Twitter response "we've contacted him directly to make it right" • Wednesday - CNN's Wolf Blitzer discusses it on air • Friday - [color:red]1M+ YouTube views with 7,000 comments, 1M+ results in Google for search string "united breaks guitars," and 19,000 blog mentions[/color] -- not to mention the millions of viewers that watched it on CNN, other networks, and traditional media. Carroll's goal was to get one million views in one year but he did more than just that. Remarkably, in these brief 4 days he changed United's Google search results page -- something marketers take great pains to protect. In web marketing it's often said, "You are what Google says you are," and right now 4 of the Google results on the first page for "United Airlines" point to this video. Seven of the first 10 results for a Google video search of United Airlines are damaging to the brand. Carroll and his band are likely flying high after all this publicity but United Airlines has some serious recovery work to do. Whole story at L.A. Times PS: I feel almost sorry for United Airlines. Today the video has almost 1.5 views and Google shows over 3 Mio. links and over 400 news reports. A complaint which could have been solved with a 1.200 USD travel voucher will now likely cost thousand of USD for damage control. That's what I call a PR desaster. :content: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 Som nom naa is what I call it. This kind of thing needs to happen more often. Love it! Now I need to write a song about my crappy ISP. What rhymes with CSLOX info? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 Like United gives a flying fark (pun intended)...what United is really saying, go fark yourself and fly another airline...United will make some token amends but in reality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 United seems to be in a race with BA to be the worst major airline in the world. I'm wondering whether they send their crew to RUDENESS school in Chicago or London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 This guy posted a complaint on an airline complaint website. He finally said to the last person that told him "no", that he would write 3 songs and make videos for all 3. Obviously, the first one is done. In his post on the site, he said the second one is written and they are producing the video. The third song is being written but he promised the end result would be posted. By the looks of it, I have no reason to doubt him. Good luck for him and I hope he gets what he was after. No offense, OH, as I worked for a major too but I hope this hurts UA somehow so they realize this type of wrong that ALL airlines do can't continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 United always breaks my stuff. They must holder the record for abusing passenger's luggage. Too bad they can not get arrested for their actions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 Som nom naa is what I call it. This kind of thing needs to happen more often. Love it! Now I need to write a song about my crappy ISP. What rhymes with CSLOX info? Chicken pox? Small pox? Smelly socks? Bunch of cocks? Dumb as an ox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 Dumb as rocks? 3 bears and Goldilocks? She's got a nice box? Sly as a fox? Some people hate jocks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 If United was smart, they would hire this guy to do a video for them, own up to their shite ways and move on...not holding my breath for this to happen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 I looked at the airline website again and I am wrong wrong wrong again. A poster there cut and pasted, probably from his website. "In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didn't deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say no to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise. Follow me at http://twitter.com/DaveCarroll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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