Gathering-Engaging-Growing
BEWARE Social Media Ignorance Can Simply Destroy YOU!
July 11, 2009
DISCLAIMER: If you have customers, and your customers have friends, and their friends use the Internet - you must read this article!
I sit here Saturday evening, ready for bed, but so convicted to write this blog that I know I have to do it now, or I simply won't sleep!!!! Yes, everything that I have come to know in my past two years of social media research and hands-on experience can be summed up in this one blog post! So, rather than sleep, I sit here writing. (Okay, so I'm really a geek at heart!)
My head is buzzing with excitement, because I can show with more power than ever before, just how important social media is. Whether you are a small company or you are a giant, mega behemoth - you have no choice but to take note and act accordingly. Or... simply bear the consequences of ignorance!
If you haven't seen it or heard about it already, one man has completely disarmed and turned United Airlines upside down in a matter of 5 days! United invests millions and millions of dollars in marketing each year, and in a matter of 5 days - their entire marketing department and brand imaging have been negatively tarnished in ways previously unimagined.
What United's marketing department has tried so hard to protect and relish was entirely undone by one person in only a few days. This happened for one reason: United's executive leadership simply did not understand the power of social media.
I can assure you, that this Saturday evening (now early Sunday) I am not the only one who cannot sleep. Every United executive is experiencing the power of social media in a very personal way!
So here is the story. David Carroll (a musician) was traveling on United over a year ago and they broke his guitar. They refused to do anything about it. After 9 months of trying to resolve it, David got tired of the inaction and wrote a song about it. His video was posted on YouTube 5 days ago and has virally attracted over 2 million views, enticing a very sobering reaction from United!
The video follows, and while it was intended to be a creative outlet of frustration and a bit of a spoof... it is becoming a milestone of enlightenment for every executive today! If you are reading this, then let these words strike a chord - take social media very seriously! Your customers have more power today than you realize.
In his own words, David's story can be viewed here.
To summarize the Huffington Post's timeline that was published in an article on Friday.
• 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 - 1M+ YouTube views with 7,000 comments, 1M+ results in Google for search string "united breaks guitars," and 19,000 blog mentions -- not to mention the millions of viewers that watched it on CNN, other networks, and traditional media.
• Saturday evening - I write this blog and there are 2M+ view on YouTube and growing.
The Huffington Post writes: "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."
The crazy thing is that the impact of social media is simply so subtle that we don't even realize the power it has over us. To be entirely honest, I am a frequent flier. O'Hare is my home airport, and I have had airline status on United for years... after reading all the stores, writing this blog, and evaluating my own thoughts - I now realize that my image of United has even changed a bit.
As you read this article, let me say one very pointed and personal thing to you: use this as a powerful case study - embrace social media and learn from these mega blunders. Let somebody else lose the millions of dollars, so that you don't have to. Use social media because you have no other choice!
If you aren't sure where to begin - send me a personal email and simply ask me. I want you to succeed, and the culmination of our experience and tools can help you succeed!
DISCLAIMER: If you have customers, and your customers have friends, and their friends use the Internet - you must read this article!
I sit here Saturday evening, ready for bed, but so convicted to write this blog that I know I have to do it now, or I simply won't sleep!!!! Yes, everything that I have come to know in my past two years of social media research and hands-on experience can be summed up in this one blog post! So, rather than sleep, I sit here writing. (Okay, so I'm really a geek at heart!)
My head is buzzing with excitement, because I can show with more power than ever before, just how important social media is. Whether you are a small company or you are a giant, mega behemoth - you have no choice but to take note and act accordingly. Or... simply bear the consequences of ignorance!
If you haven't seen it or heard about it already, one man has completely disarmed and turned United Airlines upside down in a matter of 5 days! United invests millions and millions of dollars in marketing each year, and in a matter of 5 days - their entire marketing department and brand imaging have been negatively tarnished in ways previously unimagined.
What United's marketing department has tried so hard to protect and relish was entirely undone by one person in only a few days. This happened for one reason: United's executive leadership simply did not understand the power of social media.
I can assure you, that this Saturday evening (now early Sunday) I am not the only one who cannot sleep. Every United executive is experiencing the power of social media in a very personal way!
So here is the story. David Carroll (a musician) was traveling on United over a year ago and they broke his guitar. They refused to do anything about it. After 9 months of trying to resolve it, David got tired of the inaction and wrote a song about it. His video was posted on YouTube 5 days ago and has virally attracted over 2 million views, enticing a very sobering reaction from United!
The video follows, and while it was intended to be a creative outlet of frustration and a bit of a spoof... it is becoming a milestone of enlightenment for every executive today! If you are reading this, then let these words strike a chord - take social media very seriously! Your customers have more power today than you realize.
In his own words, David's story can be viewed here.
To summarize the Huffington Post's timeline that was published in an article on Friday.
• 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 - 1M+ YouTube views with 7,000 comments, 1M+ results in Google for search string "united breaks guitars," and 19,000 blog mentions -- not to mention the millions of viewers that watched it on CNN, other networks, and traditional media.
• Saturday evening - I write this blog and there are 2M+ view on YouTube and growing.
The Huffington Post writes: "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."
The crazy thing is that the impact of social media is simply so subtle that we don't even realize the power it has over us. To be entirely honest, I am a frequent flier. O'Hare is my home airport, and I have had airline status on United for years... after reading all the stores, writing this blog, and evaluating my own thoughts - I now realize that my image of United has even changed a bit.
As you read this article, let me say one very pointed and personal thing to you: use this as a powerful case study - embrace social media and learn from these mega blunders. Let somebody else lose the millions of dollars, so that you don't have to. Use social media because you have no other choice!
If you aren't sure where to begin - send me a personal email and simply ask me. I want you to succeed, and the culmination of our experience and tools can help you succeed!
Comment
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Comment by Steven Horvath on July 27, 2009 at 7:53pm - Joe - your commentary is spot on! Ignoring social media can directly damage a company, especially because without a social media presence, a company cannot even react to the damage. That is why it is so important to proactively participate. The traditional view of "maybe if we ignore it, it will go away" is harmful and will cost companies money and jobs!
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Comment by Joe Molokie on July 27, 2009 at 7:12pm -
I love the blog. It just goes to show you the old saying.. Make someone happy and they might tell one person but make them mad and they will tell ten. Well that ten is now in the thousands and up into the millions!
How much would it have cost the giant co. UA to just fix, or replace what they broke in the first place. The cost of that Taylor guitar is now costing people jobs.
Joe
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Comment by Steven Horvath on July 13, 2009 at 11:42am
- Manny - True enough! From my consulting background, I absolutely value "lessons learned". This is a very dynamic environment, and I am certain there are some smart and savvy executives that will realize that they have no choice but to embrace social media and begin reaping an ROI from it sooner rather than later! This is all part of the shift that is taking place today.
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Comment by Manny Martinez on July 13, 2009 at 11:36am - There are many stories like this! I believe that corp America will eventually begin connecting the dot's, unfortunately there may be alot of brand damage before they do.
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Comment by Steven Horvath on July 13, 2009 at 11:26am
- Hey Derek - THANKS for the comment! I can't wait to write a follow up to this blog post. This is truly a David vs. Goliath type of story - and is hopefully going to be "eye opening" to so many that are trying to ignore this changing landscape! Things are great in Chicago (finally some nice summer weather!) - I'll look forward to catching up with you soon!
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Comment by Derek Dalton on July 13, 2009 at 11:21am
- Steve, I love the blog....how true it is!! Unfortunately for United they are finding out the hard way.......I hope all is well with you in Chicago....enjoy-Derek
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