One of the most frightening realizations to marketing, corporate communications and human resource professionals is the sudden recognition that they are no longer in control of their brand. Although this concern has existed for years, the explosion of social media has created a new challenge for corporate and employer brand managers. Namely, that months of hard work and millions of dollars in thoughtful strategic planning can be flushed by the negative actions of one or more customer facing employees. When combined with the creativity and reach of a single disgruntled customer, the lessons can be painful, yet poignant.

The most recent example is one you may have heard. In 2008, the Nova Scotia-based band Sons of Maxwell and their lead singer Dave Carroll were flying on United Airlines with a connection through Chicago’s O’Hare. As they prepared to depart on their connecting flight, the woman sitting behind Carroll suddenly yelled, “Oh my God, they’re throwing guitars!”. Long story short, Carroll’s $3,500 Taylor guitar was destroyed by the baggage handlers during the connection. Carroll spent nine months trying to get reimbursed by United to no avail. So, in the great social media spirit, Carroll took matters into his own hands.

The result has exploded in a way no one (least of all United) might have expected. The Sons of Maxwell decided to produce three videos about the experience. The first, “United Breaks Guitars“, is the highest rated video in YouTube history and has been viewed nearly 3.5 million times in the two weeks since its release. [Here is the link for those who can’t see the imbedded video.]

So why was Carroll’s response to his dissatisfied experience so powerful? In his terrific piece, ‘United’s Guitar Debacle Yields Brand Lessons‘, Joshua Hammond of AdWeek cites several reasons for Carroll’s success, including what he termed “Torches and Pitchforks”:

“This video effectively tapped into the simmering indignation many people feel towards the airline industry. The lesson for brand managers is if your brand is already struggling with negative consumer sentiment it is particularly vulnerable to vigilante consumer attacks. You need lightning-fast procedures to protect your brand.” ~ Joshua Hammond, AdWeek

And how did United respond? In a message on their Twitter account, United stated, “As Dave asked we donated 3K to charity and selected the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz 4 music education 4 kids.” This action came as a result of Carroll’s rejection of United’s late attempt for reconciliation.

For those who have considered social media unrelated to their corporate or business strategy, this is a wake up call on the increasing cost of one lost customer. This also demonstrates a need to draw closer connective tissue between those responsible for creating the brand and those who must authentically live those brand attributes (e.g., customer service). If there is dissonance between the theory and reality of your brand identity, you will very quickly realize that your brand is no longer your own.

Have you had a recent experience where a brand disappointed? Please share your thoughts and be sure to check out Stephanie Lloyd’s series on her love/hate relationship with Comcast. And as always, let’s keep the conversation going.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 20th, 2009 at 9:10 am and is filed under General Thoughts, Human Capital/Human Resources. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.