Photo: Paul J.S.

I wasn’t going to comment on the United Breaks Guitars fiasco because it hit the mainstream media so fast and United’s response seemed almost conventional. Almost predictable.

But listening to this week’s Media Hacks podcast made me realize what a great case study it is on multiple levels. Mitch, Julien, CC and Hugh were debating whether the fact that the story fizzled so fast was proof that companies don’t really need to respond and engage the way we have all been evangelizing. I disagree and here’s why:

United Breaks Guitars is a very unique case.

It is different from other recent cases (Dominos Pizza, AmazonFail, etc.) because the triggering event was a carefully crafted piece of content designed specifically to incite but also to further the career of the artist. While I applaud any customer who calls out a company for their lack of customer service in a creative way, it is hardly the norm and not what most companies can expect. The massively viral success of the video garnered immediate attention from a mainstream media hungry for the latest social media flare-up. But more importantly, it’s unique for the following reasons…

No one’s mind was changed about the brand.

People aren’t surprised to hear that an airline mishandles luggage. It’s almost expected. So after the initial novelty of a well-produced and viral music video wore off, there was no more story. It’s really hard to sink a brand that’s already in the toilet reputation-wise. Most brands that encounter a negative groundswell have an otherwise decent reputation which is why it makes waves. With so much ill will against the brand, an ordinary complaint about United would disappear like a needle in the haystack. The only reason this surfaced was because the complaint was extraordinary – which was enough to get it noticed, but not enough to sustain or resonate because the issue itself was a common occurrence.

It’s not about the crisis management.

Social Media Response and other ways companies should engage with their customers must be a holistic, ongoing commitment. It’s not a defense, but an offense. Brands that only respond when a crisis arises are doomed to repeat the process again and again. Therefore, what Trustworthy – and, if I may be so bold, the Media Hacks – evangelize is not contradicted by the fast fizzle of United Breaks Guitars because if United had a long-term, customer-focused social media strategy in place, their customers would have been surprised and thus the issue would be living on and reverberating for weeks. Or even better, the incident would have been resolved before escalating to this degree in the first place.

Finally, and almost as a footnote: The customer’s argument was flawed.

Again, right or wrong, people expect checked bags to be tossed about. Especially seasoned musicians who tour a lot. Trustworthy’s own, Rebecka Smith, was able to poke holes all over Dave Carroll’s story. Namely, the one-week delay in reporting the incident, the improper packing of the guitar, and the common breaking point – the base of the head stock – that is a known danger if one doesn’t de-tune the guitar before flying.