Social media as the ultimate leveller
Icannot imagine an adult in the world with an internet connection who might have missed David Dao’s recent agony on a United Airlines aircraft. The scenes of the 69-year-old being dragged down the aisle travelled the world in a matter of hours, thanks to smartphones and social media. Dao did not have to file a complaint with any evidence. He had no reason to show any proof of his mistreatment after he refused to give up his seat on being randomly selected to get off the fully booked flight from Chicago to Louisville and make room for a United crew member who needed to get to an assignment.
The cameras of passengers’ smartphones took care to file evidence of his mistreatment. They shared videos with their friends and then to the whole world.
A few days later, Dao appointed a lawyer to handle his case against United. I am guessing that he will be receiving a seven-digit amount as compensation. Some say it would be in six digits. Regardless, he has to be compensated. He deserves it along with a proper apology.
His case brought back to life another case with the same airline that happened in 2008. That time a singer-song writer Dave Carroll was flying from Halifax to Omaha, Nebraska. He and his two-member band team watched their guitars being thrown by baggage handlers — and one of them actually broke. It was worth $3,500 (Dh12,855).
For nine months, Carroll tried to no avail to get a claim processed with the airline. But because he was submitting it after 24 hours of the incident, he was told “no”. He wrote a song and gave United Airlines’ 10,772,839 negative views on YouTube.
When Dao’s incident happened, Carroll recorded a message saying, “people create the value and make the profits,” and “branding today is nothing more than the sum of conversations … anybody you interact with is a storyteller”.
Not only that. How about a storyteller with a camera?
United, which in just a span of few hours after the “release” of the video of dragging the doctor and its spreading, lost nearly $1 billion in market value before regaining part of it back. Today, it seems customers and clients do not need customer relations desk to vent their anger and dismay with a certain business. The cyber space can do it for them, for free and on the spot.
Associate Editor
Brand’s reputation
Several studies have been conducted on the dramatic impact of social media on a brand’s reputation. One-third post their views on products and brands on blogs or other social media; 70 per cent visit social media sites to get information; 49 per cent make buying decision on what they read on social media. And 60 per cent said they were likely to use social medial to pass along information and 45 per cent of those who searched for information via social media engaged in word of mouth.
Internet and social media can break or make a business’s profitability. If there is a threat to businesses, owners should pay more attention to what is being said about them online. Social media and online content can also be free advertisement or costly criticism.
A quick look at certain websites for tourist attractions and hotels can give you an idea of how word of the mouth can be very influential in attracting more customers or keeping them away. This has been proven empirically.
I find it interesting to listen to Carroll comparing the reaction of officials of United and Disney’s resorts when something goes wrong. Disney will make sure their customers are smiling and free of concerns. United left its customers in shock and dismay. Small gadgets and social media made it possible for customers of both to show the world how they feel.