Delta get it, Qantas don’t
by Chris Reed
Delta succeeded in the world of social media where Qantas failed
Delta have recently done an amazing job in dealing with a potential social media problem in a way that Qantas wish they had.
To recap on Qantas. Having first cancelled all their flights without telling anyone they then tried to run a Twitter promotion giving away a pair of pyjamas to someone who could say what their idea of a luxury experience was.
What started out as a tacky idea to improve weeks of negative publicity, very quickly went turned into a PR disaster when thousands of people hijacked the hashtag to fire relentless comments about the recent Qantas grounding.
Just two hours after the competition was launched, #QantasLuxury reached ‘breaking trend’ status in Australia and was averaging approximately 130 tweets per 10 minutes. Overnight, there were over 14,700 social media mentions not just in Australia but in the US and UK too.
The best response by disgruntled passengers was the Qantas Downfall video which has become a global viral hit, very funny…..
Delta on the other dealt with a much more sensitive situation in a much more professional and media aware way. In June a group of US soldiers returning from Afghanistan recorded a YouTube video titled Delta Air Lines Welcomes Soldiers Home. Two of the soldiers explained how Delta had charged their 34-strong unit more than $2,800 in baggage fees.
The soldiers said there was a contract in place that soldiers returning from active duty should be allowed four bags free of charge, but Delta had forced each soldier to pay $200 out of their own pocket for any fourth bag. One explained that his fourth bag was his weapons case – “the tools that I used to protect myself and Afghan citizens while I was deployed”.
In the 24 hours after the video was posted online it was viewed almost 200,000 times. The next day, a Facebook page called Boycott Delta for Soldiers was created and several news outlets ran stories about the boycott. As one of the US’s biggest airlines, it had a lot to lose if the effort gained momentum.
Delta’s reputation was already at risk. Delta’s response was rapid. After the video went viral Delta issued an apology to the soldiers on its blog the same day, stating that it regretted “that this experience caused these soldiers to feel anything but welcome on their return home”.
The next day, the airline issued a formal press release announcing a new policy that all troops flying in economy class would be allowed four bags free of charge, and those flying in business class would be allowed a fifth bag. Delta’s newsroom responded through Twitter: “We heard your questions/ concerns re: Military baggage policies & want to answer your questions. More info on our blog?.?.?.?” Delta then continued to address customer concerns about the baggage policy publicly on its Twitter feed.
Very unhappy Qantas customers take to social media to vent their anger
New media outlets and social networks such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter amplify the effect of any boycott. Social media outlets more easily reach the kind of young, socially-conscious consumer whose perceptions of a company are most influenced by a boycott. Once a video or tweet diffuses broadly, traditional media coverage quickly follows, heightening the negative effects on a company’s image.
If only Qantas has followed Delta’s strategy it wouldn’t currently be the current punch bag of the social media world. (with thanks to the FT)
http://chrisreed.brandrepublic.com/2011/11/28/delta-get-it-qantas-dont/#ixzz1exzkjm21