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The Viral Airline Crisis: A Case Study of Consumer Empowerment, Social Media, and Corporate Reputation in the "United Breaks Guitars" Incident

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This paper analyzes the 2009 “United Breaks Guitars” crisis, a seminal case in digital-era public relations. It chronicles how musician Dave Carroll’s creative protest over a broken guitar evolved from a frustrated customer service complaint into a global social media phenomenon that significantly damaged United Airlines’ brand and market value. The study examines: The corporate missteps in handling the initial incident and subsequent communications, The mechanics of viral content dissemination, and The tangible financial repercussions. The case is positioned as a paradigm shift, demonstrating the transfer of narrative power from corporations to individual consumers in the age of social media, offering enduring lessons for crisis management, customer service, and brand stewardship.

Source: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18307829

Author: Revista, Zen

Language: English

Topic: Public Relations and Crisis Communication

Subfield: Communication

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7124941200

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