2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year. I’m pleased to share that RightNow will be heading southwest – to South by Southwest (SXSW), that is. This internationally recognized interactive, music and film event attracts digerati from around the globe to discuss what’s next in technology. I’ll be headlining a session at SXSW Interactive called Social Hotline: How Social Media Impacts Crisis Communications at 12:30 pm CT on March 13 in Austin, Texas.
I’ve asked a fellow champion of great customer experience, musician Dave Carroll of United Breaks Guitars fame, to join me in this discussion. When United Airlines mishandled Dave’s baggage and broke his guitar, Dave filed complaints to no avail. In a flash of inspiration, Dave decided to use his talents to write and record a song about United’s poor customer service. The YouTube video garnered more than 9 million hits in the first month alone and United took a hit both to its public image and stock price (The Economist claims that United lost $180 million after being blamed for damaging the guitar). Dave’s experience is a great example of how consumers via social media can shape a brand’s public perception.
Dave and I will be discussing how social media has become a critical channel for organizations to plan and communicate with customers or communities in times of crisis–but an explosion of conversations in social media often overshadows these efforts. Whether flooded with inquiries on Facebook and Twitter, or proactively communicating or monitoring across social channels for important updates, organizations need strategies and technologies that will effectively scale and integrate with all other business touch points. We’ll highlight examples where crisis communications harnessing social channels is done right (and wrong), and share best practices for moving forward in times of crisis.
We’re reaching out to the community to ask you to join in on the conversation and let us know what you think falls under this “Social Hotline” umbrella. So inquiring minds want to know – what do you think are some critical examples of how social media impacts crisis communications? What are the key questions on your mind that we should discuss at SXSW? Please share your input in the comments section below. I hope to see you out at SXSW!
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