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

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.