YouTube Screen Shot
Posted by Krista Rogers
“Viral marketing” is often
mislabeled as a strategy or a technique, with the assumption that you can force something to become popular. When something goes viral, it is organic and gains popularity through word of mouth, the click of the forward button or a simple
retweet.
A perfect example of is the recent YouTube video of a budding country star scorned by an airline. David Carroll, lead singer with Canadian band Sons of Maxwell, has called out United Airlines with a music video, “United Broke My Guitar.”
On March 31, 2008 at Chicago O’Hare airport, Maxwell watched helplessly from inside the plane as his $3,500 Taylor guitar was thrown around by United Airlines baggage handlers. His attempts to be compensated by United were met with a lack of concern, denial of responsibility and resistance. After a few months and countless attempts to negotiate a fair compensation, Carroll decided to take matter into his own hands. He wrote a song about the disaster and collaborated with Curve Productions to launch the first of three music videos designed to hit United hard for both its baggage handling and failure to provide reparation.
His first video – a lively country song called “United Breaks Guitars” – was produced for $150, posted to YouTube on July 6 and went viral with incredible velocity. When I first viewed it on Wednesday, July 8, it had received 300,000 views in two days. By Friday, the number soared to over 1.5 million views. As of July 15, it has had over 3 million views. The video featured Carroll singing a catchy country tune about the disaster while faux baggage handlers threw guitar cases and baggage in the background. A series of United customer service people then popped into the video to reject his claim. The video was soon covered by CNN, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune and many more.
The coverage finally drove a favorable response from United Airlines, which couldn’t ignore people all over the world humming “United Breaks Guitars,” laughing at the airline and recalling their own horror stories online.
“This has struck a chord with us, and we’ve contacted him directly to make it right,” said Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for United, trying a musical one-liner to possibly lighten the response. She said that she “loved the video.” The airline also called Carroll to apologize and ask if the carrier could use the video internally as a training tool and to help change its culture.
The exposure also helped generate attention for Taylor Guitars, which was sending Carroll free replacements. David Hosler, Taylor Guitar’s vice president of customer service and repair, told the media that they had done national marketing campaigns before, but the viral video exposure “is way over the top. It’s unique.” Bob Taylor, guitar company president, is building on the buzz. He posted his own video on YouTube with tips on how musicians can keep guitars safe while traveling. As of this morning the video has already received 35,713 views.
Carroll’s story shows that with creativity, compelling content and a sense of humor, an individual can use the growing power of on-line video and the immediacy of the Internet to right a wrong, with perhaps an even more important outcome for Carroll: generating interest in his music and Sons of Maxwell band.
