This Crisis Communications Case Study revolves around a catastrophe in the travel industry that escalated through social media into a public image crisis for the company. Act as the consulting firm, Conversa Communications, hired by the Board of Directors to handle this communications crisis. State the details and the rationale for your communication strategy. Your goal should be to persuade the Board to understand and follow your communication plan for each key audience affected by this public image crisis. Be sure to include the specific scripts, messages, and/or press releases you suggest they use for each audience – staff, passengers, investors.

CASE OVERVIEW UNITED EXPRESS FLIGHT 3411

On April 9, “outrage explodes on social media after a video emerges of a passenger being violently removed from United Airlines Flight 3411 bound for Louisville, Kentucky on April 9. Four Chicago Department of Aviation security officers rip the passenger out of his seat, bloodying him in the process. The passenger, later identified as a 69-year-old Vietnamese-American doctor from Elizabethtown, Kentucky named David Dao, had refused to give up his seat for United employees when Flight 3411 was overbooked. On April 11, “Parent company United Continental Holdings kicks off a turbulent day on Wall Street with nearly $1 billion axed from its market value.” (https://www.prweek.com/article/1435619/timeline-crisis-united-airlines)

With their public image harmed and the company’s stock losing nearly $1 billion in one day, the Board of Directors turn to your consulting firm to develop a Crisis Communication Plan to reshape their image, articulate their plan to staff, restore confidence to customers, and keep their stock from losing further value

Sample Solution