Used to roll my eyes at brand apology videos, now I actually watch them for clues

I used to skip those CEO apology videos thinking they were all fake. But after the United passenger incident in 2017, I saw how a real apology with specific changes like new training actually worked. Now I pay attention to what they say and whether they name the steps they're taking. Has anyone ever seen a brand fix things fast because they actually followed through on what they promised?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_charlie7d ago

Buddy of mine worked for a hotel chain that had a big data breach a few years back. Their CEO did a video apology, talked about freezing accounts and hiring a real security team, not just some IT guy. My friend said within a week they had actual people calling guests to walk them through new passwords. The brand lost a ton of business at first but bounced back way faster than the competitor that just sent a generic email. That's when I realized the apology video is only as good as the concrete details they drop in it. If they name specific steps and dates, it's usually more than just acting.

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the_piper6d ago

Four calls to each guest seemed like a lot. Did those guests actually like getting multiple calls, or did a bunch of them tell the hotel to stop and just do the email instead? I'm wondering if that personal touch cost more in annoyed guests than it helped in trust. Feels like there's a tipping point between "we care" and "please leave me alone.

thomas.parker7d ago

Did any of those guests even complain the calls were annoying?