Crash Branding–Brand Communication in a Crisis

When a Continental Airlines jet caught fire and skidded off a Denver runway in November 2008 and USAirways jet landed in New York’s Hudson River in January, 2009, they demonstrated a new challenge facing a brand crisis. Twitter and Facebook have changed the game. Gone are the days when corporate execs could huddle and practice careful crisis management, take their time and control the message. In our world of always connected, always on communication, brand communication has to be immediate and consistently authentic, no matter what the circumstances.