United Airlines Flight 3411. On 9 April 2017, Dr David Dao was flying from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky. This is a short flight lasting under one and a half hours. All passengers were on the airplane, waiting for the doors to shut when the cabin crew said the flight was overbooked and volunteers were needed to provide seats for some airline staff who wanted to get to Louisville. There are five flights on this route on most days, but the staff could not wait. Passengers were said to be offered $800 in United Airlines vouchers, if they would take the next flight. There were no volunteers, therefore, at random, the cabin crew selected four passengers, one of whom was Dr David Dao. He said he could not take the next flight as he had patients waiting to see him. The cabin crew were not happy about this, so requested Chicago Aviation Security to remove the passenger.

In the meantime, other passengers, many of whom became citizen journalists, started filming the incident. The videos showed Dr Dao being forcibly dragged out of his seat and down the aisle. The videos were uploaded to several social media channels.

Evaluate this case, and respond to each of the following questions using both theory and practical managerial thinking. Make certain to support your research.

1. What are the ethical aspects both from the standpoint of the passenger and the company? Remember to analyze both sides objectively.
2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the approach used by the chief executive officer (CEO) in regard to the use of digital marketing tools?
3. How could the CEO have used the website to reinforce a more positive message?
4. What are some alternative actions that you would have taken in regard to using digital or traditional marketing tools in this situation? Be specific with respect to what digital marketing tools you are recommending, and provide the rationale for their use.
5. Thinking more broadly about how this event has changed the perception of United Airlines, how would you change aspects of the marketing mix to create a more positive perception through their digital marketing?