Today that stance can be dangerous with a marketplace that expects contrition. Consumers also want speed. Coke's former chief executive, M. Douglas Ivester, flew to Europe to apologize in person. It makes an indelible impression as to how they treat their customer. On the other end of the spectrum, Exxon was perceived as arrogant after the Valdez oil spill in 1989.
Bad news can heavily tarnish a brand.
A year after the 1996 crash in the Florida Everglades, Atlanta-based ValuJet was still struggling. Its recovery only began when it merged with AirTran Airways of Orlando and adopted the smaller carrier's name as part of an image makeover. Goodwin was always the first choice for the ad, which addresses United's severe service disruptions. For us not to have him would immediately take credibility away. Triaca declined to say how much United is spending on the ads, which will continue through this weekend.