05/01/2025
When Leadership Decisions Create a PR Avalanche: A Social Media Manager’s Weekend Nightmare
Social media managers often bear the brunt of decisions they didn’t make.
Consider Vail Resorts: declining a $2 pay raise for ski lift staff has led to 3+ hour lift lines, $300 tickets, and a surge of customer outrage online.
Recent reports highlight that similar incidents have previously garnered up to 35 million social media impressions, which, at an average CPM of $5 to $15, equates to an advertising value between $175,000 and $525,000.
For social media teams, managing such fallout involves:
1️⃣ Acknowledging frustration with empathy.
2️⃣ Maintaining transparency—eschewing corporate spin.
3️⃣ Escalating feedback internally to drive meaningful change.
This scenario underscores how operational decisions directly impact customer experience and brand perception.
I reached out to a PR exec about the Vail Resorts situation, and was surprised by their response—dismissing employee concerns about pay entirely—showing exactly why big corporate comms often fail IMO. In moments like this, empathy and authenticity aren’t optional, and it’s why I believe smaller, nimble teams are often better equipped to handle these crises with real impact.
How would you navigate this challenge? Is there a right answer here?
Ski patrollers went on strike during the busiest time of year as they negotiated for better wages and benefits.
