# Twitter PR Fails The Southwest Kevin Smith Apology Falls on Deaf Ears By Marissa Brassfield | Published 2010-02-15 | Autos Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/southwest-kevin-smith References: [content.usatoday](http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/02/southwest-offers-kevin-smith-heartfelt-apologies/1) & [tinyurl](http://tinyurl.com/y8zg56f) After being asked to exit a flight because he was too big to fit in one seat, the Twittersphere has railed against the [Southwest](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airline-performance) Kevin Smith apology the airline later posted on their blog. The director immediately went to [Twitter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/twitter-1), unleashing an epic rant that fueled the fury of his followers. Per Southwest, Kevin Smith was considered a safety risk. From their blog: “If a Customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a portion of another seat, a Customer seated adjacent would be very uncomfortable and a timely exit from the aircraft in the event of an emergency might be compromised if we allow a cramped, restricted seating arrangement.” ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.4/10 - Popularity: 29% | Activity: 4% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Fat Shaming Backlash:** As body positivity becomes more mainstream, companies need to be aware of how their policies and actions could be interpreted as fat shaming. - **Social Media Customer Service:** Companies should be prepared to handle customer complaints and backlash through social media channels in a timely and empathetic manner. - **Airline Industry Reputation Management:** Airlines must take proactive measures to manage their brand reputation, as a single incident can easily spiral out of control on social media and damage a company's image for years to come. ### Who This Affects Most - **Hospitality Industry:** Hotels, airlines, and other companies in the hospitality industry need to reassess their customer policies and ensure they are not inadvertently causing harm or discrimination against certain customers. - **Social Media Industry:** Social media platforms need to develop new tools and strategies to better manage customer complaints and distinguish between valid grievances and abusive behavior. - **Crisis Management Industry:** The need for effective and efficient crisis management strategies becomes increasingly important as more companies face reputational damage caused by social media backlash and negative publicity. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Improved Airline Performance Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airline-performance.md) - [Humorous Playful Airline Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seat-blocker.md) - [Airplane Apology Agreements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airplane-apology-agreement.md) - [Traveler-Targeted QSR Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/canceled-flights.md) - [Accessible Airline Seats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airline-seat.md) - [Airline Policy Revisions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spirit-airlines-bans.md) - [Wheelchair-Mindful Airline Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/travel-experiences.md) - [Spacious Airline Seating Selections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/neighbor-free.md) - [High-Performance Travel Seating](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/departures-seating.md)