The question asked in this exercise is how United Airlines (United) can use social media/Twitter metrics to measure customer sentiment and brand engagement. United has recently been at the centre of several customer service crises that have no doubt impacted its level of customer satisfaction. The airline must take steps to address its major weaknesses and restore its competitive advantage.

By using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in a social media environment (Twitter), United can collect several types of data regarding customer satisfaction, engagement, and preferences. Gaining additional insights into its major weaknesses will help the airline develop more impactful strategies and improve its performance.

Used in conjunction with the accompanying technical note (“Note on the Contribution of Twitter to Marketing Research”), this exercise gives students the opportunity to do the following:

• Discuss the applicability of AI in business settings: learn about the application and uses of AI in managerial research in general and marketing research in particular.
• Understand the contribution of Twitter to marketing research: identify tweet metrics and how they can help managers improve their social media strategies.
• Present their conclusions and make recommendations: Answer a set of five questions using results collected by an independent consulting firm and make implementable recommendations.

Sentiment analysis