Ryanair is known for its additional fees and charges, and it embraces this reputation on social media. The airline leans into the ongoing gag of whether passengers will eventually be charged to use the toilet. Although some people found it funny, others thought it was rude and obnoxious. However, the humor allowed Ryanair's online fans to defend the airline against complaints, shifting the perception of the company as the "bad guy." Ryanair's social media accounts tend to avoid discussing socially responsible topics, such as the aviation industry's environmental impact. Michael Corcoran believes that TikTok is not the right platform for an airline to address these issues, as it may come across as "greenwashing."

Dr. Irene Garnelo-Gomez from Henley Business School believes that transparency is crucial, and companies should not shy away from discussing sustainability on social media. Younger generations care about these issues and want organizations to take action. While humor can engage customers, it may make it challenging to respond to serious criticisms on social media. If Ryanair were accused of sustainability-related issues, their humorous posts could backfire. Ultimately, it is important for companies to find the right balance between humor and addressing important topics on social media.

Original news source: Ryanair: How a budget airline took off on TikTok (BBC)

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students pair up and take on the roles of a news reporter and a Ryanair spokesperson. The reporter interviews the spokesperson about the airline's social media strategy, including their approach to humor, controversy, and avoidance of socially responsible topics. The spokesperson must defend and explain the company's stance using language and information from the article.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article, such as "Companies should always maintain a serious tone on social media" or "It's acceptable for businesses to ignore serious issues like sustainability in favor of humor." Students walk around the classroom and poll their classmates, recording whether they agree or disagree. After the poll, discuss the results as a class and relate opinions back to Ryanair's social media approach.
– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide students into small groups. Assign each group a different aspect of the Ryanair article (e.g., viral marketing, customer expectation, sustainability, etc.). Students create a quick sketch or visual representation of their assigned topic without writing any words. The rest of the class must guess what aspect of the article is being depicted.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students work in small groups to discuss and predict the future implications of Ryanair's social media strategy. They should consider both the potential positive outcomes and the negative repercussions mentioned in the article. Each group presents their predictions to the class, explaining the reasons behind them using vocabulary and concepts from the article.
– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Write down key terms from the article (e.g., disruptive, provocative, transparency, sustainability, offensive, obnoxious). Students work in pairs or small groups to come up with as many synonyms as possible for each term. Discuss as a class how the choice of synonyms could alter the tone or perception of the airline's social media content.

Ryanair, a budget airline, has gained ? on TikTok for its viral burns and sarcastic clapbacks towards its passengers and its own reputation. Despite the unconventional approach of being rude and obnoxious to ?, Ryanair has amassed 2.1 million followers on TikTok, surpassing ? major airlines. Michael Corcoran, the former head of Ryanair's social media, played a significant role in turning the airline into an online star. The team was given a lot of ? to post what they liked, which was in line with the company's history of disruptive and provocative marketing. While some ? found the humor ?, it helped lower passengers' expectations of budget travel. Ryanair is known for its additional fees and charges, and it embraces this reputation on social media. The airline ? into the ongoing gag of whether passengers will eventually be charged to use the toilet. Although some people found it funny, others thought it was rude and ?. However, the humor allowed Ryanair's online fans to defend the airline against ?, shifting the perception of the company as the "bad guy." Ryanair's social media accounts tend to ? discussing socially responsible ?, such as the aviation industry's environmental impact. Michael Corcoran believes that TikTok is not the right platform for an airline to address these issues, as it may come across as "greenwashing." Dr. Irene Garnelo-Gomez from ? Business School believes that transparency is crucial, and companies should not shy away from discussing sustainability on social media. Younger generations care about these issues and want organizations to take action. While humor can engage customers, it may make it ? to respond to ? criticisms on social media. If Ryanair were accused of sustainability-related issues, their humorous ? could backfire. Ultimately, it is ? for companies to find the right balance between humor and addressing important topics on social media.

1. What is your opinion on companies using humor in their social media marketing strategies? Why?
2. How would you feel if an airline you were flying with made jokes about its own shortcomings?
3. Do you like the idea of businesses being self-deprecating and sarcastic on social media? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it's appropriate for companies to make light of customer complaints in a public forum?
5. Have you ever followed a brand on social media because of their entertaining content? What attracted you to them?
6. What is your stance on the importance of addressing environmental issues on social media platforms like TikTok?
7. How would you react if a brand ignored serious topics such as sustainability in favor of humorous content?
8. Do you think that a humorous social media presence can help a company defend against criticism? Why or why not?
9. What is your definition of "greenwashing," and how do you feel about companies that might engage in this practice?
10. How do you feel about companies charging additional fees, and do you think making jokes about it on social media is a good strategy?
11. Do you think there's a risk that Ryanair's humorous approach could backfire if faced with serious accusations? Why?
12. What is the role of transparency for businesses on social media, and do you think humor can interfere with it?
13. How important is it for you that companies take a stance on social issues? Does it affect your purchasing decisions?
14. Do you think that brands should tailor their social media content to different platforms based on the audience and nature of the platform?
15. Have you ever experienced a situation where a company's online humor influenced your perception of their customer service? Can you describe the experience?

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