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The Strength of the Underdog

Consumer Power
Why the little guy can beat the giant

The story of David and Goliath teaches that size and power don’t guarantee victory. From viral protests to consumer backlash, here’s why the underdog is stronger than the giant ever expects.

1 The Classic Tale of the Underdog

Ingrained in us since childhood, the story of David and Goliath is one of hope. The unlikely defeat of a much stronger adversary, by his seemingly weaker opponent, is the classic tale of the “underdog.” The moral of the story, of course, is that size and power don’t guarantee victory and that even a “little guy” can defeat a giant.

The idea of weak versus powerful permeates our culture in every way. From schoolyard bullies, to big corporations, people root for the underdog and yearn to see “Goliath” defeated.

2 When Consumers Fight Back and Win

Who doesn’t fondly remember United Breaks Guitars, the series of viral “protest songs” by Dave Carroll, a frustrated flier whose guitar was shattered by United Airlines baggage handlers? Ignored repeatedly by United’s customer service, he chose an alternative means of getting their attention. Despite United’s attempt to rectify the wrong, the damage to their reputation was done. A win for Dave Carroll was a win for all frustrated consumers who felt ignored.

The swift defeat of Netflix’s Qwikster after announcing a new business model has now become a case study on how to ruin a business by ignoring the needs of consumers. Raising prices, changing the business model and ignoring consumers’ needs did not sit well with loyal Netflix customers. After launching the fifth highest trending hashtag on Twitter, #DearNetflix, and leaving tens of thousands negative comments on their Facebook page, the consumers had spoken. After being subjected to the wrath of 800,000 angry subscribers and suffering massive financial losses, the company abandoned its new model and has been recovering ever since.

3 Big Corporations Under Fire

More recently, companies like Comcast and T-Mobile have come under fire for unethical billing practices. To boost their bottom line, they have lied to their loyal customers, many of whom do not even know that they are being deceived. Even the government has gotten involved to help protect the consumer.

4 Why David’s Weapon Is Stronger Than You Think

When we think about the biblical story of David and Goliath, these large corporations seemingly have the power. But if you listen to Malcolm Gladwell’s fascinating take on this classic tale, there is a very good reason why David is able to defeat the giant, making this victory not so unlikely after all. The lesson here is that David’s weapon to defeat the giant is stronger than we think and that the giant himself is not nearly as powerful as he might first appear. When applied to our daily, ongoing battle on behalf of the consumer against big corporations, this is a very powerful lesson, indeed!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lesson of the David and Goliath story?

The story of David and Goliath shows that size and power don’t guarantee victory and that even a “little guy” can defeat a giant. It is a classic tale of the underdog, ingrained in us since childhood as a story of hope. The idea of weak versus powerful permeates our culture, and people root for the underdog and yearn to see “Goliath” defeated.

What was United Breaks Guitars about?

United Breaks Guitars was a series of viral protest songs by Dave Carroll, a frustrated flier whose guitar was shattered by United Airlines baggage handlers. Ignored repeatedly by United’s customer service, he chose an alternative means of getting their attention. Despite United’s attempt to rectify the wrong, the damage to their reputation was done, and his win was a win for all frustrated consumers who felt ignored.

What happened with Netflix’s Qwikster?

The swift defeat of Netflix’s Qwikster became a case study on how to ruin a business by ignoring consumers. Raising prices and changing the business model did not sit well with loyal customers. After launching the fifth highest trending Twitter hashtag, #DearNetflix, and leaving tens of thousands of negative Facebook comments, 800,000 angry subscribers and massive financial losses forced the company to abandon its new model.

Which companies came under fire for unethical billing practices?

Companies like Comcast and T-Mobile have come under fire for unethical billing practices. To boost their bottom line, they have lied to their loyal customers, many of whom do not even know that they are being deceived. The post notes that even the government has gotten involved to help protect the consumer.

Why was David really able to defeat Goliath?

According to Malcolm Gladwell’s take on this classic tale, there is a very good reason why David is able to defeat the giant, making the victory not so unlikely after all. David’s weapon is stronger than we think, and the giant himself is not nearly as powerful as he might first appear. Applied to the ongoing battle on behalf of consumers against big corporations, it is a powerful lesson.

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Discover the strength of the underdog: from United Breaks Guitars to the Netflix Qwikster backlash, see how everyday consumers beat corporate giants.

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The story of David and Goliath teaches that size and power don’t guarantee victory.

Ingrained in us since childhood, the story of David and Goliath is one of hope.

The idea of weak versus powerful permeates our culture in every way.

Who doesn’t fondly remember United Breaks Guitars , the series of viral “protest songs” by Dave Carroll, a frustrated flier whose guitar was shattered by United Airlines baggage handlers?.

The swift defeat of Netflix’s Qwikster after announcing a new business model has now become a case study on how to ruin a business by ignoring the needs of consumers.

More recently, companies like Comcast and T-Mobile have come under fire for unethical billing practices.

When we think about the biblical story of David and Goliath, these large corporations seemingly have the power.

The story of David and Goliath shows that size and power don’t guarantee victory and that even a “little guy” can defeat a giant.

United Breaks Guitars was a series of viral protest songs by Dave Carroll, a frustrated flier whose guitar was shattered by United Airlines baggage handlers.

The swift defeat of Netflix’s Qwikster became a case study on how to ruin a business by ignoring consumers.

Companies like Comcast and T-Mobile have come under fire for unethical billing practices.

According to Malcolm Gladwell’s take on this classic tale, there is a very good reason why David is able to defeat the giant, making the victory not so unlikely after all.

Billshark negotiates your bills for you — no savings, no fee.

Billshark helps lower internet, wireless, cable, satellite radio, and other monthly bills.

Our experts handle providers for customers and share updates throughout the process.

Customers pay only when Billshark finds savings on eligible bills.

1 The Classic Tale of the Underdog.

2 When Consumers Fight Back and Win.

3 Big Corporations Under Fire.

4 Why David’s Weapon Is Stronger Than You Think.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is the lesson of the David and Goliath story?.

What was United Breaks Guitars about?.

What happened with Netflix’s Qwikster?.

Which companies came under fire for unethical billing practices?.

Why was David really able to defeat Goliath?.

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