Is this JetBlue video effective? This is a topic of debate here at New Communications Forum. Some people are saying this is a master stroke of corporate honesty and transparency, an effective use of social media to deliver a message that looks genuine and unscripted.

Other people are saying that the CEO looks panicked, scared and not in control. There’s also debate about whether the production value is right. Does this look like it’s been engineered to look “rough” and is rough right for a message like this? Would David Neeleman be more effective in a studio with a coat and tie and professional lighting?

These are the conundrums marketers face in using social media. What works on TV doesn’t necessarily work on YouTube.

There’s one thing JetBlue did right, though: it acted fast and it went direct to the customer. As Steve Crescenzo said in a panel discussion today, “It takes most companies three weeks to get an article about the United Way approved by HR. JetBlue got a Customer Bill of Rights through the legal department in a week. “