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4 social media disasters

February 21st, 2012 Posted in Crisis, Media Tips, Social Media No Comments

When social media is done right, it goes very very well. But when it’s done wrong, you could have a tidal wave of complaints, criticism and chaos on your hands in a matter of minutes. Here are four recent social media disasters and how to avoid them.

Netflix launches Qwikster. Netflix’s failed attempt to split their services by launching a separate streaming service called Qwikster was an undeniable disaster, but not just because of the business model. Around the time of the attempted launch Twitter users who tried to follow @Qwikster found someone who talked about drugs and uttered an impressive amount of profanities. So, always search online for potential names of products or services BEFORE you tell people about them.

Kenneth Cole’s Cairo joke. The uprising in Egypt last year was a hot topic on Twitter. Fashion label Kenneth Cole failed to make light of a very serious situation by tweeting: ‘Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumour is they heard our new spring collection is now available online.’ Never use sensitive issues such as world conflict or death to promote yourself – especially if you’re a big brand.

Burger King’s Whopper Sacrifice. This short live Facebook campaign was shut down because Burger King asked people to defriend ten people for a free Whopper burger. Avoiding this one is a no-brainer: don’t’ do anything that directly goes against the whole point of social media (i.e connecting with people!)

Ketchum offends FedEx. Ketchum, a public relations and marketing agency based in New York, took the philosophy of showing your brand’s human side on Twitter too far when a vice president tweeted about how he would die if he had to live in Memphis Tennessee. There are worse things you could say on Twitter in normal circumstances, but Ketchum happened to have a big meeting with their biggest clients, FedEx, the next day. Guess what? FedEx are based in Tennessee. Therefore, be careful not to tweet personal views that could be taken up the wrong way.

Source: Hubspot

Social Media and the London Riots

August 16th, 2011 Posted in Crisis, Social Media, Uncategorized No Comments

In the wake of the riots that took hold of London and several other cities in the UK last week, there have been several theories on why and how they happened on such a large scale. Although it was by no means the main factor in the chaos that ensued, the role that social media played in the events can’t be ignored.

Soon after the death of Mark Duggan (who was shot dead by police on 4th August, the incident which acted as a catalyst for the riots), a dedicated Facebook page was set up by ‘a group of activists’, which has so far gathered over 30,000 likes. It is thought that the page, although intended as a memorial of sorts, was where many rioters first found each other.

Twitter was more indicative of what was about to happen, and was also being vigilantly watched by police. Tweets about an attempt to target the Hackney Carnival that were spotted saved the festival from disruption (although they did have to cancel it).

The most powerful rallying appears to have happened using BlackBerry Messenger, the free instant messaging service used between Blackberry owners. The messages are private so aren’t as easily traceable by the authorities, but one is alleged to have read ‘Everyone from all sides of London meet up at the heart of London (central) Oxford Circus! Bare shops are gonna get smashed up so come get some free stuff!’

Once the brunt of the disorder was finished, Twitter again played a significant role in the clean up operation. The hashtag #RiotCleanUp rapidly became a trending topic for the UK and accounts like @RiotRemedy have been set up to raise money for charities who support youth and community work. UK celebrities with huge numbers of followers such as Simon Pegg (@simonpegg) also got involved. There’s even accounts like @catchalooter helping to identify looters.

It just goes to show the enormous amount of power that social media can have, for both good and evil.

Source: Media Guardian

Oxfam Ireland launch online appeal for East Africa

July 19th, 2011 Posted in Campaign, Charity, Crisis, Digital comms, Online, Public Relations No Comments

Oxfam Ireland recently launched its biggest ever emergency appeal for those affected by the catastrophic drought in East Africa. Over 12 million people are facing starvation in the region, so ease and accessibility to donate is crucial to securing new funds.

This is the first appeal that Oxfam Ireland has used online advertising for, and the results of the campaign so far have highlighted a significant shift towards donating through online platforms.

The charity has created a Facebook app where users can donate, with the message that they’ve just donated appearing on both Oxfam’s and their own pages. They’ve also taken to Twitter to spread the word about the appeal, and are fast approaching 3,000 followers already.

Digital communications, they say, offers charities huge opportunities to engage directly with their constituents.  As the costs of m-commerce reduce it will prove a fantastic platform for charities as it is an immediate and compelling method of engaging donors and successfully raising funds.

To donate to Oxfam Ireland’s East Africa appeal, visit:

Their website

Their Facebook page

Or text Donate to 51500

Don’t forget to check them out on Twitter at @oxfamireland too.

Sony becomes the latest company to commit a social media blunder

February 14th, 2011 Posted in Crisis, Crisis Management, Twitter No Comments

Sony, a company that’s deftly maneuvered the social media space, grabbed headlines yesterday for an errant tweet. Here’s the scoop. Sony is reportedly angry about hackers sharing its root key for PlayStation 3.

What’s a root key? Well, if you know the root key — and you know what to do with it — you can enable your PlayStation 3 to read pirated or custom software. This is apparently a very big deal. On Tuesday night, a Twitter member directed a tweet containing that root key to a Sony Twitter account, @TheKevinButler. In case you don’t know, Kevin Butler is Sony’s fictional marketing exec, who has starred in a series of very well-received commercials about its PlayStation.

The tweet to @TheKevinButler included the taunt, “Come at me.” Kevin Butler, whoever that may be, retweeted the message — with the root key still in it — and added: “Lemme guess … you sank my battleship.” The tweet was almost immediately removed. Tech bloggers are having a field day with this one. Engadget said: “What’s a spokesperson to do but confuse it for a Battleship reference and retweet the entire code?” TechEye remarked: “He sank his own battleship.” PlayStationLifeStyle.com quipped: “Maybe you should change your title (just for today) to VP of Epic Fail.” Yeah, pretty lame field day. Question is: Is this a case of a marketing or PR employee asleep at the wheel — or was it a PR stunt? It’s sparked some buzz among not only the gaming community, but also the mainstream press.

By Wednesday afternoon, Time magazine had covered the story — and it all started with a little old tweet.

(Source: PRDaily)

Vodafone idea not so Tweet after all

December 14th, 2010 Posted in Crisis, Twitter No Comments

Vodafone’s attempt at a warm-hearted Christmas spirit PR campaign took a hit when thousands of users responded with critical comments about the company’s alleged tax evasion.

The ‘twelve days of smiles’ competition gave away free handsets to users who told Vodafone, via Twitter, what made them smile. But a UK-based group  who protest against budget cuts, known as ‘Uncut’, retweeted any negative comments about the controversy (check them out here: http://twitter.com/ukuncut).

The best of the lot came from @probablydrunk, who said “the thought of an ill-conceived PR stunt getting in the mainstream media made me smile.”

(Source: guardian.co.uk)

Crisis Management: Lessons From The Chilean Mine Rescue

October 18th, 2010 Posted in Crisis, Crisis Management No Comments

Now that the last of the miners have been lifted to safety, we – and they – can take a deep breath and look back on the lessons of 68 days. The Chilean government showed not only leadership, but remarkable communications savvy throughout the ordeal. In many ways, it’s like a mirror image of the BP disaster. Here are some crisis management learnings we can unearth from the handling of the mine collapse and rescue.

Take responsibility. In stepping in to take over the rescue operations, Chile’s Sebastian Pinera took an enormous calculated risk. The decision could have been influenced by criticism of his government’s slow response to the March earthquake near Concepcion. Whatever the reasons, the Chilean actions contrast sharply with what we in the U.S. saw post-Hurricane Katrina, and after the BP disaster, where the government chose to leave BP in charge. For Pinera, it clearly paid off.

Manage expectations. Remember the initial estimates that the miners might be out by Christmas? Whether simple caution, or communications strategy, this was a masterstroke. It took some of the pressure off, enabled the government to succeed beyond all hopes, and made it look supercompetent in the process.

Have a plan. Early on, the Chilean government communicated a Plan A and a Plan B for rescue in a clear, methodical way. It looked organized and in control. Compare their performance with that of BP, which lurched from one solution to the next, even crowdsourcing ideas for stopping the spill in a way that suggested uncertainty and incompetence.

Accept help, but maintain control. A fascinating aspect of the rescue has been the technical help and advice the government sought from private companies and experts at NASA and elsewhere. The authorities made it clear that no effort would be spared to ensure a safe resolution to the crisis. Yet, they kept tight control over communications, ensuring that the government was the chief source of updates. This is the first rule of crisis PR.

Sweat the small stuff. One of the biggest stories around the rescue operation has been the focus on the smallest details of the plan, from the construction of the tube, to the monitoring of each miner’s health. The government’s meticulousness conveyed not only competence, but caring.

Be transparent. The Chilean PR machine was proactive, consistent, and transparent in providing updates to the media. They never seemed to be obscuring facts or delaying disclosure, which often happens when the pressure’s on.

Be social. The government also used social media to support its communications, setting up a Flickr page of photos that documented every dramatic moment as the miners began to emerge into the light.

Be there. Chile’s Minister of Mining was at the site virtually around the clock, and President Pinera appeared frequently as operations shifted into high gear. Sure, the head guy can get updates from his office, but when lives are at stake, optics really matter. Sometimes you just have to be there.

(Source: crenshawcomm.com)

Why a good proof reader is essential

April 19th, 2010 Posted in Crisis No Comments

An Australian publisher is reprinting 7,000 cookbooks over a recipe for pasta with “salt and freshly ground black people.”

Penguin Group Australia’s head of publishing, Bob Sessions, acknowledged the proofreader for the Pasta Bible should have picked up the error, but called it nothing more than a “silly mistake.”

The “Pasta Bible” recipe for spelt tagliatelle with sardines and prosciutto was supposed to call for black pepper.

“We’re mortified that this has become an issue of any kind and why anyone would be offended, we don’t know,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald for a story printed Saturday.

“We’ve said to bookstores that if anyone is small-minded enough to complain about this … silly mistake, we will happily replace (the book) for them.”

The reprint will cost Penguin 20,000 Australian dollars (€13,685.96), but books already in stores will not be recalled because doing so would be “extremely hard,” Sessions said.