Getting it Wrong Online

Social media is still a relatively new platform in PR. Professionals have had years to get it right with traditional media, but social media is a whole new ball game. There are so many things that can go wrong online and it is important to remember that it is pretty inevitable that something will. Here are some examples of brand who have got it wrong online.

1. #hmvXFactorFiring

When one disgruntled employee of HMV took to their twitter feed to live tweet the firing of mass employees the social media world exploded with retweets and comments. Whilst this didn’t exactly harm the business, they were pretty much in a bad place anyway, it did show a level of unprofessionalism that brands should aviod online. 

2. Beware of sarcasm. 
The nature of social media just invites sarcastic comments and PR professionals should be aware of it to ensure that any trends you start don’t get taken over. Like Waitrose. When the trend #waitrosereasons started it created a long list of twitter users saracastic response. 

3. #mcdstories

Similar to Waitrose, McDonalds got more than they bargained for when they started the trend McDStories. They hoped the trend would highlight all the good times customers have had at the chains resturants, instead users shared their horror stories of McDonalds instead. McDonalds later released a statement sayign the trend did not go as planned.

4. Beware of Timings

Anyone can fall foul of bad timing. It is vital to be aware of whats going on in the world before tweeting, especially for a well known brand. For example when the American Rifleman, a publication for pro-gunmen tweeted “Good morning, Shooters. Happy Friday! Weekend Plans?” at the same time as the mass shooting at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado, it didn’t go down well. Users were outraged at how insensitive the tweet was. The account was later deleted. Make sure you don't get caught out for being ignorant to news.

5. Don’t make everything a promotional opportunity. 

Social media often sees its highest user traffic and engagement in times of crisis. Users are very often looking for news, commentary or official statements. They are not looking to be promoted at. Just ask American Apparel! They came under heavy criticism when during the height of Hurricane Sandy, a natural disaster which effected the lives of many Americans, they released this promotional picture. 

The offer suggested that those who were ‘bored’ by the storm should start some online shopping. Customers took to social media to express their anger.    They weren’t the only one! The Gap released a similar statement. 

6.  Sometimes it is best to stay quiet!

When a disgruntled Dell employee sent a list of 22 confessions of the tactics Dell used to sell to the public to Consumerist.com Dell were not happy. They emailed the website demanding the list be taken down. The consumerist just published the email instead. Dell, again, were not happy. They then went on to take legal action. Cosumerist.com just published more communications with Dell instead of complying with Dells demands. It soon went viral and back fired on Dell. In the end Dell admitted the blew it and should have just kept quiet.