US Airways may have committed the most shocking social media failure but is it the biggest? We revisit the short but thorny history of social media screw ups to see what, if anything, brands have learned over the last 10 years.
Cannes Lions 2015 - communication trends spotted among this year winners. Among trends: comeback of an old good ambient, virtual reality, make tech human, empowering women, perfect imperfections and others.
In lieu of a Christmas card, we’ve been hard at work putting together our annual round-up of the most exciting, the most tremendous, the most mind-blowing events and inventions of the year. The landmarks for which 2008 will be remembered. The most ingenious applications. The entertainment heavyweights. The giant leaps in technology. The viral phenomena. The places and faces setting your world alight.
To all of our friends everywhere in the world, welcome to Most Contagious 2008. It’s everything you need to know, and then some.
http://www.contagiousmagazine.com/pdf/MostContagious2008.pdf
In the spirit of the ‘branded utility’ trend of which we’re so enamoured, we’ve made this report interactive, informative, entertaining, and completely bloody free. Send it round your agencies. Forward it to your friends and family. Link to it on your blogs, Twitter the sh*t out of it, and slap it on Facebook for all the world to see.
Most Contagious 2008. From us to you, because we care.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Contagious / London
Cannes Lions 2015 - communication trends spotted among this year winners. Among trends: comeback of an old good ambient, virtual reality, make tech human, empowering women, perfect imperfections and others.
In lieu of a Christmas card, we’ve been hard at work putting together our annual round-up of the most exciting, the most tremendous, the most mind-blowing events and inventions of the year. The landmarks for which 2008 will be remembered. The most ingenious applications. The entertainment heavyweights. The giant leaps in technology. The viral phenomena. The places and faces setting your world alight.
To all of our friends everywhere in the world, welcome to Most Contagious 2008. It’s everything you need to know, and then some.
http://www.contagiousmagazine.com/pdf/MostContagious2008.pdf
In the spirit of the ‘branded utility’ trend of which we’re so enamoured, we’ve made this report interactive, informative, entertaining, and completely bloody free. Send it round your agencies. Forward it to your friends and family. Link to it on your blogs, Twitter the sh*t out of it, and slap it on Facebook for all the world to see.
Most Contagious 2008. From us to you, because we care.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Contagious / London
Future of advertising - Some thoughts from the present to predict the future ...Agustín Soriano
I was asked to make this presentation for a conference and, despite the topic being really tricky, I've tried to place some bets about the future for agencies and brands. Don't take this really seriously because the future can't be guessed and there is only one prediction that is 100% sure...
Focus on Millennials: historical and demographic context, values, working goals, opinions on technology, consumption, food & health, travel. Examples of marketing campaigns.
Fashion Foresight: How Fashion Illustrates the World's Most Pressing Mega Trendssparks & honey
Any person, business or brand looking to understand – and lead – cultural shifts can turn to the fashion industry as a bellwether. Fashion not only shapes culture, it acts as a mirror to society, reflecting important cultural shifts that may otherwise be imperceptible.
The fashion industry caters to early adopters and seeks inspiration from the edges, where trends and cultural shifts start. It is acutely attuned to changes in the zeitgeist as well as the ambient influences of the biggest global trends (i.e. MegaTrends).
For these reasons, the fashion industry can be an effective instrument for gauging change and a proxy for trendspotting of the highest order.
In this report, we’ll take a look at MegaTrends impacting life and society, illustrate how they are manifesting within the fashion industry and translate what it means for all brands.
After you’ve read this, the length of a hemline will take on entirely new meaning and you will never view paisley the same.
Future of advertising - Some thoughts from the present to predict the future ...Agustín Soriano
I was asked to make this presentation for a conference and, despite the topic being really tricky, I've tried to place some bets about the future for agencies and brands. Don't take this really seriously because the future can't be guessed and there is only one prediction that is 100% sure...
Focus on Millennials: historical and demographic context, values, working goals, opinions on technology, consumption, food & health, travel. Examples of marketing campaigns.
Fashion Foresight: How Fashion Illustrates the World's Most Pressing Mega Trendssparks & honey
Any person, business or brand looking to understand – and lead – cultural shifts can turn to the fashion industry as a bellwether. Fashion not only shapes culture, it acts as a mirror to society, reflecting important cultural shifts that may otherwise be imperceptible.
The fashion industry caters to early adopters and seeks inspiration from the edges, where trends and cultural shifts start. It is acutely attuned to changes in the zeitgeist as well as the ambient influences of the biggest global trends (i.e. MegaTrends).
For these reasons, the fashion industry can be an effective instrument for gauging change and a proxy for trendspotting of the highest order.
In this report, we’ll take a look at MegaTrends impacting life and society, illustrate how they are manifesting within the fashion industry and translate what it means for all brands.
After you’ve read this, the length of a hemline will take on entirely new meaning and you will never view paisley the same.
United Breaks Guitar - A Case Study on 'Online Reputation Management'Ronak Mehta
Business owners are often taken off-guard by online reputation issues. Many don’t even realize they need to be concerned about their reputation online. A common question that everyone comes across is: “Why are people saying bad things about us on the Internet, and what can we do about it?” Executives spend long years developing a strong brand. It can be beyond unsettling to wake up one day and see defamatory remarks appearing online, particularly when the items move beyond constructive criticism to include outrageous accusations and even slanderous or libelous remarks. Even worse, the negative reviews are often on websites that rank high in search engines, so anyone doing a search on the company name will probably see them. Whether the comments are true or not, these negative search results jeopardize the company’s online reputation.
This Case Study, shows how Dave Carroll, a musician from Halifax, used the Internet to reach billions of people on the internet, to share his bad experience with one of the well known Brands in the Aviation Industry.
6 Legendary Marketing Mishaps You Should Learn FromRob FitzGerald
Marketing plays a significant role in promoting a brand and it’s products and services, especially if they’re introducing something new. Influencing your audience’s opinion and behavior while hitting all the right notes in marketing is no easy task. Thus, developing an effective and well-tuned marketing strategy is crucial in executing successful campaigns.
However, there are times when brands miss some marks because of a miscalculated attempt to stand out from the competition. We’ve collated some of the worst marketing errors that huge brands have committed over the past years. Learn from them to avoid these same mistakes...
Read the full article:
https://connextdigital.com/6-marketing-mishaps-learn-from/
Committing mistake is normal behavior of human being but sometimes it can create trouble. See how social media agencies and brands met up with mistakes and try to learn from those.
In a world where advertisements boarder on being a form of entertainment, the right ad could make or break your company. Advertising isn't an exact science, sometimes you have to take a risk to make an ad that's truly bold and innovative. Sometimes companies succeed in pushing the advertising envelope, and others fail with hilarious results. There will always be ads that will make viewers cringe, and these recent forays into "badvertising" will make you question how some companies are still in business.
Why Sustainable Brands Need to Embrace FacebookMatthew Yeomans
The Big Brand Report looked at 195 brands owned by 15 of the world's biggest Fast Moving Consumer Goods companies to see how they communicate sustainability and CSR to the public. The report focused on the Facebook marketing of the 195 brands. What it found is sobering for anyone promoting sustainability to consumer.
This presentation was first delivered at the Sustainable Brands conference in London.
Makers Mark - The Social Technology of SustainabilityMatthew Yeomans
How the Internet of Things, the Makers Movement and 3D Printing combine for sustainable change - Presentation by Matthew Yeomans, director Custom Communication at Sustainable Brands
Fancy a quick journey around the world exploring the grossest foods? We've put some of the best ones in a Prezi. If you like what we're doing, please help us create the App by contributing to our Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.
Social Media and Sustainability - The Next Stage in Social EvolutionMatthew Yeomans
We've seen the power of social media sustainability storytelling. What happens when social thinking is applied to sustainable business operations. This presentation, first delivered at SMI13, imagines some of the ways social and sustainability will combine to create a truly social company.
Is AI-Generated Content the Future of Content Creation?Cut-the-SaaS
Discover the transformative power of AI in content creation with our presentation, "Is AI-Generated Content the Future of Content Creation?" by Puran Parsani, CEO & Editor of Cut-The-SaaS. Learn how AI-generated content is revolutionizing marketing, publishing, education, healthcare, and finance by offering unprecedented efficiency, creativity, and scalability.
Understanding
AI-Generated Content:
AI-generated content includes text, images, videos, and audio produced by AI without direct human involvement. This technology leverages large datasets to create contextually relevant and coherent material, streamlining content production.
Key Benefits:
Content Creation: Rapidly generate high-quality content for blogs, articles, and social media.
Brainstorming: AI simulates conversations to inspire creative ideas.
Research Assistance: Efficiently summarize and research information.
Market Insights:
The content marketing industry is projected to grow to $17.6 billion by 2032, with AI-generated content expected to dominate over 55% of the market.
Case Study: CNET’s AI Content Controversy:
CNET’s use of AI for news articles led to public scrutiny due to factual inaccuracies, highlighting the need for transparency and human oversight.
Benefits Across Industries:
Marketing: Personalize content at scale and optimize engagement with predictive analytics.
Publishing: Automate content creation for faster publication cycles.
Education: Efficiently generate educational materials.
Healthcare: Create accurate content for patients and professionals.
Finance: Produce timely financial content for decision-making.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations:
Transparency: Disclose AI use to maintain trust.
Bias: Address potential AI biases with diverse datasets.
SEO: Ensure AI content meets SEO standards.
Quality: Maintain high standards to prevent misinformation.
Conclusion:
AI-generated content offers significant benefits in efficiency, personalization, and scalability. However, ethical considerations and quality assurance are crucial for responsible use. Explore the future of content creation with us and see how AI is transforming various industries.
Connect with Us:
Follow Cut-The-SaaS on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Medium. Visit cut-the-saas.com for more insights and resources.
Come learn how YOU can Animate and Illuminate the World with Generative AI's Explosive Power. Come sit in the driver's seat and learn to harness this great technology.
First Things First: Building and Effective Marketing Strategy
Too many companies (and marketers) jump straight into activation planning without formalizing a marketing strategy. It may seem tedious, but analyzing the mindset of your targeted audiences and identifying the messaging points most likely to resonate with them is time well spent. That process is also a great opportunity for marketers to collaborate with sales leaders and account managers on a galvanized go-to-market approach. I’ll walk you through the methods and tools we use with our clients to ensure campaign success.
Key Takeaways:
-Recognize the critical role of strategy in marketing
-Learn our approach for building an actionable, effective marketing strategy
-Receive templates and guides for developing a marketing strategy
Mastering Multi-Touchpoint Content Strategy: Navigate Fragmented User JourneysSearch Engine Journal
Digital platforms are constantly multiplying, and with that, user engagement is becoming more intricate and fragmented.
So how do you effectively navigate distributing and tailoring your content across these various touchpoints?
Watch this webinar as we dive into the evolving landscape of content strategy tailored for today's fragmented user journeys. Understanding how to deliver your content to your users is more crucial than ever, and we’ll provide actionable tips for navigating these intricate challenges.
You’ll learn:
- How today’s users engage with content across various channels and devices.
- The latest methodologies for identifying and addressing content gaps to keep your content strategy proactive and relevant.
- What digital shelf space is and how your content strategy needs to pivot.
With Wayne Cichanski, we’ll explore innovative strategies to map out and meet the diverse needs of your audience, ensuring every piece of content resonates and connects, regardless of where or how it is consumed.
Digital marketing is the art and science of promoting products or services using digital channels to reach and engage with potential customers. It encompasses a wide range of online tactics and strategies aimed at increasing brand visibility, driving website traffic, generating leads, and ultimately, converting those leads into customers.
https://nidmindia.com/
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
The session includes a brief history of the evolution of search before diving into the roles technology, content, and links play in developing a powerful SEO strategy in a world of Generative AI and social search. Discover how to optimize for TikTok searches, Google's Gemini, and Search Generative Experience while developing a powerful arsenal of tools and templates to help maximize the effectiveness of your SEO initiatives.
Key Takeaways:
Understand how search engines work
Be able to find out where your users search
Know what is required for each discipline of SEO
Feel confident creating an SEO Plan
Confidently measure SEO performance
When most people in the industry talk about online or digital reputation management, what they're really saying is Google search and PPC. And it's usually reactive, left dealing with the aftermath of negative information published somewhere online. That's outdated. It leaves executives, organizations and other high-profile individuals at a high risk of a digital reputation attack that spans channels and tactics. But the tools needed to safeguard against an attack are more cybersecurity-oriented than most marketing and communications professionals can manage. Business leaders Leaders grasp the importance; 83% of executives place reputation in their top five areas of risk, yet only 23% are confident in their ability to address it. To succeed in 2024 and beyond, you need to turn online reputation on its axis and think like an attacker.
Key Takeaways:
- New framework for examining and safeguarding an online reputation
- Tools and techniques to keep you a step ahead
- Practical examples that demonstrate when to act, how to act and how to recover
How to Run Landing Page Tests On and Off Paid Social PlatformsVWO
Join us for an exclusive webinar featuring Mariate, Alexandra and Nima where we will unveil a comprehensive blueprint for crafting a successful paid media strategy focused on landing page testing.With escalating costs in paid advertising, understanding how to maximize each visitor’s experience is crucial for retention and conversion.
This session will dive into the methodologies for executing and analyzing landing page tests within paid social channels, offering a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insights.
The Pearmill team will guide you through the nuances of setting up and managing landing page experiments on paid social platforms. You will learn about the critical rules to follow, the structure of effective tests, optimal conversion duration and budget allocation.
The session will also cover data analysis techniques and criteria for graduating landing pages.
In the second part of the webinar, Pearmill will explore the use of A/B testing platforms. Discover common pitfalls to avoid in A/B testing and gain insights into analyzing A/B tests results effectively.
It's another new era of digital and marketers are faced with making big bets on their digital strategy. If you are looking at modernizing your tech stack to support your digital evolution, there are a few can't miss (often overlooked) areas that should be part of every conversation. We'll cover setting your vision, avoiding siloes, adding a democratized approach to data strategy, localization, creating critical governance requirements and more. Attendees will walk away with actions they can take into initiatives they are running today and consider for the future.
A.I. (artificial intelligence) platforms are popping up all the time, and many of them can and should be used to help grow your brand, increase your sales and decrease your marketing costs.In this presentation:We will review some of the best AI platforms that are available for you to use.We will interact with some of the platforms in real-time, so attendees can see how they work.We will also look at some current brands that are using AI to help them create marketing messages, saving them time and money in the process. Lastly, we will discuss the pros and cons of using AI in marketing & branding and have a lively conversation that includes comments from the audience.
Key Takeaways:
Attendees will learn about LLM platforms, like ChatGPT, and how they work, with preset examples and real time interactions with the platform. Attendees will learn about other AI platforms that are creating graphic design elements at the push of a button...pre-set examples and real-time interactions.Attendees will discuss the pros & cons of AI in marketing + branding and share their perspectives with one another. Attendees will learn about the cost savings and the time savings associated with using AI, should they choose to.
The Forgotten Secret Weapon of Digital Marketing: Email
Digital marketing is a rapidly changing, ever evolving industry--Influencers, Threads, X, AI, etc. But one of the most effective digital marketing tools is also one of the oldest: Email. Find out from two Houston-based digital experts how to maximize your results from email.
Key Takeaways:
Email has the best ROI of any digital tactic
It can be used at any stage of the customer journey
It is increasingly important as the cookie-less future gets closer and closer
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
Videos are more engaging, more memorable, and more popular than any other type of content out there. That’s why it’s estimated that 82% of consumer traffic will come from videos by 2025.
And with videos evolving from landscape to portrait and experts promoting shorter clips, one thing remains constant – our brains LOVE videos.
So is there science behind what makes people absolutely irresistible on camera?
The answer: definitely yes.
In this jam-packed session with Stephanie Garcia, you’ll get your hands on a steal-worthy guide that uncovers the art and science to being irresistible on camera. From body language to words that convert, she’ll show you how to captivate on command so that viewers are excited and ready to take action.
The Secret to Engaging Modern Consumers: Journey Mapping and Personalization
In today's digital landscape, understanding the customer's journey and delivering personalized experiences are paramount. This masterclass delves into the art of consumer journey mapping, a powerful technique that visualizes the entire customer experience across touchpoints. Attendees will learn how to create detailed journey maps, identify pain points, and uncover opportunities for optimization. The presentation also explores personalization strategies that leverage data and technology to tailor content, products, and experiences to individual customers. From real-time personalization to predictive analytics, attendees will gain insights into cutting-edge approaches that drive engagement and loyalty.
Key Takeaways:
Current consumer landscape; Steps to mapping an effective consumer journey; Understanding the value of personalization; Integrating mapping and personalization for success; Brands that are getting It right!; Best Practices; Future Trends
Financial curveballs sent many American families reeling in 2023. Household budgets were squeezed by rising interest rates, surging prices on everyday goods, and a stagnating housing market. Consumers were feeling strapped. That sentiment, however, appears to be waning. The question is, to what extent?
To take the pulse of consumers’ feelings about their financial well-being ahead of a highly anticipated election, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey. The survey highlights consumers’ hopes and anxieties as we move into 2024. Let's unpack the key findings to gain insights about where we stand.
1. A revised SHORT HISTORY OF SOCIAL
MEDIA SCREW-UPS
….And the sustainability lessons to be learned.
2. Social media pilot error - US Airways - 2014
It’s hard to spend a day online nowadays without some brand committing a social media screw up.
That said, US Airways’ “bumpy landing” Twitter #FAIL may go down as one of the biggest ever social media screw
ups. The explicit image of a woman masturbating with a toy jet plane that the airline posted on its Twitter feed
guarantees that this particular story has got worldwide publicity.
This is no doubt another case of social media pilot error. But is it the most damaging example of a company
getting social wrong?
We’ve gone back through a decade of big fails (and our own book #FAIL) to highlight the mistakes that have really
cost companies dear. They show that, when it comes to behaving badly, the airline is in good company.
3. Hacked Off – Kryptonite in 2004
The first major social media fail. A Kryptonite lock is picked apart with a bic pen and the “how to” instructions are
posted first on a bike message board, then a tech blog and finally by the New York Times. The brand is slow to
respond and it costs them millions in product recalls.
4. Caught Faking it - L’Oreal in 2005
L’Oreal is skinned alive by the first big fake blog fiasco. It is forced to admit that a beauty blog praising its Vichy
brand penned by “Claire” was actually the fictional work of its advertising agency. It’s the first instance of brands
running into the problem of being authentic and transparent when using social media.
5. Just a few months after receiving a battering by blogger Jeff Jarvis, who published the infamous Dell Hell rant
against Dell’s terrible customer service, the PC maker’s reputation was further damaged after leading tech blog,
Gizmodo, published photos of an exploding Dell laptop. It showed to companies the power of a single image if it is
shared online. Dell was forced to recall more than 4 million laptop batteries.
Reputation Up in Smoke - Dell in 2006
6. Don’t Trust the Crowd - Chevy Tahoe in 2006
Chevy’s Design Your Own Tahoe competition was one of the first attempts by a major brand to harness the power
of crowdsourcing for a marketing campaign. It ended badly when environmental campaigners hijacked the
campaign, vilifying the brand producing gas-guzzling SUVs. This was one of the first instances that a big brand
realised it had no control when it comes to social media marketing.
7. Crisis Management in Real Time – Jet Blue in 2007
It used to be that what happened behind the locked doors or airplanes stayed on those airplanes. But the advent
of smartphone publishing combined with blogging and YouTube meant that when hundreds of passengers were
stranded on planes for up to 8 hours during a Valentines’ Day snowstorm, Jet Blue’s problems went viral. CEO
David Neelman realised the reputation risk and quick crafted a YouTube apology, the first of its kind. Alas it wasn’t
enough for Neelman. He was gone a few months later.
8. YouTube Agitprop – Unilever in 2008
Unilever’s Dove brand found itself on the receiving end of an aggressive Greenpeace social media campaign
against palm oil-driven deforestation. The NGO took a hot thing (Unilever’s original “Onslaught” campaign),
changed the message to attack the company and turned its own campaign into a viral sensation. Directly, or
indirectly, this form of YouTube agitprop pushed Unilever to change its palm oil sourcing policies and created the
blueprint for social media activism.
9. Birth of the Twitter Swarm – Motrin in 2008
Motrin’s sassy commercial aimed at Moms backfired spectacularly after a Twitter-army of motherly discontent
swarmed. Johnson & Johnson quickly apologised and remade the commercial. It was the first time that such a
small yet vocal group of influential consumers had used the social media megaphone to such effect. Twitter, as
many other companies would learn, really can give you a headache.
10. Who Owns Your Brand? We Do – Tropicana in 2009
PepsiCo’s Tropicana major rebrand found itself pulped following an outraged online reaction by consumer fans.
Following the redesign, sales dropped 20 percent costing the company an estimated $33 million. As Stuart Elliott,
the New York Times longtime Madison Avenue reporter cracked, “It took 24 years, but PepsiCo now has its own
version of New Coke.” The redesigned product lasted just 8 weeks on store shelves.
11. Hijacking the conversation – habitat in 2009
Habitat seemed to be getting the hang of the Twitter thing– until it was caught promoting new products using
hashtag spam, including the Iranian election. This was just the first in a long line of brands committing the same
social media faux pas of thinking their brand alone gave them the right to drop into any conversation. Kenneth
Cole, GAP and Celebrity Boutique are just a few examples.
12. Creative Complaining – United Airlines in 2009
United Airlines handles hundreds of lost and damaged baggage complaints each year so they didn’t care too
much about responding to musician Dave Carroll’s protests about his broken guitar. Until his YouTube protest
“United Breaks Guitars” went viral that is. Indeed, Carroll’s plight probably would have ended up as just another
chapter in the annals of bad airline customer service were it not for the fact that he could broadcast his catchy rant
direct to YouTube – and that he had the creativeness to compose a song that made people sit up and listen. Don’t
dismiss the little guy (especially if he can sing).
13. Mind your language – vodafone uk 2010
The world is full of swearing and sometimes offensive people. Just make sure they’re not in charge of your social
media presence. Vodafone UK made this mistake and, since then, brands like the Red Cross, Chrysler, Kitchen
Aid and, of course, US Airways have done so too. Each time they’ve hurt their reputation thanks to a lack of
publishing checks and balances combined with the immediate, viral and undeletable medium of social media.
14. Facebook Fiasco – Nestle in 2010
Nestle became the poster child of how not to run a Facebook page when it went all ape over a Greenpeace
campaign that targeted KitKat’s use of non-sustainably sourced palm oil. The campaign however only took off
(and became a global story) after Nestle started deleting negative posts and doctored KitKat logos that
Greenpeace had created from its page. That infuriated even non activists who accused Nestle of censoring
speech on Facebook. Nestle’s Facebook page was paralysed with negative comments. Nestle soon apologised
and later agreed to improve its palm oil sourcing.
15. The Fail Whale – BP in 2010
In the first three months after the Deepwater Horizon spill, BP poured an estimated $60 million into PR, including
TV and press ads and a sophisticated online search campaign. Yet at first it neglected to consider Twitter or
Facebook. Until it got skewered by the spoof @BPGlobalPR Twitter feed, set up by Los Angeles-based comedian
Josh Simpson. It had gained 18,000 followers in just a few days, undercutting with sharp humour BP’s own online
efforts to tell its own story. BP would quickly learn not to underestimate the power of social media and today has a
comprehensive social comms operation.
16. McFAIL – McDonald’s 2012
McDonald’s launched a sponsored hashtag campaign, #McDStories, to get the public talking about the quality of a
McDonald’s meal. Instead, the campaign was overrun by animal rights activists and other Mickey D haters. It was
quickly pulled. Other companies like Chase and Waitrose have made the same mistake – forgetting that if you ask
social media users to contribute to your campaign you have to be prepared for everything they are going to tell
you.
17. Unexpected delivery – fedex in 2012
What Dave Carroll would have done to have had a camera handy when United broke his guitar. One FedEx
customer was more prepared and filmed his special delivery and the wreckage after it had literally been dropped
off. This sort of vigilante customer service was first seen back in 2006 when a New Yorker videoed a Comcast
cable guy asleep on his couch. It would soon be repeated by UPS and more FedEx customers.
18. Firing the gatekeeper – hmv in 2013
If you’re going to lay off employees, make sure they don’t still hold the keys to your corporate social media
account. This was the oversight shown by HMV last year and also by a UK pub that unceremoniously fired their
chef (and chief Tweeter). In both instances the firers got flamed through social media.
19. Learn more about sustainability, reputation and
authentic Communication
at Sustainly.com