In our digital, connected world, we’ve come to expect social media brand mishaps, and while consumers are often eager to criticize these mistakes, many of them could happen to anyone. To bring these incidents a little closer to home, I present you with the 2014 social media superlatives.
Most Ironic: Twitter CFO
Why not kick off this year’s social media brand mishaps with the channel that all but started them? Last month, Twitter CFO Anthony Noto revealed an upcoming business plan for his brand, albeit unintentionally, when he publicly tweeted vague details about a possible deal. The information was intended for an unknown recipient via direct message, but in an example of “it happens to the best of us,” Noto mistakenly shared the plans on his Twitter feed. I believe a “d’oh!” is in order.
Least Likely to Succeed (on Twitter): The NYPD
There are certain organizations that should lay low on social media. If you’re not completely sure about the public opinion of your brand, stick to what you know and don’t stir the already turbulent waters. The NYPD threw caution to the wind in April when it launched the #myNYPD campaign on Twitter, inviting New Yorkers to share photos and stories of their experiences with the city’s law enforcement.
Sarcasm abounded as people shared less-than-positive encounters, from borderline police brutality to arrests and cops sleeping on the job. The effort quickly backfired beyond saving, though the hashtag has survived and continues to remind the organization of their mistake. Better luck next time, #myNYPD.
Best (Un)Dressed: U.S. Airways
You know what we’re talking about. It’s that extremely NSFW image (or even just its description) that haunts your dreams. And you haven’t thought about airplanes the same way since. It was likely an honest mistake, but one that has plagued the airline’s social media reputation for months. If you’re still not sure what we’re talking about and you are not offended by pornography, a quick image search will show you U.S. Air’s raunchy tweet. Or you can just check out these clever responses (also NSFW, but hilarious). Click at your own risk.
Most Likely to Butt into the Wrong Conversation: DiGiorno
The frozen pizza brand made social media famous with its humorous, real-time tweets got a lot of heat in September when it hijacked a hashtag without checking context.
Source: Adweek
Sparked by news of the Ray Rice case, #whyistayed and #whyileft were generating serious conversations on Twitter among those touched by domestic abuse. While I wag my finger at DiGiorno for not doing their due diligence and researching the hashtag before jumping in, I commend their social media manager for attempting to respond to every negative backlash with a genuine apology.
Most Forgetful: Apple
We’ve said farewell to several beloved comedians this year, including the irreverent yet lovable Joan Rivers. So it was perplexing to see a Facebook post from the star two weeks after her death touting the new iPhone 6. The post was quickly removed but the lesson Apple learned is still clear: scheduling social media content ahead of time is risky business and requires careful attention. Or that the new device has powers beyond our imagination, but I’m going with the former on this one.
Biggest Night Owl: PayPal’s (former) Director of Strategy
Need an excuse for bad social media behavior? Blame it on lack of sleep. Or a new phone. Or both. When PayPal’s (now very former) Director of Strategy Rakesh “Rocky” Agrawal took to Twitter in the wee hours of Saturday, May 3, he proceeded to attack several colleagues in what looked like a drunken rant, complete with misspelled curse words and insults. PayPal reacted within 24 hours of the incident, though who quit – or was fired – first remains unclear. Good luck with those excuses, Rocky. Maybe stick to one next time?
Class Clown: The Dallas Cowboys
Currently leading the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys are probably over the embarrassment from their social media snafu last month, but it’s still too fun to leave out. Whether due to lack of options or just plain oversight, America’s team launched the #CowboysUK campaign to promote the face-off (and ultimate win) against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on November 9.
Needless to say, Twitter cynics had a ball with the hashtag’s unintentional joke, and hilarious tweets abounded. Check out some favorites here. The situation blew over fairly quickly, due to both its innocent nature and the major social media gaffe from the New England Patriots that soon followed.
Most Likely to Bring People Together: Union Street Guest House
To yell. And complain. And rightly so. Back in August, the tiny Hudson, NY hotel was exposed for its No Bad Reviews “policy,” threatening couples whose wedding guests booked rooms at Union Street that any negative reviews left on social media would incur a steep $500 charge on the newlyweds. Guests were understandably hesitant to slap a fee on the bride and groom, but once the very questionable (if not illegal) practice was brought to light, 1-star reviews and years’ worth of complaints poured in. Nothing brings people together like a common enemy – great job Union Street!
It would be impossible to include all of the social media brand mishaps from 2014 because no one is perfect – even the most seasoned companies and execs make mistakes. We only hope that they learn from these incidents and improve their strategies moving forward. Which of these gaffes do you think had the biggest impact on its perpetrator? Which major mishaps did we leave out? Share it with us in the comments.