We could all learn a thing or two from social media mistakes made by major companies. When your brand is in everyone’s view, your reputation is everything. In fact, one of Berning Marketing’s core services is reputation management. This used to fall strictly under public relations, but in the era of social media it requires a lot more, well, management.
How Twitter Scandals Happen
One of the biggest mistakes brands make is the misuse of Twitter. Every scandal tends to follow a similar pattern. A brand tweets offensive content, and when the backlash hits, they blame it on a hacking or a rogue employee. However, the damage is usually already done. Here are three examples of tweets by brands that nearly ruined their reputations.
1. DiGiorno Pizza
The hashtag #WhyIStayed was created to highlight abuse victims sharing their reasons for staying in abusive relationships. DiGiorno saw an opportunity to piggyback on a trending hashtag. Unfortunately, they clearly did not research what it meant before tweeting. As a result, the backlash was immediate and severe.
2. KitchenAid
Some brands can navigate political commentary successfully. However, most of the time it is safer to stay away entirely. This tweet was not only in bad taste, it was a clear example of what happens when a brand crosses a line it cannot walk back from.
3. The American Red Cross
This one is painful to read. It is a classic case of a social media employee accidentally tweeting from the company account instead of their personal one. Therefore, always make sure your team knows which account they are logged into before posting.
Old Tweets Can Hurt You Too
It is not just real time mistakes that can ruin a brand. Sometimes old tweets resurface and cause just as much damage. For example, makeup artist and YouTube beauty blogger Laura Lee had an old tweet resurface in 2018 and lost thousands of subscribers per day as a result.
Because of situations like these, reputation management has never been more important. Here at Berning Marketing, we make sure your brand stays in the spotlight for all the right reasons. If you are interested in learning more about our services, contact us today.