“Be ready,” is the lesson marketing executives must now take, according to a recent New York Times article, “Planning for Unexpected Criticism by Trump.” Crisis consultant Andrew D. Gilman, who has counseled such brands as Johnson & Johnson, General Motors and Pepsi during crises advises “prepare for Mr. Trump as you would for a natural disaster — an event that …
Sloppy spokespeople
There’s a trend among the most recent spokespeople to simply copy, paste and post their sponsors’ social media directions. In the past two months, Scott Disick of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, model Naomi Campbell, and Real Housewife Ramona Singer were all caught carelessly posting messages from their sponsors instead of their own endorsements. And all three have been victims …
Dotting the i’s
Fortune 500 companies sometimes can’t resist the social media mistake of subtle commercialization, which usually backfires. Here, General Mills eulogized their hometown legend, Prince, by being too cute with a Cheerio dotting the i. In another General Mills advertisement from the brand, Hamburger Helper, their “helping hand” mascot, “Lefty,” a four-fingered, left-hand white glove was pictured and referenced. “Respect for the home …
When the Media Makes the Mistakes
Recently, the magazine publications of Adweek and Glamour used the power of the press without permission. Adweek featured actress Kerry Washington on its April 2016 cover with her skin lightened and her face photo-shopped. Glamour implied that comedian Amy Schumer is plus size by including her name with actress Melissa McCarthy, singer Adele, and plus-size model Ashley Graham on its …
Twitter: The 140-Character Soundbite
Social media has become every publicist’s nightmare. Rather than carefully formulating and crafting media responses through interviews, phone calls and media training, it is now possible for a moment of lapsed judgment to spiral into a media faux pas. Actor Alec Baldwin is the most recent example of this growing trend with a tweet from his car in New York …
Sensitivity Training
When a British retailer featured a greeting card with, “don’t get mad, take lithium” (an obvious reference to the medication for bipolar disorder,) customers didn’t just get mad — they got even, with posts such as “I will no longer be shopping with you” on the company’s Facebook page. The stage was set when another offended customer (@poeticfeminist) tweeted, “do you …
Heat’s on!
In the aftermath of the NBA playoffs, one would imagine that the most talked about rivalry was between the Miami Heat and the victorious San Antonio Spurs! However, when a broken air conditioning system resulted in Game #1 taking place during 90-plus degree temperatures, it caused Basketball star Lebron James’ leg to cramp. That is when an unexpected battle between …
Behaving Badly
When Richard Sherman sealed the Seattle Seahawk’s spot in Super Bowl XLVIII in his game-saving play against the San Francisco 49ers, he also sealed his spot as the sports world’s latest “classless” wonder. His adrenaline and aggression were at an all-time high in a post game interview with … “Well, I’m the best corner in the game! When you try …
Trying to “Satisfry” the Customer
From “Home of the Whopper” to “Home of the Satisfries,” Burger King has changed their brand name “temporarily,” from Burger King to Fries King, and created some negative social media buzz. The fast food chain tweeted the following: “And you thought we were bluffing. Long live the #FriesKing!” According to Ad Week, consumers expressed their confusion of the chain’s new …
Fore…
“Fore” is the warning shout golfers use when there is a chance that a wild ball may hit other players or spectators. NBC’s Golf Channel hit fans and players alike with a shout heard ’round the Twittersphere: The tweet landed them in the rough. The Golf Channel’s hasty retraction … “Our earlier tweet was inappropriate. The intent was to celebrate …