Be careful when you aim to create social media buzz. You may inadvertently kick a hornet's nest instead. Just ask companies including EasyJet, Microsoft, and American Express.
Social media campaigns that aim for a mocking or a negative tone can backfire badly, as recent examples show. Even a charitably focused campaign with seemingly good intentions can turn on a brand. These are some of the conclusions of a report just released by WaveMetrix, "Q3 2011 Benefits and Limits of a Social Media Fanbase."
The report covers a number of aspects of social media campaigns as reflected by the reaction or buzz they generated. These include using crowdsourcing for brand promotion (Colgate, Nando's); asking an existing fanbase about upcoming product changes (Nike, Old Spice); and offering fans live previews to engender a feeling of exclusivity (Burberry). But the cautionary tales involving EasyJet, Microsoft, and American Express offer useful lessons for marketers exploring the limits of social media for brand promotion.
EasyJet: The UK-based discount air carrier put up a poster on its Facebook page last month attempting to mock the British Airways "To Fly. To Serve" campaign. EasyJet's takeoff was "To Fly. To Save." The page's community manager asked users to "let them know what you think," and did they ever. More than half of the comments on the page were negative towards EasyJet. The poster was criticized as "bitchy." BA fans sprang to the firm's defense, praising its "great advert." The takeaway: Using social media in an attempt to tarnish a competitor's reputation often backfires; prudent marketers won't go anywhere near the tactic.
Microsoft: If we need another example to reinforce the point, Microsoft provided it, when it produced the Gmail Man attack ad to point out privacy drawbacks in Gmail and to bolster awareness of its competing service, Microsoft Office 365. (The actor portraying Gmail Man bears some resemblance, probably not unintentional, to Google's Eric Schmidt.) Commenters called the ad "petty," "childish," and "pathetic." These are not words you want associated with your brand. Forty percent of the conversation around the ad focused negative light on the Microsoft brand; only 6 percent represented discussion of Office 365.
American Express: Last month, AmEx invited Twitter users in the UK to share the things that inspire them; it pledged to donate to the Prince's Trust charity for every tweet or retweet that included the hashtag #AmexBeInspired. Almost half of the tweets using that hashtag were instead about the AmEx brand itself, and more than half of those were negative.
"While many are using the '#AmexBeInspired' hashtag for its intended purpose, a large number of others are posting sarcastic, angry comments about the American Express brand and their [skepticism] surrounding the charity campaign," according to Wave's analysis.
"Although some consumers praise AmEx for their charitable donations, others are scathing about the affiliation between a global credit card company and a charity that helps underprivileged young people, many of whom are struggling with debt." One poster advised the financial giant to "give up your horrible attempt to link your exploitative debt agency to anything positive (and fire your marketing team)."
The moral to this tale: Before you attempt to hitch your marketing to a charitable cause, make good and sure your corporate DNA is aligned with that cause. Consumers can smell phony, and they can spread the word at the speed of light.
— Keith Dawson
, Senior Editor, The CMO Site
The CMO Site is an executive social network that provides CMOs and other marketing executives from the world's leading organizations with a real-time, online venue where they can convene to discuss how they're delivering on the most critical marketing priorities. Join us!
Social media campaigns that aim for a mocking or a negative tone can backfire badly, as recent examples show. Even a charitably focused campaign with seemingly good intentions can turn on a brand. These are some of the conclusions of a report just released by WaveMetrix, "Q3 2011 Benefits and Limits of a Social Media Fanbase."
The report covers a number of aspects of social media campaigns as reflected by the reaction or buzz they generated. These include using crowdsourcing for brand promotion (Colgate, Nando's); asking an existing fanbase about upcoming product changes (Nike, Old Spice); and offering fans live previews to engender a feeling of exclusivity (Burberry). But the cautionary tales involving EasyJet, Microsoft, and American Express offer useful lessons for marketers exploring the limits of social media for brand promotion.
EasyJet: The UK-based discount air carrier put up a poster on its Facebook page last month attempting to mock the British Airways "To Fly. To Serve" campaign. EasyJet's takeoff was "To Fly. To Save." The page's community manager asked users to "let them know what you think," and did they ever. More than half of the comments on the page were negative towards EasyJet. The poster was criticized as "bitchy." BA fans sprang to the firm's defense, praising its "great advert." The takeaway: Using social media in an attempt to tarnish a competitor's reputation often backfires; prudent marketers won't go anywhere near the tactic.
Microsoft: If we need another example to reinforce the point, Microsoft provided it, when it produced the Gmail Man attack ad to point out privacy drawbacks in Gmail and to bolster awareness of its competing service, Microsoft Office 365. (The actor portraying Gmail Man bears some resemblance, probably not unintentional, to Google's Eric Schmidt.) Commenters called the ad "petty," "childish," and "pathetic." These are not words you want associated with your brand. Forty percent of the conversation around the ad focused negative light on the Microsoft brand; only 6 percent represented discussion of Office 365.
American Express: Last month, AmEx invited Twitter users in the UK to share the things that inspire them; it pledged to donate to the Prince's Trust charity for every tweet or retweet that included the hashtag #AmexBeInspired. Almost half of the tweets using that hashtag were instead about the AmEx brand itself, and more than half of those were negative.
"While many are using the '#AmexBeInspired' hashtag for its intended purpose, a large number of others are posting sarcastic, angry comments about the American Express brand and their [skepticism] surrounding the charity campaign," according to Wave's analysis.
"Although some consumers praise AmEx for their charitable donations, others are scathing about the affiliation between a global credit card company and a charity that helps underprivileged young people, many of whom are struggling with debt." One poster advised the financial giant to "give up your horrible attempt to link your exploitative debt agency to anything positive (and fire your marketing team)."
The moral to this tale: Before you attempt to hitch your marketing to a charitable cause, make good and sure your corporate DNA is aligned with that cause. Consumers can smell phony, and they can spread the word at the speed of light.
— Keith Dawson
, Senior Editor, The CMO SiteThe CMO Site is an executive social network that provides CMOs and other marketing executives from the world's leading organizations with a real-time, online venue where they can convene to discuss how they're delivering on the most critical marketing priorities. Join us!
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