Jan
16
When Good Deeds Go Bad (Thank You Social Media)
Filed Under Marketing | Author: Gerald Smith |
Corporate and individual donations are a must with any natural disaster. Responding to the need is the moral thing to do. Haiti is no exception and daily newscast seem fairly balanced between reports of the disaster and requests to donate. It is no doubt a good time for air time for those corporations with a conscious. In years past the loudest voices were that of relief agencies like American Red Cross, OxFam, and Heart to Heart International who took to the airwaves with little requirement of news agencies to do their bidding. Today relief agencies reach out to existing donor networks and rely on news agencies via “good” PR engines to do their bidding. And it seemed to work well for a few years. Nothing better than news media agencies growing a conscious. ENTER SOCIAL MEDIA…
The intentions were good and the information initially posted was correct, but similar to telling a secret to the first person in a line, by the time the secret passes from person to person on to the back of the line it changes and adapts to something that is close to the original, but still incorrect.
This is what has happened in the days following the Haiti disaster. Company after company has spent countless hours correcting inaccurate data shared through social media sites. Wouldn’t if be great if it all could be true. For example, UPS announced a $1 million cash donation and in-kind donations to several relief organizations but was surprised to later hear via Twitter that it was also offering free shipping to Haiti for any box with a postage fee of $50 or less.
American Airlines offered bonus miles to consumers making donations. 250 bonus miles for a gift of $50, or 500 miles for a $100 gift. American Eagle immediately sent planes with 30,000 pounds of water, food and supplies each day. But many Twitter users were told the airline was offering free flights for doctors and nurses to Haiti. The company rushed to set the record straight letting Twitter followers know that free flights weren’t being offered. Talk about running the risk of diminishing its original generous offering. Not to mention bad PR.
Comments
One Response to “When Good Deeds Go Bad (Thank You Social Media)”
Leave a Reply
ghd hair straighteners
Louis Vuitton (LouisVuitton) (1821 年 8 月 4 日 -1,892 on February 27), the French fashion history’s most outstanding masters of design.
He opened in Paris in 1854, named his own shop in the first suitcase.
GHD Hair Straighteners
A century later, “Louis Vuitton” luggage and leather goods in the field to become the first worldwide brand, but also become a symbol of high society. The value of its brand as our people in mind Liquor, Beja, like poetry Dayton cosmetics.