CorporateSocial Media Fails

When social media outreach goes horribly wrong.

A reason to limit access to social media accounts and change passwords frequently:British entertainment retailer HMV lost control of its social media team when rogue members used the account to live-tweet a massive firing at the company.

Tirade in the Twitter-verse:Accusations of racism can drastically hurt a company’s reputation. Even though it’s impossible to tell if this tweet from Home Depot was indeed racist, the Twitter universe was enraged, leading corporate to delete the tweet, apologize for two days and fire the social media agency responsible.

52 % of consumers expect a response within 30 minutes of their social media contact, but only 24 % of service providers say they respond within that timeframe.

Viva Ronaldo!Just in time for the world cup: Pepsi’s Swedish branch released a set of Facebook ads featuring a voodoo doll of competitor Portugal’s megastar Cristiano Ronaldo tied to train tracks, getting his head crushed in and covered in pins. They were forced to remove the ads and apologize after a Portuguese anti-Pepsi Facebook group formed and gained more than 100 thousand fans in just one day.

Know Your Audience:JP Morgan aimed to boost engagement with a Q & A Twitter session. Unfortunately – they were sent back to the drawing board after 6-hours of harassment from the Twitter-verse, including respected journalists.

50 % of consumers prefer using social media to reach their service provider than calling a contact center.

Manners Cost NothingDiscretion is always advised. London Luton Airport turned to using fatal pictures in hopes of developing some good PR. It backfired.