Esquire's 9/11 Social Media Fail

9/11. No matter where you were in the world, people took a moment (or more) to reflect on the terrible events that took place 12 years ago. And when it came to social media, many brands decided to run their own relevant stories or 'thoughts and prayers' for all of those involved. Others decided to go "dark" and not post any content in honor and remembrance of the lives lost on that fateful day. However, not everyone handled the situation with poise, including several large brands like AT&T and Esquire Magazine. Specifically speaking, the social media 'fail' that came from the popular men's magazine, Esquire, was the apparent mistake of running a story of the infamous 'falling man' from 9/11 -- next to copy that read "Make your morning commute more stylish: Look good on your way to work."

Almost immediately, people took to Twitter to show their anger for the insensitivity of the magazine's layout. Fortunately, the brand responded with an apology for the editorial mess-up. Unfortunately, the brand did so in a manner that enraged fans even more.

Although I'm only an opinion of one, I think this was a very inappropriate way to respond to those who were upset. By using the word relax, Esquire implied that the Twitter community was overreacting. Instead, I would've recommended genuinely owning up to the mistake, making sure to leave all "judgmental" statements to the side.  Even though an apology was included in the tweet, the impact of it was lessened by the lead-in.

Sadly, this type of insincere communication happens all of the time on social media between brands and their communities. Whether it's copy that could be easily misinterpreted or content that comes across too promotional in the wake of a tragedy, brands must be 100% aware of what reactions could come about from fans and what to appropriately say in the case that things do go awry.

As a former community manager for several major consumer brands, my team and I handled PR crises with much more sensitivity, as we knew how quickly brand loyalty could be washed away in a blink of an eye with one wrong or insensitive response. I hope that the community manager in charge of the tweet learned from this mistake and will do better in the future. I also hope that the team behind the magazine's digital strategy will put in a better checks and balances strategy in times of high sensitivity, so a simple reactionary tweet like "Relax, everybody" will be reviewed before going live in the future.

-- Samantha

Facebook to the Rescue

When you take a step back and look at social media, it can seem like a pretty trivial thing. When most of you time is spent striving to get the most likes on your new status updates or shares of your latest vacation picture, it is easy to forget the potential philanthropic uses of Facebook.

As you are most likely aware, Oklahoma was just hit by a massive tornado that killed 51 people, while leaving many more homeless. In the aftermath, amongst other destruction, it has been realized that victim's personal belongings have been blown many miles in all directions. To help gather some of these belongings and return them to their rightful owners, a Facebook group has been started, where members can post pictures of the property they have found. Victims can then go onto this group and see if any of the items are theirs and connect with the people who had found it.

We think this is a fantastic use of Facebook, helping people who have just gone through an unimaginable tragedy. If you live in the area and have found such debris, or think you can help in any other way, please join the Facebook group here.

-Mike

Going Social After the Boston Bombings

As a woman who was born and raised in the great city of Boston, there are no words that can accurately summarize my emotions after hearing and seeing yesterday's bombings at the Boston Marathon. The images and first person accounts that were shared will forever remain in my heart – a horrific incident that hit way too close to home.

But, it's tragic events like these that I find interesting within my own social space. Personally, I saw friends tweeting #prayforboston within the first few minutes after the story broke and as expected, my Facebook wall was slammed with posts expressing extreme sadness and anger toward those responsible. But professionally speaking, how does an event like 9/11, the Newtown shooting or the Boston bombings effect larger brands on social platforms?

For once, they make brands go silent.

Although there is some debate around what a major brand should do on social during/after a large tragedy, a brand’s reasoning for going quiet is done with both good intentions and a bit of selfishness. On one side, we recognize the loss and sadness associated with the life-changing event. Our content simply wouldn’t make sense to share, nor would it resonate with fans, especially during a time when the nation is grieving. On the other hand, some brands believe in posting consistency with a main goal of beating Facebook’s EdgeRank and showing up higher than competitors within newsfeeds -- but, no one really wants to be the one brand actively posting in a newsfeed filled with content surrounding a tragedy. For those brands that saw this as an opportunity – or accidentally had posts pre-scheduled to go live during this time frame – many were met with a negative backlash from fans and non-fans alike for being insensitive.

From a community manager of a few large brands, it’s often the safest decision to cease all social engagement until a 24 hour period of bereavement has been allowed. Unless you have a meaningful and direct connection to the tragedy, this means no posting, no tweeting, no Instagraming and more. Yes, a brand’s messaging will be not top of mind for fans for a day or two, but this overall respect for the emotions of fans will resonate louder than a product-centric post.

Although you may not see every brand following this recommendation, see if you notice those that do. Then, respect them a bit more for giving fans their space during this terrible time.

What do you think is the appropriate move for brands after a national tragedy?

xx Samantha