Proceed with caution: Digital missteps

It only takes one controversial tweet to spark hundreds of responses from an enraged audience. Twitter can be a ticking time bomb for celebrities and brands alike, just waiting for one digital misstep, followed by an explosion of backlash.

One celebrity who had seemingly mastered social media was Ashton Kutcher, aka @APLUSK. Kutcher always seems to innately understand how to engage with his fans, regardless of his mammoth following. All was well until last month, when Kutcher sent out a tweet defending Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in light of his involvement in a recent child abuse controversy. Kutcher faced an unsavory reaction from his large fan base and quickly apologized, later deleting the original tweet.  He turned to Katalyst Media to act as an editorial filter for his Twitter handle.
 
Then there’s Alec Baldwin, formerly gracing the web as @AlecBaldwin. Baldwin, a celebrity who’s known for his temper, was recently escorted off an American Airlines flight for refusing to turn off his phone during takeoff. He took his frustrations to Twitter and soon after, deleted his account.
 
We are only human. Whether it’s a grammatical error or an insensitive tweet, we all make mistakes online, but what happens when a brand makes a blunder?
 

Let’s take a look at Heinz Ketchup. They had planned to sell their balsamic vinegar ketchup on Facebook, but things took a turn for the worse when a technical glitch prohibited customers from purchasing the limited edition condiment for nearly 12 hours after their announced launch time. Once the error was resolved, Heinz sent a free bottle to every customer who commented, totaling over 16,000 bottles of free ketchup. Later, offered free shipping for the remainder of the limited edition sale. Because of their rapid, proactive response, Heinz was able to salvage their blunder and grow loyalty, proving they listen to each person’s individual brand experience.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Kenneth Cole. When the timing of the launch of Cole’s new spring collection coincided with riots in Egypt, the fashion brand made a gutsy choice. They tweeted a link leading consumers to their ecommerce hub, suggesting that the political riots were in response to their new collection. It didn’t take long before countless disturbed tweeters responded in outrage. The Kenneth Cole team apologized on Facebook and Twitter, but research suggests that the tweet still negatively impacts the brand.
 
So what can we learn from these brands? When you don’t have the luxury of deleting your account, you must gain the luxury of creativity. A sincere apology is a solid jumping off point, but often you have a choice of which route to choose. Whether you offer your consumers incentives to stay brand loyal or make changes to the way the channel is operated, each choice is crucial in maintaining a positive online image.