This week's web exclusive article on social media and EPL liabilities (“Social media: Speak your mind but mind your content“) couldn't have come at a better time — although I guess it came a little too late for Gilbert Gottfried.
In case you haven't heard yet, AFLAC this week fired comic Gilbert Gottfried, long-time voice of the Duck, because of a series of sick (and really not very funny) jokes Gottfried tweeted in the wake of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
In a similar story, an employee of the social media agency representing Chrysler was fired after he simultaneously dropped the F-bomb and insulted Detroit in one 140-words-or-less tweet.
These two incidents really drive home both the beauty and the risk involved in social media. The beauty, of course, is the ability to immediately reach out to followers in a more intimate and authentic way than we've been able to in the past. The risk, of course, involves exactly the same issues.
In the case of Aflac, I suppose you could make the case that although the insurer signs some of Gottfried's checks, he is first and foremost a comedian — and not one from the warm-and-fuzzy Bill Cosby school of yuks. Gottfried doesn't work exclusively for Aflac, and his individual brand might actually run counter to Aflac's family values-oriented style. If you want to gamble with edgy, things can go wrong.
The Chrysler case, on the other hand, is a great example of what could go wrong in even the best-case situation. There wouldn't seem to be anything edgy or the least bit risky about working with a professional advertising agency specializing in social media — it seems like the safest thing in the world. Bring a little authenticity to the brand, but do it in a professional and organized way, instead of putting an intern in charge of the corporate Twitter account.
But authenticity can be a double-edged sword, as Chrysler found out. It's easy to shoot from the hip in the new world of social media, as the Chrysler contractor learned the hard way. The insulting-to-Detroit tweet slipped out — he meant to post it on a personal Twitter account and it ended up going out as a Chrysler corporate tweet. Let's face it — how many times have you pushed the button too quickly on an e-mail and later lived to regret it?
Think of the ramifications for the ad agency that the contractor worked for. First they had to fire the guy; then then had to try and placate Chrysler. They failed — and ultimately lost the account.
But things could get worse very quickly. What if Chrysler decided to file suit against the agency for libel? What if the fired employee decided to sue the agency for unfair practices? The issue snowballs — and all from an off-the-cuff joke that the contractor thought would amuse his friends.
Whether your client is Chrysler or the mom-and-pop business down the street, the ubiquitousness of social media puts everyone at higher risk for these problems. Including your own business.
Who's in charge of your social media execution? Do you use a professional advertising agency? A 20-something intern? A harried CSR or temp? It's something to think about.
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