ts good to learn from other peoples mistakes so we dont end up making them ourselves!

In todays guest post,

Rachel Hyun Kim writes about 2012s worst social media failures, and what we can learn from them. Take notes!

Social media is a constantly evolving process, with no formula set for a perfect campaign. While cheap, far-reaching,
and sharable, social media is not without its potential downfalls. Unfortunately, many individuals and companies are
learning this the hard way. Take a tip from the following failures, and make sure that your company learns from the
mistakes of the following examples:

McDonalds #McDStories
In mid-January, McDonalds launched a Twitter campaign involved the hashtag #McDStories, asking users to post
nostalgic stories on Happy Meals. However, this campaign quickly took a whole different meaning, as users would
use the hashtag to share horror experiences and shock tales. From poor work conditions to appalling food quality,
McDonalds campaign turned negative attention back to itself.

The Takeaway:

Social media campaigns always contain a measure of risk, where perception from users cannot be controlled.
McDonalds suffered from this, with the hijacking of their hashtag campaign. While companies, to some degree, can
attempt to anticipate reaction from customers, at times it is simply impossible. In general, companies need to prepare
contingency plans, and have a strategy for when social media fails.

Woody Harrelsons AMA

On February 3, 2012, Woody Harrelson hosted a Reddit AMA, where users can ask questions to individuals who
have a unique story or occupation. While AMAs are generally used to promote thoughtful dialogue and discussion,
Harrelsons AMA took a different approach. Reddit users quickly got the impression that the movie star was simply
using the site for marketing purposes, and lashed out. Immense backlash was fired against Harrelson, his publicists
and his upcoming movie, and Harrelson became infamous in Reddit history.

The Takeaway:

The main reason why this campaign failed so spectacularly is because of Harrelsons failure to understand his
audience. Reddit, a social news website, possesses a dedicated audience that is sensitive towards marketing
attempts. With AMA threads, users expect an honest dialogue, providing an open forum between the host and the
audience. When using a social media platform, it is vital that you carefully understand the community and how they
work.

C h r i s B r o w n s P o s t - G r a m m y Tw e e t s

One of the winners of the 2012 Grammys was R&B singer Chris Brown, who won an award for Best R&B album.
After the Grammys, Chris Brown celebrated his victory on Twitter, sending out tweets to his followers. But instead of
thanking them for their support, he instead focused his updates towards his haters, bashing them with disparaging
remarks and F-bombs. Given the singers already shaky reputation, these tweets have further solidified the
controversy around him.

The Takeaway:

Given the shareable nature of social media, public perception and reputation can change at the drop of a hat. A
single tweet can quickly spread to others, whether it is good or bad. By posting such remarks, Chris Brown turns fans
against him and have them commenting on his temperamental nature. While Chris Brown has recently stated that the
tweets were made by one of his entourage, the negative effects of the online outbursts still remain.

T o y o t a s # C a m ry E f f e c t C a m p a i g n
During the Superbowl, Toyota planned a major Twitter campaign meant to promote the Camry. Creating a number of
Twitter accounts labeled @CamryEffect1 through @CamryEffect9, Toyota intended to engage users by directly
tweeting them. However, this had the opposite effect: users accused Toyota of bombarding and spamming them with
unsolicited messages. Though Toyota quickly suspended the accounts, this campaign still resonates as an example
of a failed, large-scale endeavor.

The Takeaway:

In Toyotas case, mass spamming was not the main problem, though it definitely added to their woes. Instead, it was
the content itself that caused the uproar. In order to engage users, tweets need to be interesting and intriguing,
motivating users to retweet the message. However, the content used in the #CamryEffect campaign gave a selfserving and promotional impression The bland, spammed messages and poor timing became a recipe for disaster for
the major automobile company.