Recovering from a Social Media Faux Pas

As Twitter’s value remains the talk of the town, its (and Facebook’s) role in the Egyptian uprising is a story all by itself. Funny, too, how a certain shoe manufacturer and retailer got in the act as well. You’ve probably heard about Kenneth Cole’s comment on Twitter. Here’s the Tweet (no longer available on Twitter; he took it down.): Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at https://bit.ly/KCairo - KC

There’s a lot of chatter about the business mistakes made here though one blogger seems to think that Cole’s strategy was just that -- he knew what he was doing. Sort of the "any PR is good PR" philosophy though there’s something else going on here. Those who rattle the media and the marketplace in the way that Mr. Cole, the company’s chairman and chief creative officer (naturally), has done might very well be aware of what they’re doing and of the firestorm that can arise as a result of their actions. But as soon as someone has to apologize the game changes. Here’s his apology on Facebook:

I apologize to everyone who was offended by my insensitive tweet about the situation in Egypt. I’ve dedicated my life to raising awareness about serious social issues, and in hindsight my attempt at humor regarding a nation liberating themselves against oppression was poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate.

Of course the really interesting part of all this are the rather colorful comments that follow his mea culpa. Those comments and all the other buzz that’s been created by Cole’s semi-faux-pas underscore the notion that a company’s brand (and an individual’s brand for that matter) is controlled by consumers. Yes, it’s plenty chaotic this way, yet it’s also incredibly revolutionary. It’s almost like watching a full-length feature of out-takes instead of the movie -- in some cases, much more interesting and definitely more entertaining.

But aside from his motivations and what the media says it’s important to pay attention to what this means for other companies. Do you watch every word you say? Absolutely. But you should be doing that anyway regardless of how you may use social networking to further your brand. It is a delicate balancing act. 

Something else, too: Sometimes when these gaffes occur it has nothing to do with strategy, nothing to do with how fast word travels in this Internet age. In some cases, mistakes happen because of personalities.

Of course I don’t know Mr. Cole. And maybe he really has dedicated his “life to raising awareness about serious social issues.” But I sort of thought he’s dedicated his life to fashion. There are a lot of other people on this planet, Ritu Sharma and her staff, for instance, at Women Thrive, who are dedicating their lives (in the office and around the globe) to improving the plights of other people who can’t do it for themselves.

I suppose what I’m saying is this: those who do reach the top of their professions, whether it’s in banking, film, or shoes, should proceed cautiously when it comes to attaching their brand to any social issue. Think of last night’s television commercial with Elizabeth Hurley talking about deforestation in Brazil and then slipping in Groupon’s new deal for saving money on a Brazilian wax. Huh?

Aside from those who perceived the ad as offensive, didn’t that cost Groupon a lot of money to basically pop Hurley into a commercial that most people won’t remember?

For more PR Tips, please follow me on Twitter @LeslieLevine.