It used to be that some companies and high-profile people could screw-up in public and still not make a dent in their overall reputation. But social media changes that to a large degree: One mistake can mean worldwide attention and awareness, but not the kind that companies are usually seeking.
With that in mind, Advertising Age has taken a stab at documenting the biggest social media mistakes of 2011. And what really stands out is this: All of these happened on Twitter.
Here’s the list:
- Weinergate – U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner sends inappropriate photos to a woman in Seattle, later resigns
- New Media Strategies uses an F-bomb in a tweet from @ChryslerAutos that criticized Detroit drivers
- Kenneth Cole using Twitter to tie the uprising in Cairo to its new spring collection
- Gilbert Gottfried losing his Aflac spokesperson role after tweeting jokes about the tsunami in Japan
- Qantas Twitter content backfiring after its entire fleet was grounded a month earlier
- GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons tweeting a video of himself shooting an elephant in Zimbabwe
- Netflix announces Qwikster, but failed to get the @Qwikster Twitter name first
- Ashton Kutcher criticizing Penn State University on Twitter after the school fired football coach Joe Paterno
- Miami Heat owner Micky Arison violating NBA rules and getting fined $500,000 after tweeting about the NBA lockout
- Ragu sauce using Twitter and YouTube to make fun of dads who can’t cook well
You can read more background on each episode on AdAge.com.
And we want to know: What would you add or remove from the list of social media mistakes above? Comments are open.
(Stock image via Shutterstock. Used with permission.)
Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Social Media Marketing | Top News | Twitter
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