The idea of ‘hijacking’ a conversation – whether it be through hashtag, press conference, or other more unscrupulous means – is nothing new to marketers. But hijacking the conversation about a violent, historical revolution happening in Egypt in order to sell some designer pants? Probably not such a smart move for Kenneth Cole.
Earlier today, the company Twitter account posted the following tweet: “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at [url] – KC.” This ‘signed’ tweet quickly caused an uproar on Twitter and sent the company into a PR crisis tailspin.
In the rambunctious, satirical spirit of the Interwebs, it didn’t take too long for parody account, @KennethColePR, to crop up on Twitter, in similar fashion to the @BPGlobalPR account that received so much attention last Spring during the Deepwater Horizon events.
The company quickly removed the tweet, fired the “intern” who wrote it and issued an apology on Twitter. Kenneth Cole also posted the following to the company Facebook fan page:
“I apologize to everyone who as 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.
Kenneth Cole, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer.”
My question to you is this – if you were a PR or social media consultant working with Kenneth Cole, what would you advise? Is there a way for the company to temper the backlash and repair the reputation damage caused by this one, very poorly vetted tweet?
