Running a social media campaign is like shooting practice. There is a range, a target, and a delivery mechanism. You take aim and pull the trigger. And then comes the result; instantaneous and not always desirable.
Many corporations, big and small, have found it the hard way. First it was the fast food chain Wendy’s, then Coca Cola and now McDonald’s joins the list of businesses whose social media campaigns backfired.
The good old MickeyD’s launched a Twitter campaign, under the handle #McDStories inviting customers to share their experiences with the fast food restaurant. It was hoping to hear some feel-good, heart-warming stories of great food and friendly service, but soon things got out of control and with a few bouquets came a fusillade of brickbats. Some cheeky, others downright nasty. Sample: “I’d rather eat my own diarrhea.”
McDonald’s is not the first, and certainly not the last, to become the target of the trigger happy elements of the Twitterati. You get the rough with the smooth and make of it what you can. That’s the nature of the beast called social media.
