audience, brand, channel: using social media cases to teach communications concepts holly...
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AUDIENCE, BRAND, CHANNEL: USING SOCIAL MEDIA CASES TO TEACH COMMUNICATIONS CONCEPTS
Holly Littlefield, [email protected] of MinnesotaCarlson School of Management
Audience analysis
Tone
Credibility
Persuasion
Brand
Channel selection
Timing
Crisis communication.
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
YOUTUBE—COLLEGE RECRUITMENT VIDEOS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi_TcOoAzrg
Gonzaga--Making the College Decision
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpp3quce1VoUBC—lipdub
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlQL5L7_zwwUBC Place of Mind
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS DISCUSSION POINTS Music
Images
Verbal vs Print language
Film quality
Buildings
Students shown
Activities
TONE
URBAN OUTFITTERS KENT STATE SWEATSHIRT
“…was purchased as part of our sun-faded vintage collection. Discoloration from the original shade of the shirt and the holes are from natural wear and fray…We deeply regret that this item was perceived negatively.”
TONE AND CHANNEL
ESQUIRE MAGAZINE: FALLING MAN IMAGE ON 9/11 ANNIVERSARY FACEBOOK POST
Thousands of customers complained about the inappropriate use of this 9/11 photo in their ad Tweet.
Multiple national news channels covered this story.
ESQUIRE’S APOLOGY POSTED ON TWITTER….
JC PENNEY GIRL’S CLOTHING—SELF ESTEEM LINE
JC Penney
Online Caption
Who has time for homework when there’s a new Justin Bieber album out? She’ll love this tee that’s just as cute and sassy as she is.”
Sold as part of Penney’s Self Esteem line
Soon after the shirt went online, Change.org put up a notice with the message: “Stop selling clothing with sexist messages for girls.”
By midday, more than 1,600 people had signed a petition addressed to JCPenney Chairman and CEO Mike Ulman III
“Under the guise of being ‘cute,’ J.C. Penney is promoting merchandise that encourages girls to value looks over brains; to leave academics to the boys, and to aspire to nothing more than fawning after Justin Bieber,”
JC Penney Response:
“We want to apologize to our customers. We’re reaching out to our customers who are unhappy to apologize and to let them know that the T-shirt is no longer available.”
JP MORGAN CHASE EDUCATIONAL TWITTER Q/A SESSION
Thousands of hecklers responded with “questions”….
AND THE FINAL RESPONSE…
TARGET GENDER NEUTRAL SIGNAGE
“Barbies are still going to be with Barbies and Legos will still be with Legos. We just didn’t feel like having a sign that said ‘boys bedding’ was necessary”
- Molly Snyder, Target spokesperson
“…has created an explosion of anger on the right, with Fox News devoting at least four segments to churning up pointless outrage over it.”
Business Insider
Target Troll—Mike Melgaard pretended to be an official customer service representative on Target’s Facebook page
Target’s Official Response—After 16 hours
Target’s Subtle Support posted the next day
CEO PERSONA AND COMPANY BRAND
RYAN AIR—CEO MICHAEL O’LEARY
FACEBOOK POSTING FROM CUSTOMER SUZY MCLEOD REGARDING RYANAIR FEES
“I had previously checked in online but because I hadn’t printed out the boarding passes, Ryanair charged me 60 euros per person! Meaning I had to pay 300 euros for them to print out a piece of paper! Please ‘like’ if you think that’s unfair.”
More than half a million people ‘liked’
RYANAIR CEO MICHAEL O’LEARY’S FACEBOOK RESPONSE
“We think Mrs McLeod should pay 60 euros for being so stupid. She wasn’t able to print her boarding card because, as you know, there are no internet cafes in Spain and no hotels where they could print them out for you…She wrote to me last week asking for
compensation and a gesture of goodwill. To which we have replied, politely but firmly, thank you Mrs McLeod but it was your fuck-up.”
BRAND
LEGO, SHELL OIL, AND GREENPEACE Greenpeace asked Lego to discontinue its relationship with Shell Oil
Nearly 8 million views
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhbliUq0_r4
TIMING
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HORSEMEAT SCANDAL…
WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AT THE 2013 SUPERBOWL….
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
CINNABON CONTROVERSY
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-26/kat-cole-a-former-hooters-waitress-runs-cinnabons-1-billion-empire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5LcBdbH8bo
APOLOGIES
AMERICAN APPAREL—CHALLENGER DISASTER PHOTO
Challenger disaster photo
DIGIORNO PIZZA—#WHY I STAYED
http://time.com/3308861/digiorno-social-media-pizza/
AMERICAN AIRLINES: PLAN PORN
US Air Tweeted a graphic photo of a naked woman with a “toy” airplane between her legs; the Tweet remained in the US Air Twitter feed for several hours; hundreds of Twitter responses included:
CHILDREN’S PLACE
Children’s Place
"NOT cute, Children's Place, This is not 1953. Stop making it fashionable for girls to be dumb. Parents are sick of this garbage."
The infamous 'Math is Hard' Barbie came out over 20 years ago, and you guys are *STILL* trying to glamorize empty-headed materialism? Shame on you,"
MISCELLANEOUS SOCIAL MEDIA FAILS
HOME DEPOT FIRED ITS SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY AFTER THIS TWEET
JUST AFTER THE AURORA SHOOTING….
http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/01/15/Anthony-Bourdain-launches-Twitter-tirade-against-American-Airlines/3481358285712/
Anthony Bourdain and American Airlines late departure via Twitter
2013
And…"Just overheard our Marketing Director (he's staying, folks!) ask 'How do I shut down Twitter?'"
Live Tweeting During an HMV Layoff
JUST AFTER THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS…
viralblog.c
Back in 2011 during the protests in Egypt, Kenneth Cole posted this tweet.
Twitter: @WSWCSM
Posted just after the Boston Marathon Bombings
OTHER CASES
KRISPY KREME AND KKK
COLBERT AND WHEAT THINS
http://www.cc.com/video-clips/zzgfft/the-colbert-report-wheat-thins-sponsortunity
2013
non-executive chairman of Barilla Holding, never expected his remarks would be relayed all around the world when he told Italian radio: "We won't do ads with homosexuals, because we like the traditional family."
Bertolli pro gay ad response:
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/bertolli-makes-most-barilla-chairmans-anti-gay-comments-152758
2015
http://www.prweek.com/article/1352323/heinz-apologizes-qr-code-germany-links-hardcore-porn
Heinz QR code linked to porn site