When social media gets risky

The directness of social media tools is what makes them such an asset for SMEs but, without a long-term social media strategy, this immediacy can sometimes prove ugly.

A recent case in point is American designer Kenneth Cole promoting his new range on Twitter by referring to the uprisings in Egypt:

”Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online…”

The tweet was widely scorned as distasteful by the online community and the post was removed, but the incident does raise questions about the role of controversy in social media strategy. Without being cynical, nor justifying the joke’s context, that tweet – from a marketing perspective – will not be quickly forgotten, especially after the consequent media storm. Whether that will translate into increased sales for Mr. Cole has yet to be seen.

For small enterprises looking to differentiate from rivals in a competitive market, a more polarising Twitter feed – if applicable to their line of business – can attract a dedicated niche of customers that identify with the projected online brand. For start-up firms, having an opinion is arguably more desirable than neutral content that struggles to make a statement.

A fine line needs to be walked and there may be some mishaps along the way if a business is deliberately provocative with its tweets.

It all comes down to a balancing act between the concept that “all publicity is good publicity” and the very real risk of damage to a company’s brand when off-the-cuff tweets cause offence.