Top 10 Social Media Disasters of Well Known Companies — TopTenzNet

Summary

In this video, Simon Whistler explores the top 10 social media disasters by well-known companies. From Chick-fil-A's CEO's controversial stance on marriage to Home Depot's racially insensitive tweet, each incident illustrates how even big brands can make costly mistakes on social platforms. The video serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the importance of social media literacy and crisis management in the digital age.

Takeaways

• 🐔 **Chick-fil-A's CEO Dan Cathy's anti-gay marriage comments in 2012 led to a social media backlash and loss of a contract with the Jim Henson Company.**
• 🌪️ **American Apparel and Gap faced criticism for promoting sales during Hurricane Sandy, showing a lack of sensitivity to the disaster.**
• 👗 **Kenneth Cole Productions inappropriately tweeted about the Egyptian protests, linking them to their new spring collection, causing public outrage.**
• 🍳 **KitchenAid's tweet about President Obama's grandmother was offensive and led to an immediate apology and internal review of social media access.**
• 🍞 **Epicurious's ill-timed tweets promoting breakfast recipes after the Boston Marathon bombing were quickly deleted and apologized for.**
• 🔫 **Kmart's tweet with a promotional hashtag during the Sandy Hook shooting condolences was seen as extremely insensitive and led to public outrage.**
• 🍕 **The Onion's tweet about Quvenzhané Wallis at the Oscars was derogatory and led to an apology from the CEO for the inconsistency with their parody and satire commitment.**
• 🦍 **Home Depot's tweet with a racially insensitive image and text led to an immediate apology and the firing of the media agency managing their social media.**
• 🍕 **DiGiorno's attempt to join a trending hashtag about domestic violence with a pizza promotion backfired, leading to a quick deletion and apology.**
• 🚗 **Progressive Insurance's handling of a claim and subsequent social media response led to a public relations disaster, requiring a significant settlement with the affected family.**

Q & A

What is the main focus of this video?

The video focuses on the top 10 social media disasters by well-known companies, highlighting instances where companies made major blunders on social media platforms.

Why did Chick-fil-A face backlash in 2012?

Chick-fil-A faced backlash in 2012 after its CEO, Dan Cathy, made public statements opposing same-sex marriage. This caused controversy, leading to social media criticism and the loss of partnerships, such as the one with the Jim Henson Company.

How did American Apparel and The Gap mishandle social media during Hurricane Sandy?

American Apparel and The Gap both faced criticism for using Hurricane Sandy as an opportunity to promote sales. American Apparel offered a sale to those 'bored during the storm,' while The Gap encouraged people to shop online during the hurricane, which was seen as insensitive.

What was Kenneth Cole's social media mistake during the Egyptian protests in 2011?

Kenneth Cole's mistake was tweeting a message that trivialized the violent protests in Egypt by implying that people were protesting because of the brand’s new spring collection, leading to public outrage.

How did KitchenAid offend people during a 2012 Presidential debate?

KitchenAid posted an offensive tweet during a 2012 Presidential debate, mocking President Obama’s grandmother's death. It was intended for a personal account but was accidentally posted from the company’s official Twitter account.

What mistake did Epicurious make following the Boston Marathon bombing?

Epicurious posted insensitive tweets the morning after the Boston Marathon bombing, suggesting breakfast recipes in honor of Boston, which led to public outrage due to the tone-deaf nature of the posts.

What was Kmart's social media blunder during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting?

Kmart posted a tweet offering condolences for the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting but included a promotional hashtag for toys, which was seen as an inappropriate and insensitive marketing attempt during a tragedy.

How did The Onion make a major social media error during the 2013 Oscars?

The Onion posted a highly offensive tweet about nine-year-old actress Quvenzhané Wallis during the 2013 Oscars, using a derogatory term. Despite deleting the tweet, it caused widespread outrage.

What led to Home Depot being criticized for a racist social media post in 2013?

Home Depot posted a photo of two Black men and a person in a gorilla suit with a caption asking which drummer was 'not like the rest.' The post was criticized for being racist, leading to public backlash.

Why did DiGiorno Pizza face criticism for their use of the hashtag #WhyIStayed?

DiGiorno Pizza used the hashtag #WhyIStayed, which was part of a conversation about domestic violence, to promote their pizza. The company quickly apologized, admitting they didn't understand the context of the hashtag.