A week ago, Belvedere Vodka posted an ad on its Facebook and Twitter account that I assume was a horrible attempt at humour. It was horrible because it seems to be laughing at sexual assault and I’ll never understand how an ad like this was allowed to run.
There’s an excellent article in the Globe and Mail that covers the way the company has handled this mistake and how people are judging them for their handling of this issue. Worth reading if you’re interested in the story.
As I read the story, a few thoughts came to me:
1. Mistakes like this should never happen. The company must have an approval process that wasn’t followed.
2. Some things just aren’t funny. Ever.
3. When mistakes like this are made a company has to show the world how sorry it is without corporate speak or reservation.
4. Good PR can’t overcome horrible lapses in judgment.
5. What we do on social media lasts forever.
What other thoughts would you add to this list? Please leave me a comment or send me a message!
5 things we can learn from Belvedere Vodka
Friday, March 30, 2012 |
Posted by
Rick Hastings
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2 comments:
Reebok just went through something very similar with a series of ads that ran in Germany and went viral in the fitness community very quickly. http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-20/news/31213603_1_reebok-adidas-sales-golden-rule
Hey Craig, I hadn't seen this, thanks for sharing! Very similar kind of blunder!
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