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Kenneth Cole pulled a big no-no the other day when he tweeted about the political unrest in Cairo. Drawing awareness to the protests is one thing. Drawing awareness to the people dying in the streets with the goal of selling your product is....a big mistake. As pointed out by Harvard Business Review - huge mistake.
Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo - KC
I apologize to everyone who was offended by my insensitive tweet about the situation in Egypt. I’ve dedicated my life to raising awareness about serious social issues, and in hindsight my attempt at humor regarding a nation liberating themselves against oppression was poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate.
Kenneth Cole, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer
Kenneth Cole, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer
Too little too late? Or heartfelt and appreciated? What do you think? As pointed out by many, on the internet nothing ever really disappears.
How many of you use twitter? How many of you plan to use it as a marketing tool for your company? It isn't a bad way to connect with your consumers. Remember what it is for though and what it is not for. Don't abuse the power that comes with ability to reach millions of people.
How many of you use twitter? How many of you plan to use it as a marketing tool for your company? It isn't a bad way to connect with your consumers. Remember what it is for though and what it is not for. Don't abuse the power that comes with ability to reach millions of people.
I currently do not use twitter. I feel that Mr. Cole's apology was a step that needed to be taken. Otherwise the public/consumers would think that he felt he did nothing wrong, which would have given him even more bad press. I do not think he expected such a negative reaction. Therefore, he needs to be more aware and responsible about his tweets. Twitter is a great marketing tool and I would use it as a marketing tool, but it is a matter of thinking before you tweet. In today's society, an ad is not enough when you are trying to reach consumers, so companies need to find new and innovative outlets to market to their consumers.
ReplyDeleteHis apology might have been a little too late, but it was better than no apology at all. I have a twitter account, but don't really use it. I think its a great marketing tool, if you reach out to the right target market. Because it can reach out to so many people, it is inevitable that people will abuse it because people have different opinions. I have heard of many celebrities arguing through twitter, which seems like a way for them to get noticed. Either way, they are getting publicity. In this case, even though negative things are being said about Cole, people are now talking about him and the company more than they were before.
ReplyDeleteKevin C
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not use twitter a lot of the buzz that's created by tweets is down right irritating to me. Twitter was basically created around the idea of "the facebook status update" and I cant count how many stupid, poorly judged fb updates are made by my friends and people I know. I also cant count how many dumb tweets by celebrities are made, therefore although this tweet might have been offensive I believe that tweets deserve zero publicity due to the nature of how they tend to be nonsense.
I do not have a Twitter account, but I understand its power in communication, the ability to reach mass amounts of people instantaneously. I think that the apology by Kenneth Cole was appropriate and he took the repercussions seriously (Bad PR). "Poorly timed and completely inappropriate" is a phrase that basically slaps himself. I think it shows the public that he regrets his comment and simply wasn't thinking.
ReplyDeleteI created a Twitter account for a student organization on campus. Twitter is a great way to broadcast a URL to a page with a lot of information. I think tweeting serious matters like an apology is using the wrong medium. Their Twitter page only has 12,000 followers so without the media picking up the "story" it's a worthless apology.
ReplyDeleteI think that the tweet was in bad taste but I don't think that Kenneth Cole was intentionally trying to offend the citizens of Egypt. I understand the approach he was trying to make but sometimes lightheartedness and humor can not be applied to such a serious situation. Often times in social media including twitter, people post without thinking of the ramifications or the impact it will have on so many people. So although it may not seem like a big to deal to some, a tweet or update can be distasteful to many. Twitter has allowed for companies and people to reach a mass amount of consumers and with this increased contact, it is even more important to think before a tweet.
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