"Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at..."
Believe it or not, this is what Kenneth Cole, a U.S. based international clothing company, tweeted to promote their spring line. They took a serious situation occurring in Egypt and tried to use it to their advantage. As a result and rightfully so, they began receiving several messages from upset Internet users. Kenneth Cole, the man himself, who actually sent the tweet, apologized on Facebook.
Cole probably didn't understand the impact of social media on consumers and the power of just one tweet. One tweet can reach thousands of people, and adding a hashtag in front of a popular topic allows the tweet to be seen by even more. When he first got the idea to tweet this, it should have been a no-brainer that this would offend people.
There is a rumor that this was all "planned," touching on the saying "All publicity is good publicity." While this may or may not be the case, it was wrong to do. But I can't say that it won't end up working in his favor after all is said and done. Sad as that may seem, he could apologize to the right people, and ultimately win some people over, gaining recognition for his brand. This is where public relations takes over.
I do not know if I agree with the Tweet or not. His whole intent was to get people talking and to look at the new collection on the internet. I do believe that this is working to get people talking...you found it interesting enough to read and in turn I along with other classmates will also be reading about it. If nothing else, more people may now recognize the name Kenneth Cole in the future. I also think that it is ironic that he apologized on Facebook that will also help to promote his name and new clothing line on yet another social media site.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the points you make. I still think it was the wrong way to promote his brand and was unethical. With that being said, he is getting attention for it. Negative attention right now, but like you said, people will now know the name, and it could benefit his company in the future.
ReplyDeleteGood point, people don’t know what they can say and not say on twitter you have to watch what you do because you don’t know who will see it, especially if you are with an organization because your actions reflect who you are with and what they business represents.
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