By Lisa Lacy.
Corporate America got another great case study this week in how not to drum up post-scandal goodwill on social media thanks to a huge blunder by the marketing team for comedian Bill Cosby. Experts agree Cosby’s camp should have seen the #CosbyMeme fiasco coming. But, at the same time, they say it shouldn’t scare other brands away from soliciting consumer feedback – it just goes to show that brands need to do their due diligence and be realistic about how consumers are likely to engage with a brand before posting any requests.
In a move that may very well top lists of the Greatest Social Media Fails of 2014, comedian and sitcom dad Bill Cosby quickly learned this week that the road social media infamy, much like hell, is paved with good intentions.
On Monday, Cosby tweeted, “Go ahead. Meme me! #CosbyMeme,” with a link to a meme generator on his website, www.BillCosby.com/CosbyMeme.
By Tuesday, the generator had been removed, along with any mentions of it from Cosby’s Twitter account, where he has nearly 4 million followers.
That’s because instead of colorful sweaters, Jell‑O and his eponymous TV show, many Twitter users created memes about rape:
I think this one might be my best, Mr. Cosby! RT @BillCosby: Go ahead. Meme me! #CosbyMeme pic.twitter.com/KJbQiucx6L — Jason Steele (@FilmCow) November 10, 2014
I want in on the fun! #CosbyMeme pic.twitter.com/Z2jO1dchxy — Foxxi Christmas Name (@Foxxi_Love) November 10, 2014
#CosbyMeme Oh Boy! pic.twitter.com/5shOSuH74c — E.J. Coughlin (@ejc) November 10, 2014
#BadTiming
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cosby has been accused of sexually assaulting 13 women. And, per the Associated Press, he settled out of court with one in woman in 2006.
The timing of the meme generator is perhaps curious also given the recent headlines comedian Hannibal Buress made when he called Cosby a rapist during his act. What’s more, the YouTube video of his comments has more than 230,000 views as of November 11.
And, in September, Vulture, the self-described “entertainment destination from the team behind New York magazine,” published a timeline of abuse charges against Cosby to coincide with the publication of his biography by former CNN Managing Editor Mark Whitaker in part because the book does not mention any of the allegations.
“The internet has shown time and time again that those with skeletons in their closets should not play with hashtag or meme campaigns,” said Andy Beal, author of “Repped: 30 Days to a Better Online Reputation”. “Usually a meme attack of this nature is levied against a brand with a past that social media doesn’t easily forget. In the case of stars such as Bill Cosby, the burden of proof is much lower, and the mere allegation of rape was enough to fan the flames of a meme fail. He, or his staff, should have known better.”
Scandals Haunt Brands On Social Media
The past has indeed haunted many brands in comparable hashtag fails. In November 2013, for example, financial services company JPMorgan, which was embroiled in scandals tied to the financial crisis and mortgage-backed securities, asked its followers to submit questions for an executive with the hashtag #AskJPM. Instead, it was flooded with responses like:
What section of the poor & disenfranchised have you yet to exploit for profit, & how are you working to address that? #AskJPM — Alexis Goldstein (@alexisgoldstein) November 13, 2013
As a young sociopath, how can I succeed in finance? #AskJPM — Tim Donovan (@tadonovan) November 13, 2013
#AskJPM. Are you really reptilian aliens in human skin? — christine weinbrecht (@DeLaCruzTine) November 13, 2013
And, similarly, the Mets, which have consistently disappointed New York baseball fans for years, should have perhaps anticipated the hashtag #IamaMetsFanBecause might inspire responses like:
#IamAMetsFanBecause My level of self-loathing hasn’t made me suicidal yet and I’m hoping the Mets push me over the edge to end my misery. — Nick (@bknv1975) September 22, 2014
#IamAMetsFanBecause It’s painful and humiliating, but cheaper than a Dominatrix. — Eddie McNamara (@EddieMcNamara) September 22, 2014
McDonald’s, too, did not likely expect the reaction it got to its 2012 #McDStories campaign in which consumers instead shared memories of unfavorable fast food experiences, as compiled by the Daily Mail here.
And, of course, there’s the #MyNYPD example, which was intended to showcase goodwill among the citizens of New York City and its police department, but instead inspired images of police brutality.
#Takeaways For Brands
While noting Twitter users could have created anti-Cosby memes on their own, Jason Burby, president of the Americas at digital agency Possible, said Cosby and his team clearly fueled the fire.
“To me the big question is about timing and understanding the medium,” Burby said. “[Cosby] is clearly spending resources/effort to attempt to show [himself] in a positive light based on the recent accusations and decline in positive sentiment and popularity. But this was not the way to do it clearly and this should have been seen coming.”
Tessa Wegert, communications director at interactive marketing firm Enlighten, agrees.
Conceding that virtually every brand has experienced a social media misfire at some point, she said the #CosbyMeme example demonstrates “brands need to examine their promotional ideas from every possible angle and imagine the worst-case scenario before moving forward with a campaign. Obviously there’s no way to know exactly how consumers will react, but memes are vehicles for parodies. They’re bound to get out of hand.”
However, Burby said he hopes this doesn’t instill fear in brands about putting content creation into their customers’ hands.
“Most times with a good product or service and fan base it will lead to positive expression and ultimately help build and extend the brand,” he said. “But some more conservative brands get scared of what might happen and this will be another example of what that can look like.”
Instead, Burby said the key is to not be scared of what potentially could happen, but to be realistic about what will happen.
“Is it likely that someone like Febreze is going to get significant push back in a social campaign?” Burby said. “No, it isn’t likely. In fact, they have a very loyal consumer base that loves to talk about their product.”
Bottom line: Cosby and his team should have seen this coming, Burby said:
“This should not scare conservative brands into avoiding social or inviting consumer creation out of fear, but it should force people to ask and be realistic about ‘How are consumers likely to engage with the brand in this way right now?’”
Does your brand have a reputation management plan in place for when things go wrong on social media?
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