reputation management: pawngo and butterfinger
DESCRIPTION
A brief case study showcasing how a PR stunt can go viral in a bad way via social media and how corporate reputations were impacted positively and negatively.TRANSCRIPT
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Reputation Management Case Study
#butterfingergate
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No, I haven’t gotten over it
yet.
It’s the week after the Super Bowl and its fair to say that it is a tough week in New England
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Neither has he…
…. A very, very tough week……..
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Let’s make a funny!
………so a brand named Pawngo decided to drop a thousand Butterfingers in Copley Square, Boston in order to make an impression...
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New Englanders Weren’t Laughing
An impression they made; the fallout was widespread for Pawngo, Groupon and Butterfinger
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Reputations Were on the Line
Clearly – things were out of control, with brands managing a damage limitation strategy against thousands of angry fans who are looking for a target for their anger.
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Our Bad…
…. So Pawngo’s CEO posted an apology, loosely disguised as a sales pitch – this did not help…
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Commenters Were Unleashed
So now fans and commenters are offended – its become a movement
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Resulting Brand Chatter
Pawngo trending as a topic on social channels
Little to no brand chatter before #butterfingergate
Brand mentions fade
Neutral sentiment skyrockets
So does negative sentiment
The key here is impact – there is no long tail on the campaign – just immediate negative sentiment
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Butterfinger responded with a full page in the Boston Globe and won over the nets. #Butterfingergate trends and positive sentiment for their brand increases also
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Analysis
Badly judged concept that hit the wrong market at the wrong time
Reaction was too slow, and social engagement was poorly managed
Underestimation of sentiment allowed the brand to react with a half apology/ half sales pitch, which exacerbated the issue
Other brands were dragged in and each reacted in their own way (if slowly), but neither were able to disassociate themselves by reacting quickly enough
This PR nightmare was not taken seriously enough from the start and Pawngo attempted to turn the challenge into a sales pitch – wrong time and badly done
Without awareness, speed of response is hampered. Without a plan, the response was messy. Without reputation management, the three brands all had cost without upside
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Reputation RADARAn Integrated Approach to
Managing Brand Reputations
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Reputation Radar A multi-tiered approach to building positive brand-image campaigns across multiple channels
Measurement: Following how reputation changes over the span of time
Measurement
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Reputation Radar: ReconOnline chatter provides visibility into what consumers are saying about a brand, business or product
Client On-Boarding
Reporting & Analysis
Set upRefinemen
tDeploymen
t
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Reputation Radar: Deploy
Key stakeholder interviews to develop brand story lines
Content martrix to determine what additional elements are needed to help with programming
Content development and channel deployment
Media and influence relations
Leverage listening and monitoring
Outreach tracking and measurement
Driving relevant conversations across channels and in real-time
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Reputation Radar: Rescue
Message development– Traditional Media – Social Media– Internal Communications– Stakeholder Engagement– Executive and Spokesperson
Training
Media and influencer strategy and engagement– Traditional Media– Social Media
SERM
Listening
Crisis Response SWAT– Handbook development and
training
How we can help you when the you know what hits the fan
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Contact:
John GlennonDigital Strategist & New Business Manager
@MobileGlennon