????然而這次讓麥當勞栽跟頭的也正是這類打趣的Twitter內容。最好的例子來自@SkipSullivan。這位網友自稱“在生活中是無所不能的多面手”，他發布了一則微博：“有一次，我剛走進麥當勞，就聞到空氣中彌漫著2型糖尿病的味道，于是，我吐了。 #McDStories。”這聽起來很惡心，而且也不可能發生，但人們就是覺得非常有趣。而麥當勞的財務表現一向出色，自然不希望人們看到公司的名字與糖尿病扯上任何關系。

????事實上，與麥當勞不同，Old Spice并非兩極分化的品牌。這正是兩家公司最關鍵的區別，納皮爾認為，麥當勞早就應該知道這一點。誠然，雖然麥當勞正在嘗試推出更健康的食物，但如果它試圖利用互聯網推動公司品牌與健康、天然食品之間的聯系，肯定會有許多人對此公開表示質疑。納皮爾稱，這次社交媒體活動的發起過于倉促，在品牌轉型過程中，任何一家公司都不應該對公眾采取如此開放的態度。

????話雖如此，但麥當勞還是能夠從中學到一些東西。對于空氣傳播糖尿病的微博，公司無能為力，但它可以針對關于公司門店、菜單或服務質量的投訴進行回復。納皮爾認為，現在，麥當勞應該從這次失敗的活動中收集數據，總結出消費者普遍提出的問題，予以改正。

????對于批評者來說，利用Twitter的確是一種不錯的應對方式。例如本月，高中生維克多?岡薩雷斯在發給新英格蘭愛國者隊（New England Patriots）外接手查德?奧喬辛科的消息中抱怨稱，兩年來，自己一直熱心地發布微博，但這位美國全國橄欖球聯盟（NFL）球員卻一直對這位狂熱的球迷視而不見。對此，奧喬辛科在Twitter上進行了道歉，并邀請岡薩雷斯前往馬薩諸塞州，觀看愛國者隊對陣野馬隊（Broncos）的季后賽比賽。這件事為奧喬辛科帶來了不少的正面輿論，而代價只不過是一張機票而已。

????但對公司來說，也不能因為社交媒體活動的門檻低就掉以輕心。表面看來，進行社交媒體推廣成本低廉，操作簡單。但納皮爾認為，要想取得良好效果，公司需要像其他市場營銷活動一樣，投入足夠的時間和精力。“不可能貿然趕時髦，尤其是在社交媒體領域。”

????如果哪家公司想通過互聯網征詢網民的看法，最好還是做足心理準備，因為網民的評價有可能褒貶不一。通過更有創意的方式，征詢網民對某個特定產品或服務的看法，也許更加有效。或者還可以采取更好的辦法，那就是制作一些感人或有趣的內容，讓網民們自由分享。

????譯者：阿龍/汪皓

????That's the type of content that hijacked McDonald's campaign too. Case in point: @SkipSullivan, who describes himself as "pretty awesome at most things in life" on his Twitter profile, tweeted, "One time I walked into McDonalds and I could smell Type 2 diabetes floating in the air and I threw up. #McDStories." It's sick, it's impossible, but people thought it was funny. And McDonald's, which is performing well financially, doesn't want people to see its name and diabetes in the same sentence.

????A critical difference between the two companies' campaigns is that Old Spice isn't a polarizing brand, and McDonald's is. It should know this, says Napier. Sure, it's trying to introduce healthier food into its menus, but there's certainly a population of people who are going to balk, publicly, if McDonald's tries to push the connection between its brand and healthy, natural food. This social media campaign happened too soon, she says, and no company should open itself up this way when a branding shift is mid-stride.

????That being said, McDonald's could learn something. There isn't much it can do with the tweet about airborne diabetes, but McDonald's could respond to complaints about its stores, menu items, or the quality of service. Right now, they should be aggregating data from the failed campaign to see if there are any common concerns that the company can correct, Napier says.

????Twitter can actually be a great way to respond to detractors. For example, this month, high schooler Victor Gonzalez tweeted at New England Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, frustrated that the NFL player hadn't recognized his fandom despite his two years of avid tweeting. Ochocinco apologized on Twitter then flew Gonzalez to Massachusetts to see the Patriots play the Broncos in the playoffs. The story generated plenty of positive press for Ochocinco, all for the price of a plane ticket.

????But companies shouldn't be caught off guard by the low barrier to entry to a social media campaign, which can seem deceptively cheap and easy. For it to work, companies need to treat it with the same time and effort as other marketing efforts, Napier says. "You can't just jump on the latest trend, especially when you get into social media."

????Any company that tries to ask, "Hey Internet, what do you think about me?" should be prepared for a mixed response. It might be more effective to ask people, in a creative way, about a specific product or service. Or better yet, make something touching or hilarious, and invite the digital world to share it at will.