????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.