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Brand Bullying: A Tale of Ragu and Social Media
Today’s guest post is written by Michael Schechter.
Last week, C.C. Chapman blogged about the latest example of poor social media marketing - Ragu Hates Dads.
The brand had reached out to him on Twitter with a campaign that admittedly is in pretty poor taste, and C.C. took to his blog to respond.
It wasn’t the fact that he felt the need to call out their failure that caught my attention (and I certainly don’t argue that it was a failure), it was how he went about it that stood out.
The tone of his first post was excessive and I think we can all agree that going out and buying FURagu.com may be going overboard (no, seriously, he bought FURagu.com and redirected it to his post.). Ragu tried something and they failed. Hopefully they learn from the experience but do we really need to make them pay?
When we start by ripping a brand a new one, we aren’t encouraging them to learn. We are encouraging them to get the hell out of this space. I know this is their nightmare scenario. It is the reason they do not want to embrace social media. They live in terror of any negative review, nonetheless a scathing one from a top-tier influencer.
I have to imagine that the big brands feel the same way, especially when you consider they are a much juicier target.
We live in a time where the power is clearly shifting from brands to the consumer, but let’s not get carried away. All of these so called internet “kerfuffles” are great blog fodder and are perfect for the next keynote speech, but they rarely affect the long-term bottom line of a business (anyone flying Southwest Airlines less? Avoiding Nestle? Wearing less Kenneth Cole? Refusing Motrin? Didn’t think so…). This latest “tempest in a teacup” feels like an attempt to turn Ragu Dads into Motrin Moms rather than an effort to help a brand to do a better job with their marketing.
The real story here is that while there is the potential for a better balanced relationship between buyer and seller, things are still in flux. Brands are yet to fully understand the power of platforms that their average customers now possess (and by average consumer I really mean a person with a massive following and a high Klout score) and influencers can occasionally go a bit too far in their criticism…
To my fellow brands
Be prepared. At some point, someone is going to set their sights on you. At some point you are going to screw up. At some point you will deserve it. I feel your pain, but you are going to have to take smarter chances and frankly, you are going to have to become better companies.
Take the time to test your ideas offline before you go live. In the case of Ragu, if you want to connect with dads, talk to as many as you can before you attempt outreach (and while you’re at it, don’t use Twitter spam to do your outreach). By having these conversations in private, you’ll avoid heading in a wrong direction and won’t make your missteps in public.
On the days that you do try something new, be present and stay on top of things. If someone is being abusive, you don’t necessarily have to engage them in public (just make sure to connect privately as Ragu did). You don’t want to underestimate the power of an influencer and if you hope to leverage their platform, you better take the time to show them some respect.
To influencers
I have to ask, is this really how you want to use your power? Don’t lose perspective and don’t become a bully. Brands genuinely WANT to work with you, but this is going to be a bumpy road for most of them. They’ve done things a certain way for a long time and now the ground has moved underneath their feet. They have to change, but the learning curve is steep, so please try and be cautious with your criticism.
Take the time to ensure the tact you take is in proportion to the actual offense. Your blog can, and will, cost people their clients and possibly even their jobs. If you really want to help, worry less about looking for failures for your next keynote speech or the next chapter in your book (it makes some of us question your motives…).
I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to call out brands who slip up, that you shouldn’t use the same platform that the brands themselves hope to leverage when they fall short. I’m just asking if this is the best way to go about it if we have any hope of encouraging businesses to participate.
I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly not interested in joining a conversation that starts off by telling me how stupid I am and I can understand why Ragu wasn’t either.
So, how do we play nice in this brave new world? How can brands be smarter in their outreach and how far should influencers go when they feel that they’ve been wronged?
Michael Schechter is the Digital Marketing Director for Honora Pearls, a company specializing in freshwater pearl jewelry. He writes about all things digital over at his blog.
Interesting, I will consider this post the next time I publicly complain about a company or service online. It never occurred to me that at a certain point, the person who's complaining about a company or ad campaign can start to come off worse than the company they are complaining about.
What I really want to know is why Prego and our Newmans hasn't stepped up. This is the perfect opportunity for them to reach out to fathers and fill the gap.
C'mon brands, more then a few of us are willing to serve as the tomato sauce king... ;)
TheJackB Bingo. I had the same thought the night this 'erupted'. Perfect chance for a competitor to make it clear that they love cooking dads as well as cooking moms.
TheJackB It's an interesting question, wonder if it is 1) not savvy enough to see the opportunity or 2) don't want to capitalize on a mess. If they eventually do, we know it is 2. If they don't, 1 :)
MSchechterTheJackB But if most people aren't paying attention to the Ragu issue, #2 is irrelevant.
I'm a father. I have a daughter. I cook (mostly grill because my wife and I both prefer barbecue), I clean, and I feed and change and take care of my daughter.
The commercial never bothered me a bit. It's no worse than the stupid back-and-forth radio yammering between two people talking about a product or service in a way that could never possibly occur in the real world.
I'd be more pissed about the Twitspamming than the commercial itself. As far as that goes, I think the guy overreacted.
mrtvtl905 Have you tried grilling pizza? I get dough from Whole Foods, let everyone put their own toppings on, and then grill it. So. Good.
Amen! And I will consider that, next time I publicly complain about a company or service. At a certain point, the person who's huffing and puffing and stomping their feet about a company or ad campaign can start to come off worse than the company they are complaining about.
I have actually gone on Twitter several times to comment about issues I was having with a company - but I always try to couch it in a "This is an issue I'm having with such and such service" tone, rather than "This company sucks!" approach.
And when the company responded and fixed the issue - I immediately tweeted about the fact that they did so.
Dana_Willhoit We all vent sometimes. I'm as guilty of it as anyone. It's when we try to turn it into something bigger that it pays to really look at what we are doing here...
On a personal level, I still think of myself as relatively insignificant, so it's almost jarring to read a post like this and realize that, as a brand utilizing social media, you actually wield more power than you are aware of. And of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Same is true of social media as is any other powerful forum.
Exercise your influence wisely, brands. Power can shift and burning bridges always works both ways, as many of us are wont to forget.
EmmaofCEM Same is true on the other end. There power is shifting and both sides need to be responsible.
I think that this is also a valuable read for individuals and their personal brands.
"Be prepared. At some point, someone is going to set their sights on you. At some point you are going to screw up. At some point you will deserve it. I feel your pain, but you are going to have to take smarter chances and frankly, you are going to have to become better PEOPLE."Eventually someone isn't going to like something you have to say. They're going to crucify you. But, usually, it will pass. You will learn.
kaitlinmaud And that learning doesn't always happen instantly. Sometimes you need more than a week to reflect on things and really let what happened sink in.
MSchechter Definitely.
In general, I get your point about not roasting brands for their 1st forays into Social Media. However the Ragu videos WERE purposely condescending to dads, and basically said they can't cook any better than children. So C.C., as a dad that DOES cook, took it personally. That's where I think this is a slightly different scenario than big name brand using social media and big name blogger jumping on them to drive hits to their site. I think C.C. vented for about 12 hours, then moved on, but I honestly didn't follow it that closely. And maybe I've missed a meeting, but I don't think C.C. has a reputation for slamming brands that use Social media, in fact he's got a rep as one of the more level-headed bloggers in this regard.
But most social media backlashes happen because of how the brand responds to the initial bruhaha. Did Ragu ever respond? I think they did, but it was like 15 hours later. This was a great opportunity for Ragu to reach out to C.C. and other social media-savvy dads and have them submit videos, or blog posts where they share their favorite recipes. A great way to turn a negative into a positive, but Ragu did what most big brands do when faced with social media backlash: They ignored it for too long, then had a less than ideal response when they did respond.
MackCollier He still keeps bringing it up and has made it clear he plans to bring it up in several keynotes going forward. That seems like more than a vent session. I've always thought him level headed and have always loved hearing him speak. Maybe I just truly don't understand his passion for brands and dads, but I still don't think it excuses the tact.
As for why they happen, I disagree. It takes two here. It's when someone lashes and a brand makes mistakes. Both parties acted poorly and continue to act poorly. But again, that's just one mans opinion.
MackCollier They responded...poorly
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=159815
TheJackB Didn't exactly fall on the sword there, did they?
MackCollier No, they didn't and the author of that letter isn't what you would call a low level staffer either.
MackCollierTheJackB They certainly aren't doing themselves many favors.
MackCollierMSchechter 15 hours is too long? When did we turn into a "you better reply to me instantly" mob?
DannyBrownMackCollier That may actually be worse than the spamming, the fact that they seemed to spam them as they were walking out the door... All of this seemed to take place after hours.
DannyBrownMackCollier And yes, I know that "hours" dont always pertain in Social Media...
MSchechterDannyBrownMackCollier Ah, now that LiveFyre has let me in to the system,,,
LIVEFYRE WHY DO YOU NOT LET ME RESPOND INSTANTLY BUT MAKE ME SIGN IN BEFORE COMMENTING- DON'T YOU KNOW THIS THE AGE OF INSTANT RESPONSE? IF I DON'T HEAR BACK FROM YOU IN 3 HOURS....*Breathe into paper bag*
Better, sorry. Kidding of course.
This whole thing gives me a headache. The Ragu campaign suffered more from being boring than anything else-- the fun they could have had with the stereotypes- oh well. and the targeting was basic bad PR 101- just search "CC Chapman" and "penis" (c'mon, you've done it), and you will come up with this: http://www.digitaldads.com/2010/01/i-have-a-penis-i-am-not-a-mom/ - and you will know instantly how he would react to such a campaign. So yeah, probably better to skip him there (did any of the other dad bloggers campaign? No idea).
But I also believe Michael and the commenters raise some great points about the expectations for response when brands make mistakes. I was ready to explode on Amazon over a shipping charges issue, but 10 minutes and some excellent customer service presented the typical knee-jerk Tweets that ,any of us in this community would have done.
By the way, I thought the MediaPost article was a pretty reasoned response to getting flamed. I'm not sure I would have done it that way in that venue, but it shows thought and a level head.
There was a lot of great constructive feedback in the whole exchange- and I am a big fan of being critical online- but I think sometimes we need to count to ten- or 1,000.
dough We're in disagreement here about a number of things. Your reference to CC's post about having penis made me smile- I have one too and I know how to use it, watch out. ;)
But seriously if you are trying to portray him as being unreasonable I suppose it makes sense to use just the headline there. I don't know, maybe I am wrong.
What I am certain about is that fathers sometimes receive "funny treatment" by brands and media. We're not all buffoons, pedophiles or ignoramuses who can't parent, cook or get along in the world.
There has been a push by many dads to ask for those stereotypes to be removed from the discussion and a request for brands to include us in their outreach as something more than a second thought.
That response on Mediapost felt disingenuous and came across quite poorly. It seemed to me that it blamed those who were upset for not understanding their message.
As a writer I take responsibility for ensuring that the readers understand my message and my intent. If they do not then I have to take a hard look at my words.
Maybe it could have been handled better by all parties, but I just have a hard time with that reply. Perception influences everything and well...
I know CC too well to tag him as unreasonable. I know these stereotypes upset him (more than they do me, vive la difference), and to belabor my earlier point, Ragu should have done their homework and known that as well.
I get the reaction to the stereotyping of fathers- I also stick by my statement they could have a lot of fun (risky perhaps but fun) with this, rather than the flat campaign they presented (look what FiberOne did with the Cheech and Chong Magic Brownies video-- not at all social, but taking a risk and actually being entertaining and self-deprecating).
I probably wouldn't counsel a client to respond on Mediapost like that because there's no real win in stoking the fire-- but I think, for us, it has opened up a lot of thoughtful conversations.
As someone who counsels companies on social media, I am pretty mindful of what I say publicly about brands (I may not be perfect on that count- let me take this opportunity to apologize to Ford for past and future comments about people who drive Mustangs- but few are). What this conjures for me is that as social media professionals, I think we do have to be measured in how quick we are to judge and how harsh we are. I think the debate as to whether CC was too harsh here is a good one. The best part of this whole debate is that it's taking part among many professionals who do this counseling- and Ragu's response is part of that debate as far as I'm concerned.
(Not that I can't be snarky and ask "WHERE IS CC's RESPONSE?" - yes i know he commented on Gini's post, but where would my joke be then?)
TheJackBdough Getting your message across is key. And owning when you don't is essential (speaking from experience here). That said, I think the intent was to be a bit edgy, but not to hurt. It was a mistake and a misstep, but I don't think they were looking to hurt anyone with that video.
ginidietrich No, but I'm running out of scotch-- thanks! (Sorry it took me 24 minutes to respond to you)
doughginidietrich I just replied to a couple of comments on my blog and realized they were left hours ago. Thankfully, being a social media pundit means I don't have to actually follow any of the same advice I give companies ;)
MackCollierginidietrich That's actually one of the points of the blog post DannyBrown kindly linked somewhere in this bramble of comments- platform, content and topic often dictate expectations for response (as does actually dictating expectations for response), Dang, I just sucked all the fun out of that
doughginidietrichDannyBrown Yes, I think the platform does play a role, to a degree. I would love to know if there are studies to back this up (think I remember hearing about 1 or 2), but I would guess we expect faster response times from brands on Twitter than we do a response to a blog post, for example. BTW if anyone knows of a study that shows the differences, I'd love to see it.
MSchechterDannyBrownMackCollier Check out how smart Dr. Pepper is: http://ad-chickadee.blogspot.com/2011/10/dr-pepper-ten-takes-page-from-got-milks.html#comment-form
DannyBrownMSchechter When you've offended your customers via social media tools and they are looking to you to answer them via those same tools, yes, 15 hours is way too long to respond. 15 mins should be plenty of time for a big brand that SHOULD be monitoring social media.
If it takes 15 hours to respond, you might want to consider that customer service and response isn't a 9-5 job, it's a 24-7 job.
MackCollierDannyBrownMSchechter 15 minutes? That depends. It would be nice though (and yeah, i agree that 15 hours is too long). I think it's great to discuss the 24/7 nature-- who's monitoring and responding at 3am, the director of marketing? Who's on Sunday morning?
One elegant solution by a brand (may have been vistaprint) was to post on a Twitter account bio what hours someone is present-- that of course, is only part of the solution, and a real brand crisis (let's leave aside whether the subject of this post constitutes a "real brand crisis") does require monitoring and response-- it's something we need to make companies aware of, but I'm not sure of the 15 minutes- (understanding you may just be throwing a number out there)
doughDannyBrownMSchechter Doug a truly global brand should always have someone monitoring, so something close to real-time response should be possible. Should be. Most big brands don't have the infrastructure in place to do this, but in 2-3 years, I think that will be a different story.
But if you have a serious Social Media firestorm brewing, leaving it alone for 15 hours is only going to make it 10X worse. Again, most of these firestorms happen based on how the brand responds. Or if it doesn't.
doughDannyBrownMSchechter BTW Doug that's a great point about how Vistaprint(?) posts when someone is watching their Twitter account. Anything brands can do to help communicate and manage expectations is a good thing.
MackCollierDannyBrownMSchechter http://twitter.com/#!/vistaprint
Official Twitter page of Vistaprint (VPRT).This page is run by the company's PR team M-F 9-5:30 EDT. Customer Service # 866.614.8004
Love this. Set expectations for response.
Truth in even big corporations, is, it's as good as the resources you throw at it AND the expectations you set,
MackCollierDannyBrown We may just agree to disagree here, while I think 15 hours is on the edge, I think the expectation of 15 minutes is unrealistic. I also think you have to take into consideration what the product and what the complaint happens to be. Let's keep in mind that this was not a problem with the product, it was a problem with their marketing. This was not a customer service issue, it was a customer relations and I think companies have a right to reflect and think about what they are going to say before they react (not that it did them a ton of favors here).
doughMackCollierDannyBrown It's an interesting idea, hadn't considered putting a timeframe on our corporate site.... We certainly have one on our phone system...
MackCollierdoughDannyBrown Possible is one thing, but is it necessary? I just don't think we are at the point where the average global brand requires that kind of reaction time. 2-3 years may be a very different situation, but I just don't feel that we are quite there.
MSchechter MackCollier Exactly, Mike. Was this a customer service issue? No. Even if it was, who dictates how long a company should take? They do - not us, not a pissed off blogger. They do - the company. And having worked on a few Unilever programs, I know how red tape they can be. So by all means, offer your take but saying a brand should have a response time of X without knowing that brand's internal procedures is missing a little of the process.
Conversation from Twitter
adamsokoloff No one likes a brand bully. :)
ginidietrich p.s. I hate you today.
mschechter Good run last night?!
ginidietrich I run tonight, so it is pre-hate...
ginidietrich It's the post that never ends, it just goes on and on my friend. Some people started commenting, not knowing what it was...
mschechter Sigh...
ginidietrich and now they'll keep on commenting forever just because this is the post that never ends...
[...] read what C.C. Chapman (here, here, and here) and Adam Singer and Arik Hanson and Michael Schechter (on this very blog yesterday) wrote, I think everyone is missing the biggest lesson of all: Twitter [...]
[...] http://spinsucks.com/social-media/brand-bullying-a-tale-of-ragu-and-social-media/ [...]
[...] read what C.C. Chapman wrote here, here and here, as well as Adam Singer, Arik Hanson and Michael Schechter, I think everyone is missing the biggest lesson of all: Twitter is not a promotion and publicity [...]
[...] read what C.C. Chapman wrote here, here and here, as well as Adam Singer, Arik Hanson and Michael Schechter, I think everyone is missing the biggest lesson of all: Twitter is not a promotion and publicity [...]
[...] Chapman was offended by the campaign and a lot of back and forth ensued. Whether C.C. was being a brand bully is up for debate; the fact that Ragu should have extended a direct and sincere apology [...]