Social Media Publicity Lesson

You might have heard that social media sites are a great way to connect with your customers and to win over new customers. Twitter, Facebook and Google+ each have millions of users and companies – both large and small – are trying to create new ways to make that customer connection.

McDonald’s is no exception. Seems kind of funny that this multibillion dollar, worldwide corporation that is so well known would need the extra exposure but they hopped on the social media bandwagon.

Recently they introduced a video campaign to showcase some of the country’s farmers who supply beef and produce to the mighty McD’s. They interviewed each farmer about the joys of working the land, set to soft music and beautiful video footage. These videos are on YouTube and were promoted using the hastag #meetthefarmers.

The reception was mixed, to say the least. Apparently the only responses most people remember are the outrage and horror from organic farmers and others in the healthy food/lifestyle industries, faulting these farmers for selling their produce to this evil villain they call McDonald’s.

So even though their campaign didn’t go exactly as planned, people were talking about McDonald’s and the campaign. Is bad publicity just as beneficial for a company as good publicity? Would you rather have people saying mean things instead of ignoring you? How do you repair your reputation after such a campaign?

These are some of the risks of using social media. Followers are not afraid of speaking their minds, especially if they’re upset.

If you’re embarking on a social media campaign, do you have a backup plan in case you get a less than pleasant response? How will you handle the outcry?

Read more about the campaign here.