As you might have heard, Barbie came under a very public attack recently when Greenpeace accused her of causing the deforestation of the Indonesian rainforest. Guess they’re right; blondes really DO have more fun. Let’s go back to June 7th, when Mattel woke up to a full blown attack lead by Greenpeace, with their primary weapon of choice being social media. Activists repelled down the sides of Mattel’s 15-story headquarters revealing a massive banner displaying an image of Ken and the words “Barbie, It’s over – I Don’t Date Girls That Are Into Deforestation”. Funny, right? Well, a lot of people thought so too when Greenpeace posted these images all over Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites.
After being faced with the massive amount of attention the activist group was able to generate, Mattel did what many would do; retreat. ZERO Facebook posts from June 7th - June 15th. They turned off their comment feeds and went into seclusion. But this is actually just the opposite of what they should’ve done.
The result? Greenpeace’s campaign went viral, FAST. Facing pressure from customers, retailers, and other key stakeholders, Mattel folded just three days after the public lashing. They agreed to launch a formal Sustainable Procurement program and immediately discontinued business with their packaging suppliers in Indonesia.
So what can Barbie teach us? Activist groups can be a PR nightmare! No…well yes, but we can’t blame the activists for trying to save the world. What we CAN do is develop a proactive social media crisis management strategy. Barbie has nearly 2.3 million followers on Facebook. She has a brand presence that any Marketeer would be proud of. Clearly, social media has advantages for companies who can truly grasp its importance, yet it also carries serious risks for organizations that are not proactively monitoring and participating in the conversation. Axel Schultze, Founder of the Social Media Academy, says “If you’re not a part of the discussion, then you’re losing influence”, and Mattel demonstrated just that. They left the conversation when it mattered most, and Greenpeace won.
A few lessons we can all learn from Barbie:
- Social Media is a Weapon: Social Media is a weapon that one can use or have used against them. It’s increasingly becoming the weapon of choice for activists; and therefore, companies need to proactively participate in the dialogue and proactively mitigate risk.
- The Speed of Response is Critical: Companies can no longer afford to hide when crisis strikes. They must be proactively involved in the conversation, responding to allegations and negative media attention on the social web.
- Proactive Risk Mitigation: Having a social media crisis strategy in place is critical. Don’t let a media backlash catch you off guard, be prepared to proactively respond.
Have you or someone you know been affected by a Social Media crisis? If so, how did you/they survive it?
Disclaimer: the opinions expressed in this blog do not represent the opinions of my employer or their affiliates.
