and your social media strategy is rotten.
I'm on a bit of a blogging spree here, but I just saw this recent story about Walmart and their Facebook app ...
A third attempt by Wal-Mart to be Web 2.0 savvy hasn't turned out much better than the first two. Slashdot notes that angry Facebook users have hijacked a page aimed at selling back-to-school supplies to college kids and turned it into a missive on the evils of Wal-Mart's labor and business practices.
Of the more than 200 posts, only a handful relate directly to dorm decorating. And instead of color coordinating with roommates, users seem to prefer talking about how the retail giant "destroys communities" and prevents unionization. To be fair, there was one comment on a 4-pack of men's environmentally friendly organic socks for $4.
Last year, the company set up a blog "written by two independent consumers" that was later revealed to be backed by an Wal-Mart PR initiative. The company then tried its hand at its own social network, The Hub. It was closed after 10 weeks.
Look, opening up your brand to social media means you're letting the community have a more vocal way to talk about what you do. If the community views your brand negatively, guess what, if you just toss your brand out there and say, "use this to buy stuff!!!" you're going to end up with the above result.
Wal-Mart, take my advice, for now it's free:
- Some people, especially college students, don't like your brand. They may like low low prices, but that's not your brand. Go have a conversation with one of these kids you wanted to market to, then have another, and then another, and then a few hundred more. Don't bring cookies.
- Then grab a video camera and walk into a college lecture hall. Ask these kids what its important to them, ask them why they're so turned off. Have some answers that go beyond talking points. Admit when you're wrong. When it's over, turn the tape over to the kids. Let them decide to post it or not.
- Do the last thing 50 times.
- Listen and learn something. Go back to the boardroom and make changes. Real changes.
Comments