In class on Monday we had a short introduction to the mistakes companies make in social media. Their faux pas sounded clear cut and egregious. Yet it’s easy to sit in a classroom and discuss the dos and donts with crystal clear hindsight vision. In such a new industry, where many companies and employees have little to no experience, how do you know what is truly the best practice?
Versace recently fell under attack for actions they took on their Facebook page. Some of Versace’s jeans are “sandblasted” to give them a worn look. Sandblasting is dangerous and has killed some workers. The human rights group “Clean Clothes Campaign” took to Versace’s Facebook page to protest. The company reacted by taking away the right for anyone to post to their wall. Versace obviously should not have revoked the right to comment, and could have given a standard but thoughtful response on their sandblasting practices and labor policies. If nothing else, this would have at least soothed tensions and not exasperated the situation. But imagining that you are the social media manager at Versace, how do you convince panicked executives that engagement, and not shutting yourself off, is the way to go? An extensive discussion of Versace’s actions can be found here. Any thoughts on how you would’ve handled the situation?
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