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Even If You're Right - If You're Rude (Or In This Case Silent) - You're Wrong
August 29, 2017
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If there's anything about the social space we should have learned by now - it's that social is the metric of emotional response. Not always logic or reason.
And whether a brand believes it was right or wrong - if you do not get out in front of what the Internet perceives as bad or insensitive, you will get eaten alive.
Case in point - Joel Osteen Ministries.
Joel Osteen is the Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston (where Hurricane Harvey is currently destroying lives).
Osteen's sermons are seen by 7 million viewers weekly. He has written 7 New York Times best sellers which no doubt has lifted and inspired countless people.
And even with decades of good work - one moment of what many took as tone deaf has chipped away at the Osteen brand.
It all began with what I'm sure was a heartfelt tweet in the midst of this Hurricane Harvey horror:
The problem people had with the tweet is when you have a church right there in Houston that could essentially shelter 16,000+, "tweeted prayers" isn't exactly what everyone expected when the city you share looks like this:
What happened next was two days of this:
It was brutal.
And just when you thought it couldn't get worse - I noticed a trend.
Someone manning Osteen's Twitter account began "blocking" those who were tweeting negative words - even church members:
If this is anything - it's a case study to learn from.
What was unfortunate about this mess is the church was actually dealing with flooding on the ground floor, so likely Lakewood didn't open its doors right away out of concern the water would rise; putting people in harm's way.
So they waited until it felt safe to open church doors as a shelter.
But rather than communicating that immediately - they tweeted prayers and went silent.
How ironic that the following line is from Joel Osteen; a line that has always guided me:
Even if you're right - if you're rude about it (or in this case, silent) - you're wrong.
Social media has forever changed brand (and people) accountability.
And what's tough about this culture we now operate in - we are all flawed.
We can't possibly say and/or do perfection every time.
So when we miss the mark (whether we think we have or not), save your brand headaches, lost revenue and an overall bad rep by immediately:
- Avoiding Dead Air
- Get Ahead Of The Conversation
- Tune In Emotionally
- Address Perceptions
- Devote Time To Earn Back Trust
It's not always about what we want to say; it's about what everyone needs to hear, especially in times of crisis.
This is a devastating time, and I do hope we can all come together and forgive the next person or brand that perhaps misses the mark. Because you know it'll happen.
If it's you - follow the steps above, and remember this too shall pass.
The Red Cross is providing shelter, meals and comfort to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Text HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
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