Strong crisis communication prevents trouble for automaker
As social media opens up new communication and crisis management avenues, it also presents new dangers. One of the most common types of trouble that comes to companies using social media is inappropriate postings by employees. Auto giant Chrysler found this out first hand late last month when an member of its media agency posted a message meant for his personal account from @ChryslerAutos, an official company account. The NY Times has the details:
The first incident began last Wednesday, when an employee of New Media Strategies, an agency handling the Twitter account for the Chrysler brand that is aimed at consumers (@ChryslerAutos), posted a comment there that read, “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to drive.” Between “to” and “drive” was a vulgarity.
The comment was deleted, the agency dismissed the employee and Pete Snyder, chief executive at New Media Strategies, wrote in a post on the company’s blog that the agency “regrets this unfortunate incident.”
On Thursday, Chrysler said it would not renew the agency’s contract. In a post on a corporate blog, Ed Garsten, a spokesman for Chrysler, cited a new advertising campaign for the Chrysler brand, which carries the theme “Imported from Detroit,” as a reason.
“This company is committed to promoting Detroit and its hard-working people,” Mr. Garsten wrote, adding: “Inside Detroit, citizens are becoming even more proud of their town, and outside the region, perception of Detroit is rapidly improving. With so much good will built up over a very short time, we can’t afford to backslide now and jeopardize this progress.”
Textbook response by Chrysler here. From heads rolling at the media agency to the well-thought out blog post (hopefully linked from the offending Twitter feed!), the response was fast, effective, and clearly a success.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/