<\/b>The biggest PR blooper of the year on social media goes to MasterCard UK\u2019s agency who, in an effort to promote the brand\u2019s sponsorship of the BritAwards, demanded journalists promote the event on Twitter using the hashtag #pricelesssurprises at specific times with specific phrases in return for accreditation to attend. Moments later the agency found itself at the centre of a Twitterstorm with journalists expressing their displeasure at conditions set, forcing the agency to backtrack.<\/p>\n
The outrage was sparked by The Telegraph\u2019s Tim Walker who tweeted: \u2018Please fellow journalists do not agree to the absurd conditions for covering @BRITAwards. I\u2019ve even just been told what I should tweet. No.\u2019<\/p>\n
Was the agency wrong for merely doing their job in getting publicity for their client? No. But did they choose the right channel to dictate what they want publicised? Absolutely not.<\/p>\n
Social media, no matter how vast the reach and how effective a marketing platform, has and should always be managed differently from other media channels for PR purposes. This is because, and as the name clearly suggests, here it is about networking, socially \u2013 showing character versus corporation, sentiment versus selling and most importantly perspective rather than pitches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Our latest whitepaper<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0spells out five golden rules you need to follow to make sure your social communications is in line with business objectives.<\/p>\n Brimming with practical ideas, tips, and examples, this definitive guide tells you how to:<\/p>\n\n