Comments on: Bloggers and Twitter might be niches, but they’re loud niches

By: Social Media has a voice and a conscience: Together we can maintain a free and open net. | Internet Life | A View from the Isle

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:29:27 +0000

[...] weekend we’ve had an example of social media rising up to roast a company over the coals. I think this isn’t always the best example of the power of social media, the ad might not [...]

By: Tris Hussey

Tris Hussey — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:22:42 +0000

Chip you’re right, as far as Motrin goes, not too important, well except for the product managers, they aren’t having a good day I’m sure.

By: Tris Hussey

Tris Hussey — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:22:00 +0000

Chip you’re right, as far as Motrin goes, not too important, well except for the product managers, they aren’t having a good day I’m sure.

By: Chip Griffin

Chip Griffin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:18:58 +0000

I agree that it may qualify as a crisis for the agency, but I'm not sure that it does for Motrin. To me, a crisis is something that is likely to have a material adverse impact on the company or individual. It is not at all clear to me that is the case here. Certainly one could conjure up such a scenario depending on how this would play out, but just how likely is that outcome? If it remains something that a small but vocal cadre of individuals are talking about, how far does it go? And what are the chances more than a handful of folks would still be interested in this topic a week from now? It certainly isn't a bright line between crisis and tempest, but a company needs to be careful about jumping in every time someone complains. It is impossible to please all of the people all of the time and companies need to accept that. For that matter, bloggers need to accept that, too. Chip Griffin´s last blog post..Forget Motrin, Take a Deep Breath

By: Chip Griffin

Chip Griffin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:18:00 +0000

By: Tris Hussey

Tris Hussey — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:12:44 +0000

I agree with you, sure Motrin might not be the best example but it does highlight the issues.

And yes, trying to manage a tempest in a teapot vs a crisis is tough. I think once it hit Mashable and others, it hit crisis because the judgment of the agency and client was being called into question.

By: Tris Hussey

Tris Hussey — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:12:00 +0000

I agree with you, sure Motrin might not be the best example but it does highlight the issues.

By: Chip Griffin

Chip Griffin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:06:04 +0000

I guess part of the question I still have at this point is was this part of the "critical first 48 hours" or not? I was never able to see the original effort (I saw the video, but not its positioning), so I don't know if it was part of a major rollout online or simply something that was posted to the Motrin web site. Further, was it actually posted for the first time over the weekend or is that when someone first complained about it (or both)? In any case, if it was a major rollout, then Friday would be an odd day to do it. Finally, it is important to remember that Motrin may well have been listening over the weekend and didn't act either because they were still deliberating internally or because they made a rational determination to ignore this tempest in a teapot and see how it plays out. I'm working on a commentary for Media Bullseye about distinguishing between true crises and scattered blogstorms. Chip Griffin´s last blog post..Forget Motrin, Take a Deep Breath

By: Chip Griffin

Chip Griffin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:06:00 +0000