Multinational telecommunications provider, AT & T, recently came under fire for a tweet they made out from their official Twitter account. The tweet featured a hand holding up a smartphone, capturing a photo of The Tribute in Light (an art instillation in remembrance of the September 11 attacks), alongside the caption “Never Forget” on the anniversary of 9-11.
(Source: CNN Money)
AT&T defended themselves in the aftermath of a slew of negative feedback, stating that the tweet was not intended to be any form of product placement or advertising, but merely their way of remembering the fallen of 9-11.
I have to say I remain skeptical of the claims.
While I might believe that AT&T were not trying to blatantly convince consumers to purchase a smartphone or join their network through the photo, I do think marketing executives were trying to achieve something more subtle. I can definitely see how a marketing executive at AT&T would have thought that the tweet would have been a good way to portray AT&T as a truly patriotic American company.
9-11 remains a sensitive date for many Americans, and the emotions associated with this day remain strong. It seemed to me that AT&T was trying to capitalize on these strong emotions of patriotism, hoping that Americans will associate these feelings with the AT&T brand, through the photo.
While I would give some credit to the marketing team for identifying an opportunity to strengthen AT&T’s brand image, I echo the opinion of many social media users that the the tweet was distasteful. It is disappointing that AT&T failed to exercise more sensitivity and discretion on 9-11.
That being said, how could AT&T have done things differently?
In my opinion, reactions could could have been vastly different if AT & T had simply chosen to tweet a photo of The Tribute in Light, omitting the smartphone. Had this been done instead, I think AT&T could have achieved its goal of generating a more patriotic and positive brand image without the negative feedback.
I do believe that it should be considered unethical as long as there is any intention to capitalize on any tragedy for brand promotion.However, from a marketing standpoint, what only truly matters is consumers’ perception, and not the company’s intention. As long as the company manages to convince consumers that they are not participating in any blatant form of marketing, I believe the reaction would have been much more positive.
It is unfortunate that the poorly thought out tweet made by AT&T did quite the reverse of what it hoped to achieve. Instead of being seen as a patriotic American organization, consumers now perceive the company to be just another selfish, profit-driven company.Maintaining an ethical image is crucial to creating brand loyalty. I think AT&T has definitely lost the trust of a number of consumers because of this one tweet.
The negative repercussions have been quite drastic. In fact, social media users have sparked a new hashtag, poking fun at the company. To read more and be entertained by a series of hilarious tweets, click here.