When Promoted Hashtags Are Campaign Killers

Posted by Jon Thomas, 29 Apr 2013

This post originally appeared in our April ’13 issue of “Live Report from the Future of Marketing,” our monthly Post-Advertising newsletter. Subscribe for free here.

No matter how lofty a brand’s goals are when it uses hashtags, there are always individuals ready to use them to drag it into the gutter.

McDonald’s is on its second go-round with promoted hashtags gone awry, this time with #UnwrapWhatsFresh. The hashtag was created to support McDonald’s new Premium McWrap, which features chicken (grilled or crispy) and fresh vegetables served in a warm tortilla. 

The hashtag was promoted on Twitter, but instead of talking about healthy eating, a number of people were tweeting these sweet nothings:

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For Loyal United Fliers, Logo Change Seems Out of the Blue

Posted by Andrea Fjeld, 14 Oct 2010
Recently, the world's largest airline company got off the ground when United and Continental finalized a multi-billion dollar merger. United-Continental Holdings Inc. allows United keep its name while adopting Continental's stylized globe logo. This change has upset lots of  frequent fliers. Angry loyalists have rolled out a  “Save the Tulip” campaign online encouraging United fans to send letters and flowers to the company’s executives. What's with these people?
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