How Not to be a Key Online Influencer
DH | Jan 21, 2009 | Comments 331
[UPDATE] A friend initially shared this story with me recently, and I have delayed posting it until confirmation. It’s a story about a PR account executive/vice president named James Andrews from Ketchum in Atlanta who flew to Memphis to visit FedEx, one of the agency’s biggest clients. Andrews’ mission was to — now, this is important — talk with the corporate communications people at FedEx about social media.
Upon landing in Memphis, Andrews posted this message on the popular social media, mini-blogging service, Twitter, that’s widely followed by business people worldwide:
“True confession but I’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say, ‘I would die if I had to live here.’”
Andrews (right) openly used his Twitter monicker – @keyinfluencer. Someone inside FedEx was following Andrews, and that person shared the post among the top executives at the FedEx front office, and the company’s corporate communications staff. At that point, a person in the FedEx corporate communications staff apparently took umbrage to the post by Andrews and responded with this personal message to Mr. “KeyInfluencer:”
Mr. Andrews, If I interpret your post correctly, these are your comments about Memphis a few hours after arriving in the global headquarters city of one of your key and lucrative clients, and the home of arguably one of the most important entrepreneurs in the history of business, FedEx founder Fred Smith. Many of my peers and I feel this is inappropriate. We do not know the total millions of dollars FedEx Corporation pays Ketchum annually for the valuable and important work your company does for us around the globe. We are confident however, it is enough to expect a greater level of respect and awareness from someone in your position as a vice president at a major global player in your industry. A hazard of social networking is people will read what you write. Not knowing exactly what prompted your comments, I will admit the area around our airport is a bit of an eyesore, not without crime, prostitution, commercial decay, and a few potholes. But there is a major political, community, religious, and business effort underway, that includes FedEx, to transform that area. We’re hopeful that over time, our city will have a better “face” to present to visitors. James, everyone participating in today’s event, including those in the auditorium with you this morning, just received their first paycheck of 2009 containing a 5% pay cut … which we wholeheartedly support because it continued the tradition established by Mr. Smith of doing whatever it takes to protect jobs. Considering that we just entered the second year of a U.S. recession, and we are experiencing significant business loss due to the global economic downturn, many of my peers and I question the expense of paying Ketchum to produce the video open for today’s event; work that could have been achieved by internal, award-winning professionals with decades of experience in television production. Additionally Mr. Andrews, with all due respect, to continue the context of your post; true confession: many of my peers and I don’t see much relevance between your presentation this morning and the work we do in Employee Communications.
(Signed as a personal message by a member of the FedEx Corporate Communications team)
I attempted to get a comment from Andrews and Ray Kotcher, CEO of Ketchum, but no response.* The corporate communications department at FedEx, however, was immediately open and transparent in confirming the story, names and events. FedEx has issued this statement:
“This is an unfortunate situation and demonstrates very poor judgment by Mr. Andrews. The reaction by our employees proves once again that FedEx takes great pride in our hometown of Memphis. This lapse in judgment also demonstrates the need to apply fundamental communications principles in the evolving social networking environment: Think before you speak; be careful of you what you say and how you say it. Mr. Andrews made a mistake, and he has apologized. We are moving on.”
Andrews … remember … had flown to Memphis to coach FedEx on using online social media.
Makes one wonder what he knows. Big agencies, in general, are new to many of the evolving online communications tools, like social media.
Maybe the people at Ketchum should read my new, free ebook on social media, “Media Savvy in the Internet Era.” (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that plug to end such a story!)
* [Add to this post at 7:53 p.m EST: At 5:03 p.m. this evening - 2 hours after I had asked Ketchum CEO Ray Kotcher via email for comment - a fellow called from Ketchum on Kotcher's behalf. He said Ketchum had a statement; I asked him to send it by email, and I would run verbatim. The statement has not arrived, even though I asked Kotcher again via email to have it sent. From a journalist's perspective ... heck, for that matter, from anyone's perspective ... this lack of transparency and openness is troubling, in my opinion, especially for a large public relations firm. dh]
[8:46 p.m. update - Ketchum comments] Just received this statement via email from Ketchum PR, New York:
It was a lapse in judgment and we’ve apologized to our client. We greatly value this long standing client relationship. It is our privilege to work with them.
[Signed:] Marv Gellman, VP, Director Media Relations, New York Technology Practice
Filed Under: Featured • Public Relations • Social Media
[...] How Not to be a Key Online Influencer | David Henderson – He should have been banned from Twitter as punishment, for calling himself a social marketer and yet having so little social grace. [...]
This is funny and reminds me a bit of a story from the early nineties. The was a major high street jewelry retailers in the UK called Ratners, a multi-million pound company. The then CEO and owner, Gerald Ratner, made the mistake of publically saying that his products were rubbish and that only people of low intelligence would buy them. Within a short while the 3rd biggest Jewelry company in the UK went into receivership.
To me this story is no different, ill advised words can cost you your business – no matter what the medium used to communicate those words.
… a caveat to us all, to balance honesty with sensitivity.
I work in social media, so I’m posting this anonymously, just in case my company works with FedEx.
I don’t think it was an error in judgement at all. Seriously, you would consider not doing business with someone because he made an offhand comment about how he’d be unhappy with living in the town your business is located in?
I love my city. I absolutely love it. That feeling is not universal. But if someone made a similar comment on Twitter, I wouldn’t fly off the handle and threaten the business relationship over it.
This is a gross overreaction. It wasn’t a criticism of the company, it was a criticism of Memphis. I would have made that post myself and not thought twice about it. In fact, I’d probably say the exact same thing about Las Vegas; if I was using Twitter the last time I went to a trade show there, I probably WOULD have.
I’m with Andrews on this one.
And I’m making sure to ship my stuff UPS.
For a social media expert the chap doesn’t seem all that sociable!?
FedEx recognized that an executive who failed to understand that an anchor company for a city who invests heavily in the city’s well-being would have a problem with a vendor insulting that city, might not be the right fit to create a branding video to represent the company.
Switch it around and have some Memphis Exec mocking Atlanta and you can be sure that Home Depot would have done the same.
Make the city Boston or New York and you wouldn’t stop hearing about it for days in the news. Andrews had the opportunity to respond on Twitter and apologize, even if it was to make some comment about being tired, or meaning he preferred bigger cities.
Instead, he ducked, and you can’t duck when you’re a “key influencer.” You stand up like a man and take your lumps – something he would know if he were raised in Memphis.
Perhaps before judging Mr. Andrews so harshly, folks should read this.
http://funkidivagirl.com/2009/01/james-andrews-hey-thats-my-man-youre-talking-about/
Its very eye opening and gives a better perspective. I could go on, but i think Mrs. Andrew says it best.
I’m appalled at the public embarrassment this FedEx employee has given Mr. Andrews. I LOVE the city I live in and know that everyone would agree; when reading a post like Mr. Andrews gave, that’s an opportunity to show them the better side of your town, and not try to humiliate them.
oops.. meant to say NOT everyone would agree
Yes, but I want to hear Mr. Andrews side, not read typical one-sided PR stuff on his blog and certainly not his wife’s take on it. I have attempted to contact Mr. Andrews by telephone but is not returning my call.
[...] UPDATE 3, 21.01.09: “Veteran Communication Strategist” David Henderson springt auf den Z… [...]
It was a funny and throw away comment, the question is why did Fedex take such great offence? Their headquarters is amidst an area of massive social decline, what have they done to help decrease this decline, probably not a lot, they just prefer to belittle and bully agencies and staff in ways where they can generate stories to be published on the web.
Whoops. Even though I can understand the response, I think it’s a little over the top though.
Indio wrote:
> [..] why did Fedex take such great offence?
Exactly. Apparently Memphis and Mr. Andrews is not a fit. So what? I do not think they hire Mr. Andrews for his opinions about the surroundings.
How about freedom of opinions? It would have been different if he criticized a FedEx employee via Twitter.
Apparently Mr. Andrews failed to deliver a relevant presentation. That’s relevant. Personal opinions on the surroundings not so much.
I’m reading this with great interest as it seems that now it’s more than statements with a political or religious nature that have fallen into the “think twice” category. I’m amazed that people continue to write things with a keyboard and hit send when they wouldn’t hand write the letter, sign, seal and mail to the seemingly same group of people. Sounds like the makings of a great social experiment?
Great blog post David. This will be the definitive case study….. what to be aware of when using twitter and other Social Media sites.
What gets me about this whole saga is how a media company like Ketchum was so slow to react and deal with it but also that Fedex opened the whole point to be discussed online.
@John Beckley,
Thanks to you, John, and the many others who have taken the time to write thoughtful comments. I will continue blogging today about this issue, primarily over the lack of experience big PR has in the online world even though they sell that service to unsuspecting client. I will also have some comment about the “roll-down” effect by Ketchum and FedEx to immediately blame the poor junior account executive.
dh
[...] How Not to Be a Key Online Influencer — by David Henderson [...]
The trouble is, people regard these twitterings as private, when they aren’t. If you wouldn’t say a town sucks to someone in person, why do it in a twitter, even if you think it? It is possible to have a thought that you DON’T twitter.
In truth, people say banal things on Twitter because of the word limit, and sometimes that leads them to precis what they are saying to the point where an observation becomes an insult. They lose their context.
Add this to the idea that the online persona can be anonymous, even when you know a person’s name, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Blogging and forum posting can go the same way.
In a while, your reputation for being a person of integrity, of measured opinions, honesty and intelligence is going to be a very real commodity. I predict that people will learn fast not to make these mistakes.
Fee/Caliandris Pendragon
David,
Interesting article, but I’ll have to say that if you disagree with what Mr. Andrews did, you were the one that actually goofed! Even in old media, the adage has always been ‘There is no such thing as bad publicity.’ That is even more apparent in today’s new media where individuals (not company’s) vie for ‘followers’ (Twitter) or friends ‘facebook and MySpace).
The free advertising you have given Mr. Andrews by posting his Twitter moniker has probably directed several of your readers (as well as those directed here from news aggregator site) to ‘follow’ Mr. Andrews on Twitter. I know I did. As some caught between both generations of old and new media, I must say, my perspective on all this is that FedEx is a bunch of whiners. Is Mr Andrews not allowed to have an opinion on the eyesore that FedEx so readily admits is the Memphis airport area?
Twitter is built to be an at-the-moment one sentence blurb of what you’re thinking. The younger generations of today (under 30) are already accustomed to this and actually appreciate and demand that a person be honest in their posts. Mr Andrews expressed his feelings about a truly depressed area. Since he’s a visitor, he only reminded FedEx of what they already knew: that area is disgusting. I flew into Memphis last year. I agree with Mr. Andrews.
Seems like he is the expert he claims. He’s going to get a lot of free press for this.
@Ivan, interesting perspective with a lot of truth to it, but client service is still client service. And when your client is a (relatively) old and established company — to whom social media is clearly new — you have to put some governors on what you say on Twitter, etc. You can be true to the spirit of social media and still get your agency fired. A balancing act for sure.
One fewer PR scumbag on Twitter is a good start.
[...] was so much traffic on my blog, David Henderson.com, about an evolving crisis communications situation involving Ketchum Public Relations and FedEx [...]
Yeah, the Ketchum guy blew it. What a bonehead. Guess the irony is that he didn’t think anyone was going to read his tweets. Beautiful.
I think the situation here is not that James Andrews made a mistake, but that FedEx (or an individual there) clearly has no understanding of the use of social media. Expressing a personal opinion on a social media network about a city is acceptable.
The act of “following” somebody on a network like Twitter implies an understanding that the tool is used for largely redundant messages. It isn’t intended to be a business tool but has side effects as one.
If Mr Andrews went out one night and got drunk, then Twittered that he had a hangover, that would be an acceptable use of Twitter. If a client then chastised him for drinking too much, that would be an UNacceptable use of Twitter.
Social media requires a different approach to networking, one that accepts that the people using it are human beings, with opinions. Not understanding that should be the first sign that FedEx (or rather this person at FedEx) are not ready to engage with the very different approach the 21st century requires.
Perhaps Fedex wrote too hard and too long to Mr Andrews but the key lessons are nonetheless that one should be careful not only of what one says but how it can be interpreted. I have included this post David in one of mine – verbatim. http://moregspinsights.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-not-to-use-social-media.html
Some times it is wise to think before one posts, Sometimes it is wise to realize we each stand rigid upon the rock that is our own personal paradigm. I remember during National 4-H congress in Memphis the story from Months before ran again in the commercial appeal, it was on animals being altered for show and ethics, that were fuzzy by youth exhibitors. I state this not to rouse a bad image but to be reminded the media trying to influence National congress attendies of their awareness of 4-H did an unthinkable that year they posted a negative article. We see ourselves in our own bubble what we fear is change what we embody often is a local level cocoon of comfort. The remarks were hurtful for in his mind the blogger wasnt able to terra form his paradigm view of Memphis into the rock that he stands upon in Atlanta. (forgive my mispelling Im using a Columbus system of finding a key and landing on it.)
Bummer. A co-worker of mine shared this story saying the guy killed his career in a single Tweet. While I don’t know that he necessarily killed his career, he’s definitely got some pie on his face. I think it’s more funny that people have the nerve to proclaim themselves an “expert” in social media. Congratulations, you know how to register on a website and type a few words. Have a gold star!
Oh, wait… I just did that. I’m a social media expert now!
How did they send such a long reply back on Twitter. I can only put a 140 characters!
Be careful what you say online……
a story about a PR account executive/vice president named James Andrews from Ketchum in Atlanta who flew to Memphis to visit FedEx, one of the agency’s biggest clients. Andrews’ mission was to — now, this is important — talk with the corporate …
I have to say, that having read the story, I think it is Fedex which comes across as a pompous ass. I don’t think it will have done itself many favours, apart from with the people of Memphis.
Wow! What a great job reporting on this, David. Social media is a powerful tool. As they say, you live by social media, you die by social media.
Hopefully Mr. Andrews has learned his lesson.
So, the message is? If you are in the PR business, never say what you think? Even FedEx acknowledged the place was a dump and that “over time” the “hoped” to make it better. What about all the time it took for conditions to get the way they are? Yeah, that time; their track record. What they seem to want it PR to cover the stink and their history. That’s always easier than actually preventing the mess or cleaning it up. Maybe the PR guy has a new career in a reality based profession where responsibility trumps cheer leading.
Meh. He’s probably right about Memphis anyway. Besides, FedEx probably just wrote that letter to create some good PR about the “efforts” they have been making in Memphis. If you know anything about corporate “efforts”, you know it’s usually bogus.
I’m on Fedex’s side on this one. The bubblehead PR clown is perfectly free to say whatever he wants to say, but he doesn’t get to decide how others will react to him. He insulted them, they took offense, that’s how it goes.
-jcr
What an example of the immediacy of social media.
This is a very rare and valuable kind of information that a smart Memphis and FedEx could act on and turn to advantage. Instead they shoot the messenger. That is a huge weakness their competitors may use against them. Smart investors know this too.
But Memphis is really a very dull city, the guy’s right, no matter if FedEx likes the fact or not
Power Owned at the corporate level.
I think everyone has missed Mr. Andrews strategy. Obviously, in order to effectively convey the immediacy and importance of social media to the enterprise, he made the supreme sacrifice of falling upon his own sword to make a perfect example of how dangerous social media can be if not taken seriously.
I think Mr. Andrews proved his point very well, and should be praised for his boldness, personal sacrifice and dedication to his clients.
After all…Social Media is Serious Business.
It’s amazing how someone at that level of communications wouldn’t realize how many followers would be seeing what he was writing and how easily his comments could get back to his own clients. Not just the clients he was about to visit, but ALL his clients, reflecting his attitude of elitism and his own personal image as a marketing professional. Sure, it may have been a moment of weakness, but such moments should never be expressed on line via Social Media using the tools of the profession. There are other places for expressing personal thoughts that may be distasteful to others – like personal voice recorders.
I think he just stubbed his toe however, mom always said “It only takes one to ruin it for the rest of us.” In this case it took one to enlighten the rest of us. Surely he has learned his lesson from this faux pas.
If you have a dull time in Memphis, then you just don’t know where to go… or you’re just a dull person.
[...] What followed is probably a good lesson for anyone who uses Twitter, or any other social media Web site. Read about here. [...]
He is an expert. Look at all of the free exposure he obtained for himself and FedEx. Both sides are defendable, to some degree, and everyone is talking about both of them. He achieved what it is hard to obtain “wide discussion”. This may run a little deeper than what we are speaking about. FedEx gets to defend their hometown and Andrews is a free speaker who says what is on his mind but is willing to apologize if what he says has hurt someone. Could not have worked better if they had planned it. Makes you think with such an obvious blunder at hand doesn’t it? chuck
FedEx are over reacting.
Furthermore as they state, the staff just received a pay cut – of course they think they can do better than an agency, most likely if they had the time they could – but they don’t, which is why we use agencies…
He made a mistake, but social media is about context – especially twitter. Perhaps he had some terrible personal news at the time? How does FedEx leap to this barriage of judgement?
@Matt,
I couldn’t agree more with Matt. Well said!
I’d call that personal reputation mismanagement
Oh, a tasty irony sandwich. And a reminder to consider the audience before opening your mouth or your keypad. Charly has an interesting point, but I’m not convinced the “no such thing as bad press” maxim applies here. Some might rather have an expert with a level of judgment that didn’t require apologies.
did they fire this guy yet?
@curious, You want to fire a guy for one mistake? Wow, great business sense…
*AWESOME*. I’m going to use Fedex next time I need to send something instead of UPS.
A modern version of the “reply all” email gaf (times a million).
I feel for the guy and the employees, so Mr Andrews here is some advice. When in doubt and you got something really snippy or snide to say use Secret Tweets. People confess stuff their all day.
@Kloche, “oops there not their”
It’s remarkable to me that the majority of commenters here, on Andrews’ blog, and elsewhere miss the real point. FedEx hired Ketchum (and, as an indirect result, Andrews) to provide EXPERT PR advice regarding the use of social media, at what I assume to be substantial cost. The original Tweet represents a colossal FAIL on the part of a Ketchum VP who was in Memphis to speak on use of the very medium in which he demonstrated his lack of expertise. Ketchum’s response (or real lack thereof) further demonstrates their lack of PR savvy. If I were the FedEX executive in charge of this PR relationship as a result of the latter in combination with the former I’d fire them and find a more capable PR firm with which to work.
@Ed, Amen. In my mind, the story isn’t about Andrews and FedEx anymore, but how a major PR firm handled (or didn’t) the situation.
I have to think this client/agency relationship was under a lot of stress. In a good relationship this would probably not even have caused a ripple. Typically when a client reacts so strongly to a seemingly small incident it indicates that trouble has been brewing for awhile. It would behoove the agency to focus on getting to the bottom of what’s really going on with the account.
This is the very reason I’ve avoided the use of some social media such as Twitter where the world – including your customers and colleagues – can read every word you write.
Lately I’ve become more active in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Fluther, etc. This is a great article and a nice reminder of what I’ve been trying to keep at the front of my thoughts – think long and hard before you write.
[...] · No Comments Speaking of blurring professional and personal lines – please do read this account at David Henderson’s blog of a Twitter post that recently caused major tension between Ketchum [...]