McDonald’s handled this by ultimately pulling the hashtag.  Rick Wion, McDonald’s social media director said:

“Within an hour, we saw that it wasn’t going as planned.  It was negative enough that we set about a change of course.”

But there is something to be learned from McDonald’s misfortune.  Social media marketing can be guided, but only to a certain extent.  This could have happened to anyone, as social media marketing depends so greatly on consumers, stakeholders and the company.  It is how you respond that will define your company.

While social media marketing can unveil consumer grievances, it also allows for a way to reach individual consumers to solve problems.  With Twitter, McDonalds had the opportunity to reach out to each person who complained using the hashtag.

A great example of using a company Twitter account to resolve consumer complaints is JetBlue airlines, explained in The New York Times article, “How to Fight Back When your Flight is Canceled.”  After suffering from constant flight cancellations, consumers turned to Twitter to express their frustration.  JetBlue offered support through social media and followed-up on specific consumer problems to make sure they were solved.  JetBlue used social media to reform what would have been poor consumer sentiment.

Spirit Airlines New "Eye of the Tiger" Ad

We’ve all caught Tiger Mania, but this time, the world’s highest paid and notoriously private athlete is at the center of a PR firestorm.  Yesterday, Tiger finally posted a second statement on his website following the release of a voicemail to US Weekly by a reality TV contestant /cocktail waitress who claims to have had an affair with the married superstar.  In it, Tiger admits to recent “transgressions” and asks for privacy:

“Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means…Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn’t have to mean public confessions.”

Sadly, the world (and yours truly), disagrees.  Since his bizarre car crash on November 27, Tiger’s silence and cancelled public appearances have fueled media coverage and wild fan speculation about what really happened. (Click here for a full timeline of events, courtesy of the LA Times)  Consider this:

• - Since posting his statement yesterday, Tigerwoods.com has logged over 13,600 comments from fans as of 1:20 p.m. today.
• - Tiger Woods is of the most popular searches on Twitter today, with new posts going up a at a rate of over 67 posts per minute (that’s over 3000 posts/hr!) as of this morning
• - Type in “Tiger Woods Scandal” into Google and you get 18,700,000 results.
• - Companies have already started to cash in on the Tiger media firestorm. Spirit Airlines has posted an “Eye of the Tiger Sale,” which promises fares starting at $9 each way to  – you got it –   Florida.  (See the video via the Orlando Sentinel website here).

If his goal is to control his previously carefully crafted image, manage rumors, or save his wife from further embarrassment in the press, then he needs to come out  – in public – and address the situation.  By failing to respond to the accident or the allegations of infidelity in a timely and transparant manner, he is simply fueling the fire.  Sadly, infidelity is no longer the social crime it once was.  Reputations and endorsements can be salvaged quickly by addressing the situation quickly, earnestly and directly.  (If you have any doubts, just ask David Letterman, whose quick witted confession on his late night television show mitigated what could have been a career ending story.)

Like it or not, Tiger Woods is a global brand.  As the spokesperson for mega-brands like Nike Golf and Gillete, Tiger earned more than $100 million last year between earnings, endorsements and appearances.  His carefully crafted and squeeky-clean image drives record sales for brands he endorses and has made him the first athlete to earn $1 billion dollars.  For better or for worse, the public cares about his story.  If he doesn’t start telling his side of it soon (as in, yesterday), then the media  – or or another nightclub hostess -  will do it for him. If he hides out until the next tournament, every stroke on the golf course will be footnoted by this scandal.

Until he comes out of hiding, I’ll be surfing TMZ and the Huffington Post for updates.  Stay tuned.*

*Tiger was spared one close call today:  Hamptons party girl Rachel Uchitel canceled her scheduled tell all press conference for today.

Serena Willams at US Open

For Tennis fans, this weekend’s bizzare behavior by Serena Williams was tough to swallow.    The former U.S. Open Chamption shocked fans with an expletive-laced tirade after being called for a foot-fault just two points from losing her semi-final match with Kim Clijsters.  After the (some say inconclusive) call was made, Serena went after the line judge, pointing her racket in the woman’s face and threatening to “shove this (impolite french word) ball down your (impolite french word) throat,” in a nearly minute long tirade.  Really?  I’ve seen better manners at an Eagles game with battery-packed snowballs.  The outburst, coupled with her temper tantrum earlier in the match when she smashed her racket on the court, cost Serena the match when the officials issued a point penalty that ended the game.   Serena’s behavior cheated Clijsters out of a “true-win” that was righfully hers and regrettably watered down Clijster’s victorious return to tennis following the birth of her child.

You can view the video of her outburst below:

What followed the match was even more bizarre.  After the game, under the stadium, an overprotective handler tried to cover a CBS camera and prevent him from seeing Ms. Williams exit the locker room.  The cameraman managed to catch Serena smiling and chatting with her older sister, Venus.  Given Serena’s number of  years in the public spotlight, myriad sponsorships, meetings with President Obama and presumbably, lessons on good sportsmanship,  one would think that someone on Serena’s team would advise her to give an immediate public apology.  Not so.  Instead, Serena gave a smug post-event press conference in which she appeared not to understand the magnitude of her actions.  She issued a blase  apology on Sunday night, but without much conviction.

Serena Williams Post SemiFinal Press Conference

In the end, Serena has been fined $10,500  total by U.S. Open officials, the highest possible fine that can be issued for unsportsman-like conduct.   She deserved to be disqualified (even McEnroe was never so outlandish),  and any fallout that ensues to her public reputation is of her own doing.  Her conduct was completely unacceptable, and for an athlete of her caliber, inexcusable.