When it comes to social media marketing campaigns, there are so many successful cases you can easily find online. However, have you seen an example of a social media failure? In 2019 Mcdonald’s came out with a campaign where they shared stories of their organic farmers’ produce. However, the hashtag didn’t spread how they had hoped. So they decided to change it to #McDStories.
After two hours of them sharing the hashtag, the users started sharing their own stories with Mcdonald’s using that hashtag. Although some were positive, many started sharing negative stories and experiences they’ve had with the band. Some shared about customer service and food poisoning horror stories. Others started sharing their opinions on the animal cruelty aspect of their meats.
What Went Wrong?
This campaign is a failure because it did not result in what the marketing team had originally planned for. They wanted the hashtag to be used to share a positive story about the brand relating to their organic farmers. However, it took a turn for the worst as users began to share their own horror stories with the brand.
What McDonald’s Should’ve Done
Since social media is a two-way communication channel, Mcdonald’s should’ve been very clear about how the hashtag should’ve been used. Check out their original tweet below. If brands want their hashtags to perform a certain way, they need to give clarity to why and how the hashtag is being used. Mcdonald’s should’ve also identified possible negative outcomes to this campaign in order to prevent such things from happening.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to implementing social media campaigns, it’s important to consider everything that COULD happen – both the positive and negative. By doing this, you’ll be able to avoid horror stories like this McDonald’s case study and create a successful campaign.
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