COMMENTS
I understand the marketing tactic. My question is, how do you handle a potential backlash from a natural disaster such as this?
No. You have crossed the line. This is not just another media event to exploit. If you want to promote helping people in crisis that is one thing. If you are just trying to make a buck while they suffer and you are doing nothing to help then you are not someone I wish to associate with. If by helping them you receive good PR is different. But just scavenging the wreckage is not okay.
You got it right as always HS! I put a quick article together last night about the damage a Cat 1 Hurricane can still do,a few images of damage Sandy left behind in Cuba, had G crawl it, submitted to the usual but what tickled me is Yahoo indexed it in 30 min and G got it for an image then the traffic took off. A quick 434 hits is always nice. Fresher stories from more trusted sources have since pushed article back but hey it was fun while it lasted. So, I'm proof you can create a quick story on breaking news in order to get some quick hits. I didn't write the article for quick hits but just to be ahead of the game for once.
This post is incredibly in poor taste. People are in danger. They need relevant information not the crap you are spewing on this page. No wonder I unsubscribed from your daily email bombs of ebooks and infographics. This was a reminder that I needed to unlike your Facebook page. Thanks.
Thanks for the comments!?
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@ward and @steve, sorry we rubbed you the wrong way: this post isn't supposed to be insensitive to anyone who is getting affected by this natural disaster. ?
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You both bring up a very good point about crossing a line with newsjacking - marketers need to be very careful regarding the way they talk about world events like this one. There are ways to provide information that is helpful to the community, and ways to always insert your product/service in the conversion and thus alienate people. ?
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For instance, Sears above was helpful in the way it created a targeted page that made it easy for people to find the items they might be looking for in an emergency situation.
To piggyback off of Magdalena's comment, I just wanted to apologize for our insensitivity. We should've erred on the side of caution with this post, and we made a mistake. We've made a few adjustments to the article and swapped out the previous call-to-action. While we think there is an interesting marketing lesson here, we hate to offend our readers, and we're very sorry. ?
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Pamela Vaughan | HubSpot Blog Manager
I too apologize for my comments and I do hope HubSpot posts this.?
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After I submitted my comment and read the post again I knew there would be some backlash. But think people do you really think HS is saying we should all throw up articles on Sandy and use it a way to get conversions? Really??
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First of all I doubt too many people who visited my post on Sandy or any others posts are in a buying mood.?
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Second of all consumers are way to savvy and would see right through it.?
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I believe what HS meant to say was you can write a thoughtful and informative post etc. about a current event or emergency and if done so with sincerity then the article could prove to be beneficial. ?
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I recommend not even putting any links other than your resources in the article. ?
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When the time comes your readers, clients and or customers may remember the post you wrote (as long as it's sincere and informative)and then visit your site again.?
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I in no way took this article wrong or have a problem with it.?
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Common sense goes a long way.
While I understand the desire to "hook" on to a relevant story, these examples are pretty tacky. I'll give a bit of leeway to the Sears one, but the rest border on tasteless, and I certainly wouldn't be drawing attention to them. Two Americans have already died, and many more in the Caribbean. The ability to "newsjack" should not simply rest on suggesting a commonality with a major story. It should also pass the "is this in good taste"? question, and the "is it too soon?" question. On both of those, these examples fail.?
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I received an email earlier today with the alert that I'd be "blown away" by the deals on shoes and handbags. Not okay. ?
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Please rethink this.
Thanks, Dana - that is exactly what we were getting to here.?
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@Zen, thanks for the comment! I agree that these examples weren't outstanding. There are certainly better ways to tell helpful and powerful stories. The angle here was mostly on the mix of avenues to tell that story -- through your blog, social media, website, email.
I learned a valuable lesson today from this article. Oftentimes, I find myself solely focusing on metrics, goals, etc. I have a feeling this is easy to do - forget about the bigger picture. I will continue to be a reader of HubSpot content. I have directly implemented several strategies and many tactics from these frequently published articles. Learning is a lifelong adventure. Let us hope for the best and prepare for the worst for Hurricane Sandy.
Tacky and insensitive. I'm more likely to remember businesses negatively when they try to capitalize on disasters.
I wasn't offended, newsjacking is a real thing, like it or not, and while maybe we shouldn't choose to do it in a case like this, there wasn't (at least by the time I read it) anything insensitive in here. Maybe not the best timing, it probably would have been a bit better coming out AFTER the storm, but hey.
I think you guys are overreacting... this is not a "major" catastrophic event. It's a category 1 hurricane. Would be interesting if we could connect a "mood map" to this "catastrophic event" and see how people are dealing. HubSpot has nothing to apologize for.
I think these examples are awesome! What a great opportunity for someone offering funeral services or a will and trusts attorney. Spot on HubSpot!
Right now David Ogilvy is rolling in his grave. It's the insensitive, morally bankrupt, no-low-is-low enough people behind above campaigns that give marketing a bad name. And I'm sure the free "Killer Content" marketing eBook is not lost on the readers. Stay classy HubSpot.
Lighten up folks. If you're offended by these comments in any way you're being far too sensitive and I'm sure every day you shrug off many much more insensitive and objectionable comments that are more worthy of getting yourself into a lather about. ?
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Hubspot has nothing to apologize for and the intervention of someone higher up the food chain to apologize serves to indicate you are a bit panicked and that's not necessary. ?
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You can't pander to everyone who has a hissy-fit about something they don't like or you would say nothing. In the unlikely event the person threatening to ''unlike' you on Facebook (now there's a mature and serious threat) there will be 5 who do the opposite just to balance the books and say thanks for an interesting and provocative article. ?
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I guarantee the threat to unsubscribe or send future Hubspot blogs directly into the fires of hell where they will suffer for eternity along with anyone or thing else this person doesn't like will not happen - they will open immediately and scan in detail your posts looking for further reasons to take offense and evidence of why your blogs should not be read - and probably forward the links to friends and family telling them not to read the blogs either (thus adding gasoline to the fire).?
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For my part I'm also unrepentant. We make skin care products and Tweeted 'Looking for quality body exfoliant? Then #Sandy is what you don't want ..." If people find that offensive then I'm sorry that is the case, but won't be apologizing or retracting. ?
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Great article Hubspot! Controversy gets attention! Food with no spices can get a little bland and its necessary to add some chilli from time to time as many more will appreciate the variety than seek to have you run out of town because you gave them mild indigestion.
Beyond tacky. I would put these companies on a list of ones I would never do business with.
Tying your business to a current news story is a common PR strategy, and it can be very effective if done right. The problem is that most businesses don't do it right. Remember Kenneth Cole's tweet about the shoe sale during rioting in Cairo? I think it's far more effective to insert yourself into this kind of story by serving rather than selling. For example, if your business sells mobile phones, providing them to local shelters so evacuees can contact loved ones is a great way to get noticed without compromising your principles.
I completely agree with Robin - this kind of newsjacking can so easily cause outrage (evidence via the comments on this post). ?
I would also add that it is really important to make sure you don't have auto scheduled posts during a disaster. ?
E.g. your company building collapses and lives are lost but here is your corporate account tweeting about 50% discounts and specials.
@Robin, I absolutely agree with your point about "serving rather than selling." That is the key element to getting noticed as a brand that is helpful and valued by the community.?
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I do remember the Kenneth Cole tweet - that was a clear example of selling. We actually had David Meerman Scott talk about it on the blog as well: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/25964/A-Valuable-Lesson-From-a-Twitter-Marketing-Fail-Marketing-Cast.aspx?
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@Claire, you bring up a great point about auto-scheduling - another example that you can't automate all your marketing!
Source: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33771/5-Hurricane-Sandy-Newsjacks-From-Marketers.aspx
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GOWANUS, NEW YORK CITY?The winds continue to increase here, howling past windows and splattering the rain. Tiny beads of water almost feel like sand when you step outside thanks to the strong gusts. Such is Hurricane Sandy as it speeds into the New York metropolitan region and prepares to turn and slam in slow motion into the southern coast of New Jersey tonight.