Another Promoted Trend…Gone Wrong #DroidRAZR4Mom

Well, there are two things I am have been publicly wary of: Google+ and promoted trends on Twitter. I’ve posted many articles about social media gone awry, and unfortunately many of them involved promoted trends. Folks, it appears there is yet again a promoted trend on Twitter gone wrong, this time courtesy of Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless decided to target Mother’s Day shoppers by promoting a trend on Twitter. The promoted trend – #DroidRAZR4Mom – promotes the newest addition of smartphones to the Verizon lineup, the Droid RAZR. Though it seems like a good idea on the surface, suggesting a gift idea to last minute shoppers for moms, Verizon neglected to take into consideration the Twitter user. Twitter users are on Twitter to share their opinions and personality with their friends. While I commend Verizon for being open-minded  and embracing a social media outlet, Twitter users aren’t ready to embrace Verizon back. Rather than positively engage with the #DroidRAZR4Mom promoted tweet, Twitter users turned it into a joke at the expense of Verizon.

Time and time I have seen this happen, and I’m still waiting to see a promoted trend where most of the Twitter users engaged with the promoted trend do so in a brand-positive way.

My advice for brands: think clearly about how Twitter users will engage with the promoted trend hashtag before determining what to promote.

-Bryan Nagy