If you run the social media account of a corporation or small business and are wondering how to commemorate 9/11 without looking crass or exploitative, this handy flowchart is still the perfect guide.
It seems like every year, though, some social media or brand manager at some U.S. business fails to consider this very good advice and posts a tacky, stupid, or otherwise insensitive promotion or social media message about 9/11. Last year it was AT&T’s idiotic “never forget” photo blunder.
While I’ve yet to see a major corporation step in it this 9/11, the early contender for worst 9/11 promotional campaign and apology for said campaign comes from an Arlington, Virginia, yoga studio. Bikram Arlington’s “9+11=20% off” Patriot Day sale might even be the worst 9/11 promotion of all time. As a bonus, the initial apology included a Truther tweet that only made matters worse.
The promotional tweet and the “building 7” comment were eventually deleted and Bikram Arlington offered this somewhat better apology on Facebook. Fortunately for Northern Virginia’s bargain-hungry Bikram fans, though, the “9+11=20% off” website is still up.
