Week Three

As shared in my previous post, social media brings about many benefits (to me at least). 
Social media is an effective way for companies to market their brands and to engage with their customers. But when a social networking campaign backfires, it might bring disaster to the company. This week I am going to talk about some failed social media marketing by some companies in Singapore. 

Singapore Tourism Board : WATCH IT LOL

The company's apparent target market for this campaign was to attract foreigners to Singapore, specifically Filipino tourists. People however started to mock the video as soon as it was released, making it viral. Not only was it badly filmed, the dubbing was unnatural and the content was just .... weird. Thinking about it just makes me feel like laughing again HAHA. The most cheesy part was when the woman showed her husband the pregnancy kit. STB was quick enough to remove the video from their youtube channel and Facebook page but the damage was already done. This is an example of how permanence of social media becomes a threat - deleting it doesn't mean that its not available for viewing forever because it is still on the web somewhere else. As STB represents Singapore, it was also embarrassing for us! 
The approach they took was: Thanking its readers for their feedback and invited the public to share their ideas on how they can continue to showcase the 'Singapore we love to the rest of the world." 
Well this again shows how important customers feedback are to every organisation. Before releasing any campaigns it might be good to have a focus group. 

Singtel 

Although this is not a campaign, this again highlights the importance of customer relations and the impact of social media. This post went viral on Facebook that Singtel (who usually doesn't reply to most of the comments on their Facebook), had to take an action in an attempt to recover their reputation. 

The administrator of Singtel's FB page replied "We hear you. We would like to assure you that SingTel is committed to providing high-quality and consistent 3G and 4G mobile coverage to its customers," and goes on to give reasons like how some places have weaker reception such as basements and lift. It also added that it has 'invested over $2 billion over the pass three years" on improving the island's network. This wasn't a well received reply and customers were still displeased with the service. As I read, it kind of felt like they were saying "Shut up and stop complaining, we spent a lot of money for this service." 

SCOOT

Social media has taken companies to a whole new level. Besides Facebook and Youtube, which are considered 'normal' these days, many companies have adopted mobile applications as well. It allows for interactivity and easier access to information. One such example is SCOOT, which organised a campaign with the use of an app. The result? Technical errors on the day of the campaign event, which led to thousands frustrated customers. Read full news here: SCOOT VIRTUAL FLIGHT FAIL

Social media marketing can be effective, but companies should use them properly.
When I mean properly, it means to ensure that these campaigns are carried out smoothly and most importantly, customer's needs are met.  

Ultimately, customer service is important.