Roger Goodell and the NFL: A PR Crisis for the Ages

Author: Cedar Brown

Sep 25

They say Roger Goodell and the NFL are all about image. Well, that all went out the door tonight, the moment the Seattle Seahawks were declared the winners over the Green Bay Packers. While the normal NFL referees are on strike, the replacement referees have stepped in and made a complete joke of the NFL. (I do feel bad for them. The job isn’t easy and the world hates them. They are people, just like you and I, but the NFL needs to get the real refs back in the game before this crisis goes any further.) Roger Goodell has officially lost control and respect from the league, with zero chance to earn it back. While the NFL is spiraling out of control and into complete chaos, we think, how can this get any worse?

Enter: Twitter and Facebook. Never underestimate the power of social media. By giving the fans a voice, and players too, the issue of replacement referees has been escalated to DEFCON 1! Twitter was ablaze all game long with tweets about poor play from the Packers, great defense from the Seahawks and the pitiful calls from the replacement refs. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. From the moment Seattle was declared victorious, until the wee hours of the night, Twitter likely broke records regarding “the call” from the replacement refs. It became ugly when celebrities from Hollywood and other pro sports chimed in via Twitter, but worse when Packer players did as well. To add fuel to that fire, Clay Matthews posted on his Facebook page, the phone number of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. That number, by the way, is 212-450-2027. I am unsure of the validity of the number or if Clay Matthews actually operates that page, but it did its job. By 2:30 am, there were over 13,000 Likes, 1,400 comments and 3,300 shares and many more on Twitter.

The real social media crisis began when the NFL posted inaccurate images and captions to their Facebook page and deleted a tweet. Mashable did a great job finding this information, read the article here. They know their employees (the replacement refs) created a major blunder, in an attempt to eliminate some tension they posted a catch from that game and called it the winning catch, but the image didn’t match up. They changed the caption, which was strike two, and strike three came as they deleted a tweet. Haven’t we learned anything from past social media mishaps? Deleting posts label you as guilty (someone always has a screenshot), lack of transparency strips you of credibility and not admitting your mistakes gets you pigeon-holed for quite some time. At any company, especially larger ones, it is important that all departments and levels are on board with your social media efforts, otherwise risk of a social media goof are high. I have a good feeling that most of the time Roger Goodell doesn’t pay much attention to these accounts, @NFL or NFL on Facebook, but may think a little more about it in the future. There is so much bad publicity for the NFL and Roger Goodell, I’m not sure how they can put out those flames. The lack of transparency is evident, the answer is clear, but will they make the right move before any more damage is done?

If you haven’t seen it already, this is the best look at the apparent interception that was ruled a touchdown. You make the call (hint: there’s only one right answer):

Below are a few tweets from some recognizable names regarding the blown call from tonight’s Packers/Seahawks game.

Not too classy from TJ Lang. Michael Strahan feels for the refs, but probably not much.

Mr. Classy, Drew Brees, delicately addresses the issue at hand. While Troy Aikman gets right to the point.

Greg Jennings, who has a right to be frustrated, vents on Twitter. Tommy Chong says “chill out man”.

Jermichael Finley still can’t catch a ball nor did he appreciate tonight’s officiating. Adam Schefter simply agrees.

I don’t believe coaches should have an NFL-related Twitter account, but Pete Carroll still thinks he’s at USC. Although they didn’t say anything bad, I don’t think him nor Russell Wilson should have touched on that subject so publicly, but hey, they won so who cares, right?

Lebron James offering support. He skipped college so he’s against Carroll over at USC. And perhaps my favorite tweet of the night:

Perhaps the most overly-obsessed thing on social media these days are the barrage of memes created every minute, especially if from live national television. Below are a few funny memes that I saw once the game ended:

 

What is your take on the Packers/Seahawks ending?

 

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Does Giving Your Brand’s Social Presence A Face Matter In Your Strategy?

Author: Cedar Brown

Jun 27

Have you ever interacted with a brand on Twitter or Facebook and wondered who you were talking to? Ever thought that if you knew it was a 50-something male or a 20-something female that you’d approach with a different tone? Would it even make a difference?  Many people probably wouldn’t care, but those that do are pretty split on this. I am a big believer in promoting the faces behind the account to help make communicating with the brand a tad more personal. Logos just aren’t enough.

I haven’t done research or found stats that prove why showing off your community manager could be helpful for your company, but I believe it would help give your brand a more human voice when posting and conversing with fans. ‘Humanizing your brand’ is the new thing these days and has been adopted by few companies, but is a growing ideal. Some brands that are promoting their operators include @UPS, @Dominos, @Southwestair, @JetBlue and @Starbucks by putting the names and/or Twitter handles in the company’s profile. @Dell is the only one I’ve found that adds their community managers on the background image of their Twitter page. It’s tough to do the latter because of the lack of real estate available, but is a great way if you can! I suggest keeping the logo in the avatar and adding your operators in the company’s Twitter profile or in the background image, like the brands mentioned earlier.

I always feel comfortable when conversing with a brand that does this because I can see who I’m talking to and I’m willing to bet that others feel the same way. When I’m only talking to a logo it often feels like I’m talking to an old corporate codger who is grumpy all the time or a lawyer who is way too worried about each word posted. Personally, I like to chat with the brand’s community manager on my own Twitter account because I am in the same career field and like to learn from others like myself. By doing this, it also allows me to chat with the company like I am with one of my friends, with a more relaxed feel. This is the type of thing all brands hope for in social media, to interact with fans on a deeper, more personal level. The goal is to build a community with your following, but you need to be transparent and open about your goals and intentions. Letting people see behind the curtain of your brand’s social channels is a must, in my opinion, because it can really help attain that goal, or at least steer it in the right direction.

Just my short, quick opinion on the topic, but I really believe it can be a valuable asset for a brand’s social strategy. What do you think?

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