Virgin Media Tweet Is A Lesson In Social Media Blunders

An unfortunate Tweet by Virgin Media has provided a serious lesson in social media blunders and how to recover from them. Virgin Media had posted a promoted Tweet featuring a picture of a rifle's crosshairs along with the message “On the hunt for a new telco?” causing a massive backlash amongst Twitter users who pointed out the insensitivity of such a message in the aftermath of the tragic shootings in Paris which left around 130 people dead. When Virgin Media realised their mistake, they removed the Tweet and publically apologised for any offence caused. The Tweet was originally posted on 3rd November, over a week before the terrorist attacks took place. It highlights how important it is to keep an eye on past and scheduled promoted posts on social media and pause any campaigns if a national or international tragedy takes place that could cause the post to be interpreted in an upsetting way. A spokesperson from the social media agency Chunky Media provided advice to any companies that find themselves having inadvertently posted inappropriate content, saying: “The important thing to do is just go in and pause things and reassess. Remove it, apologise and move on.” 
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