An ad exec gets himself in a little bit o' social media trouble.
What is his responsibility to his client? Does the social media space differ at all from real space in how we should comport ourselves? If so, how so? If not, why not? Should this agency have lost the business? What lapses should cost us our jobs?
Friday, February 6, 2009
Don't trash your client's hometown
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3 comments:
I think people have a false sense of privacy on social networking sites. However, business's look for integrity in clients' and coworkers' characters and social networking sites offer insight into people's true selves. Thus, if you have a job a stake you must practice appropriate professional behavior in your public life. If your internet site is public then you must act accordingly.
The article made a valid point that this is a 'non-issue.' The man's opinion should not have cost him his client but it did. He must be more careful in the future or apologize and hope for the best.
Social networking sites are just another way to express an opinion. The advertising exec. would have never spoken those words to a client so he should never have typed them online. His responsibility to his client is purely professional so he should have kept everything as appropriate as possible.
I do think it was out of line to fire the man but I'm sure he'll watch what comments he makes (online and in person) from now on.
A professional is responsible to her client as long as she is in the public sphere. That means online, whether at blogging or social networking sites, and even in e-mails (people make mistakes, press "send" to early).
Most negative comments about a client's city wouldn't warrant more than a warning or request for formal apology. However, clients have the right to assess their ad execs in whatever means they choose.
In times of changing media, professionals need to be aware of when they ARE in the public sphere--and act accordingly.
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