Photo Credit : www.adweek.com
Now that we have addressed that PR nightmare for singer Miguel and his incident at the Billboard Awards, it is time to tackle the “Licked Taco Shell” portion of the post.You might be familiar with the picture located to your left. Disgusting right?If you are not a regular Taco Bell consumer, you might be breathing a sigh of relief.
The photo displays an unnamed Taco Bell employee, placing his tongue on the famous Doritos Locos taco shells.The picture went viral on social media a few weeks ago and Taco Bellwent into damage control immediately. In a news release on their website they explained that the shells in the photos Were used for training purposes only, and were in fact being thrown out. Apparently there was a local branch contest that suggested that the employees take photos of each other enjoying the first bite of an item off the menu. However, this employee placed his photo on his Facebook page and the power of social media played out in less than 24 hours.Taco Bell stated that they investigated the matter swiftly after being aware of the situation. As a result, the person that took the photograph was terminated and the subject of the photo was suspended.
What Would PR Do?Social media is a powerful tool and it can propel any person or business into notoriety and help boost the renewal of a brand. On the contrary, it can severely damage the reputation of any organization. In the age of Web 2.0, digital content is in the hands of the masses. Consumers influence the movement of marketing trends and how others view products and services the business provides. The involvement and responsibilities of PR professionals have shifted with the change, PR is imperative more than ever, since the marketplace is consumer driven. Taco Bell did a great job handling this crisis, they owned up to it, addressed it and then explained what they will be doing to prevent othercircumstances similar to one in the photograph. In addition to this measure, there is opportunity to convert this incident into viral gold. Taco Bell can launch a campaign by asking consumer to have a picture taken licking t tacos that they bought to be submitted into a contest. Some may agree or disagree with such a campaign but when an organization has a sense of humor, it lightens tends to damage. Launching a campaign incorporating wittiness and tact can help the masses get over the incident quicker and if the photo resurfaces then the consumer will associate it with the promotion instead.
