23 Dec Top 10 WTF Social Media Moments of 2009
As the year draws to a close, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on some of the moments in social media and social media marketing that left me saying “uhhhhh… WTF?” Here are my top 10, though I’m sure there were plenty more.
1. Google Wave is Unveiled (Sort of)
One of the most anticipated launches in quite some time, it seemed like Google could do nothing but hit a home run with Google Wave. Unfortunately, what started out as a dazzling firework fizzled and popped like a plastic bag full of confetti. Sure it was nice, and did what it was supposed to do, but who is really using it? Who is excited about it? Not Robert Scoble, that’s for sure.
2. Yelp Turns Down Google
I imagine Yelp as just being that pretty belle at the dance who is waiting for her Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet before she’ll dance with anyone. But when King Google offers you more than a half billion dollars and still lets you keep the clothes on your back, you must know more than the rest of us. Hey Google, wave some of that scratch over my way, I’ll write some reviews.
3. Farmville is Popular
Zynga is the number one social gaming company on the web. The smash hit Farmville (which if you’re not aware of by now, you must not have a Facebook account) boasts over 11 million daily active users. And apparently, if Zynga were to go public, it might be worth $1 Billion. Did I mention this is a game about farming with no real objective?
4. Friendster Tries a Redesign, Still Sucks
Remember Friendster? Well, no one else does either. They’ve tried multiple attempts at getting cool again, but their latest redesign is about as cool as your granddad with a green mohawk. Apparently Friendster is really popular in Asia, though.
5. Twitter Kills Zach Braff
We all know how quickly rumors can spread, but in an age where information travels instantaneously to millions of people worldwide, bad news can get out of control. In a simple hoax, this Chris Langella fellow managed to spread the news that actor Zach Braff had offed himself with a bottle of pills. Fortunately for Scrubs fans, Braff lived to be quirky another day. In other news, actress Brittany Murphy really is dead.
6. Pizza Hut Doesn’t Get It
A few months ago, I wrote about how Pizza Hut was hiring an Intern to manage their brand on Twitter. In other words, they basically said, “Hey, anyone can do social media marketing!” The job was awarded to one Alexa Robinson, a 22-year-old marketing major from UNC. Despite the fact that P-Hut trusted its online customer service reputation to the hands of an intern, she still apparently did a good job. Go Heels?
7. Burger King Flame Broils Your Friends
Who needs all those Facebooks friends when there is free meat on the line? A lot of people, apparently. 233,906 people were removed with the promise of delicious and free mayonnaisey char grilled goodness. Facebook stepped in, though, and promptly shut things down. Thanks for saving us, Facebook.
8. Love Gets an Update
In more uplifting news, this year marked several moments in Social Media’s presence in romance.
- Item 1: Man proposes to his lady fair by checking in on Four Square.
- Item 2: New hubby updates his Facebook status to let the world know that he tied the knot.
- Item 3: Fun friends make a wedding memorable and their procession dance gets about a gazillion views on YouTube.
9. Domino’s Disgusting Disaster
It wasn’t the YouTube video of two Domino’s employees sneezing cheese into their recipe that made people stick out their tongues at Domino’s, it was the sweet time it took the company to respond that made people angry. 48 hours and millions of views after the video hit the web, it was already too late. The reputation scarring wasn’t enough to bring down the giant, but it certainly made Domino’s realize how quickly a company has to react in a fast –paced Web 2.0 world.
10. Twitterbituaries
I found out about MJ via Twitter. I also found out about Brittany Murphy on there, and a bundle of other 2009 celebs that made their way to the ether. What Twitter also managed to do was serve as an outlet for mourning in public. There’s even the case of the distraught mother whose daughter fell into a pool, which she Tweeted about only hours later. (The mother, not the baby.) This is really a case of why we should be asking “too soon?” when it comes to online updates.
Despite all of this WTF, 2009 was a great year for social media and social media marketing. I think people are finally starting to “get it.” However, 2010 might mark the year that individuals and marketers might think they have the hang of it, but in reality, they’ll be the ones who are spilling the Koolaid. What are some of your favorite social media WTF moments?
