Sony Pictures South Africa Twitter FAIL... Or Learning?

Sony Pictures SA just followed me. I'm always interested in big brand take up of social media, so gleefully clicked through to investigate (and most likely follow back).

Shock. Horror.



In case you're too lazy to click on the image to enlarge. Let me make this patently clear. Sony South Africa's last set of communication to their 350+ followers looks like this:

TO BUY YOUR OWN COPY OF SEVEN POUNDS GO TO http://www.kalahari.net/dvd...11 minutes ago from web

Have you bought yourself a copy of 7 Pound DVD?? Hurry and get one while stocks last!about 17 hours ago from web

HURRY and get yourself a Seven Pound DVD today!!!!4:35 PM Jul 13th from web

Get your copy of Seven Pounds DVD and Blu Ray TODAY!!!10:31 AM Jul 13th from web

Four more days until the release of Seven Pounds on Blu Ray and DVD!9:20 AM Jul 9th from web

Click on the link to view the trailer of Seven Pounds!! www.sonypictures.com/homevi...1:09 PM Jul 8th from web

Seven Pounds DVD releasing 13 July 2009!!!11:16 AM Jul 7th from web

Seven Pounds coming soon on DVD and Blu-Ray!10:21 PM Jul 6th from web

is setting up their profile to showcase brand new DVD and Blu-Ray titles! Coming Soon!9:51 PM Jul 6th from web

REACTION NUMBER 1 - RANT
We all know Google never forgets. Don't we? Welcome to what I like to call instant social media death. This is a brand self destructing, spamming 350 people with inane, valueless communication.

They have missed every tricky in the book. This isn't conversation. This isn't engagement. This is a bad "call centre" style sales pitch. Every day. Twice a day.

I'd have to ask:

1. Is this actually Sony or a brand hijack by a supplier?
2. What would Sony International say?
3. Is a digital agency behind this? If so, shame on you.
4. Who is going to call this out in big media so we can keep social media clean?

REACTION NUMBER 2 - PENSIVE

If this is someone at Sony SA trying their hand at Social Media - perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to jump down their throats. Social media is a whole new world, a world full of talkers and very little do'ers. A world of much buzz and little strategy.

If we think there is a social media "expert" sitting on every corner and inside every company to help brands navigate inside such a complex and fickle environment - we're sorely mistaken.

Perhaps brands just need some help and guidance. Not a whole bunch of geeks mouthing off about how much they suck.

So. I ask you dear audience...

What should Sony do?

Comments

  1. I totally agree. I get the idea that someone was given the job to promote Sony on Twitter - a job the poor guy obviously doesn't like, not to mention embracing it.

    I must say I quite like @numetro 's tweets. They are obviously promotional, but they don't try to shy away from that. But still they add much more value to the brand than Sony's tweets.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yup... We'll see. I've sent this article to them via Twitter. Will post here if I get a reply...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good observation Andy, perhaps it is just a case of needing guidance [although it sounds more like a hijack to me].

    What should they do? Two choices:

    1. They should seek guidance on how to create some real value; or

    2. They should hurry and get themselves a Seven Pound DVD from Kalahari today!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is a classic case of MORE BILLBOARD, LESS INFORMATION BOOTH.

    Th extent to which big companies and especially celebrities globally DON'T "get" Twitter is absolutely sickening.

    Thanks for exposing them..

    ReplyDelete
  5. I get the idea that someone was given the job to promote Sony on Twitter - a job the poor guy obviously doesn't like, not to mention embracing
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