16889: Tank & Stank.

Joe Alexander asks:

 

WHO WILL BE OUR “TANK MAN?”

 

Who will have the courage?

 

Who will resist?

 

Who will fight for the truth?

 

Um, Diet Madison Avenue sought to be our “TANK (WO)MAN”—and they got run over.

16782: #OpenToWork As A Political Pundit.

Political endorsement from a reformed feminist…? Hey, depending on the outcome of his lawsuit, the guy might get hit by Kamala Harris’ proposed tax increase for rich people.

16781: WTF alma DDB Disses DDB…?

 

alma DDB CEO Isaac Mizrahi continues to push the Latino agency’s “ungeneral” platform by asking, “How can marketers move away from ‘general market’ thinking?”

 

It’s unusual that a message urging marketers to avoid general-market thinking—ie, White advertising agencies—is posted by the DEIBA+-deficient DDB.

 

To make a sloppy segue, over the years, DDB has seemingly operated a revolving door for Chief Diversity Officers. Does alma DDB even have a Human Heat Shield on staff?

16776: Prioritizing Pets Over People Of Color…?

 

Like most White advertising agencies, FCB did not commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month via social media posts. However, the global enterprise did celebrate International Dog Day.

16496: The Sound Of Advertising’s Death Knell.

 

Can’t help but think Spotify Advertising is trumpeting the degradation, devaluation, and impending destruction of advertising. The service will create an ad—covering writing and producing, from concept to live—in under 48 hours. For free. That’s music to the ears of anyone tone deaf to quality and originality.

16443: Social Media Puts Honesty On The Back Burner.

 

The latest Digiday confessions series installment presented an actual confession, as a social media supervisor admitted to being pressured by their boss to create burner accounts to respond to negative press and criticism aimed at a client’s product.

 

While celebrities, entertainment CEOs, and stalkers utilize burner accounts for a variety of sneaky motivations, how can the maneuver possibly be okay in the service of brands?

 

Advertisements and sponsored content must clearly be indicated as such; plus, regulated messages like pharmaceutical marketing are required to carry disclaimers regarding results and patient depictions. Even basic campaigns undergo scrutiny by legal departments—as well as entities such as the FDA and FCC.

 

Knowingly fabricating defensive statements in an anonymous and underhanded style constitutes deliberately deceptive communications, no?

 

If burner accounts are a common practice for brand management, why did the revelation happen in Digiday’s confessional?

 

Honestly, Adland and its practitioners regularly rank high on lists for least trusted professions. Is it really necessary to maintain dominance in distrust?

 

Perhaps social media firms will create executive titles like Burner Account Director.

 

‘I felt like I had committed a crime’: Confessions of a social media lead on negative press and burner accounts

 

By Julian Cannon

 

Social media management requires navigating the constantly vigilant eyes of the digital world. The task often involves monitoring brand mentions, comments and discussions across various social media platforms, as well as handling crises if bad press surfaces. Due to social media’s fast and widespread impact, social media managers are crucial to determining a brand’s response to adverse situations, protecting its reputation and maintaining transparent communication with its audience.

 

However, rather than crafting authentic statements to address its audience, some organizations take an alternative approach to deal with critics, with some going as far as creating fake or “burner” accounts to respond to criticism.

 

In this latest installment of Digiday’s Confessions series, in which we exchange anonymity for candor, a social media supervisor details what using burner accounts for a brand is like and why he wouldn’t do it again.

 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

 

Responding to critics through burner accounts made headlines this week. As a social media lead for an entertainment company, have you ever dealt with a request like that? If so, what was that like?

 

Yes I did. And I hope it is the last time I ever get that request. It was for a recent video game that came out not too long ago. I first thought it was odd because my CEO does not usually give into the social media storm. But because this game was highly anticipated and got negative reviews, they asked me how good I was at cleaning up a mess. I thought at the time it was a joke but he was serious.

 

After getting the request, what happened next?

 

I was flying back from TwitchCon when I was alerted that I needed to do this. I kept getting Slack messages while I was on the airplane to go on the Microsoft Teams video call and my CEO told me that I needed to fire back at the critics. I thought it was not worth it. But the company went through a round of layoffs [this year] and [I thought] if I don’t do this, I would be let go.

 

How did you create the burner accounts? Were the accounts already in existence, and were there any guidelines you followed as you created the accounts and started posting?

 

The accounts did not exist prior. I had to use the time for the rest of my flight to come up with names and bios that could not trace back to names of real life people. I was told to create three burner accounts for each platform like Reddit, X, Instagram and also a few gaming forums. For accounts with pictures, I used icons from scrapped freelance projects. After I created the template profiles of each account, I shared them with the CEO for approval and within a few minutes, the CEO said it was good to go. Once I landed and went home, the chaos began.

 

What happened?

 

Managing the accounts is like managing a fast food restaurant with difficult employees. No matter what you do, you have to act quick. I asked the CEO if I can go to the office to take a few desktop screens home so I would not have to lose my anxiety or focus on looking at everything on one screen. For X, I had to make sure that none of those three accounts were responding to each other. I had one account responding to tweets on big-name outlets that panned the game, one account responding to streamers and the final one doing this to general fans.

 

The CEO also paid for verification checkmarks on all of the X accounts to increase visibility of them. I will say that it was much easier to manage X until they removed TweetDeck so I had to use multiple tabs. As for Reddit and Instagram, the process was similar, but I had to wait for at least a day or two to engage on the platforms or else the accounts would be flagged for spamming. I also had to purchase a VPN before attempting to engage, so that no trace of my activity would be traced back to me.

 

Every response I had to do for every account on each platform needed to be different and the CEO told me that [nothing] is off limits as long as I do not use any slurs, racist language or excessive swearing. I had to come up with responses in real time with no approval processes. I also could not create or generate any social posts with artificial intelligence. Everything had to be organic just to respond to people without coming off as the accounts promoted the game. Of all the platforms, I found Reddit to be [the most] challenging since I got messages from users asking me why I liked the game. Instagram was the easiest because comments on any post cannot be filtered.

 

Why do you think the company wanted to respond to critics with burner accounts?

 

I think because of the layoffs and the state of transparency in the gaming industry as a whole, the company did not want to hire a crisis communications person [to manage the negative press] after they just fired one not too long ago. I believe that it was a cost effective move to put someone like me in a position that I was not qualified to handle. It is one thing where you have to make a social media statement and move on like other companies would do. But this, to me, did nothing but put more stress on me. I initially thought that I would do this for one day and move on. Nope, the CEO wanted me to do this until the heat died down at a time when all he cared about was filling a quota of gaming sales. It was a massive distraction because I was also making graphics and social copies that are scheduled for this month to get approved at the same time.

 

Did you have any reservations about creating burner accounts to respond to criticism? Did you worry people might figure out what was going on?

 

Immediately after being asked to do this, I felt like I had committed a crime. I figured that there would be some overtime for it, but I did not expect to go past 10 p.m. at night to keep up with the pace. If I was caught, I would have wondered what it would do to my career if I would want to work for a bigger company. I was worried if I would be caught by someone I am connected with. And I was worried if I would get blacklisted from the industry. I think social media managers should not accept requests like this because you will be pressured to act on behalf of the company, to accept all the negative attention.

 

Is there anything that you wish your managers or supervisors understood about this practice?

 

I wish they understood that social media leads, managers and anyone else in that role are constantly working under pressure to deliver and maintain a company’s image. The whole time I was doing this for them, I could not help but feel that if this company were to get caught, the backlash would exceed the actual game.

 

Would you do it again?

 

It’s not something I’ll do again. And to add to your last question, I also wish they understood that not every video game is going to be a smash hit. Although the public perception is going to criticize it anyway it can, the CEO’s decision to do this should not have been made or conceptualized. All of this time and energy should have been towards how we could have fixed this [game] over fighting with random strangers, public figures and outlets online.

16394: The Cost Of Bud Light Collateral Damage…?

InBev and Bud Light have taken a quiet response—ie, the band played on approach—to the Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney scenario. Meanwhile, people behind the concept have been skewered in the press.

 

The Daily Mail spotlighted—in an unflattering light—the Bud Light marketing VP who apparently lost her job over the social media mishap. The publisher even revealed that the former marketing VP lives in an $8 million Central Park home.

 

Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide and the New York Post tag-teamed to slam Captiv8—the California-based influencer marketing firm that orchestrated the idea—for jetting senior executives to the ultra-exclusive Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Shortly after the luxurious trip—which included flying on a private jet and receiving swanky swag—Captiv8 axed 13 employees. It’s a safe bet that no Bud Lights were consumed by Captiv8 leaders on the flight or in France.

 

Gee, Mulvaney might be making considerably less loot than any of the parties involved.

 

Where is Captiv8 based in? Ad firm behind Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney fiasco fires 13 employees after senior execs’ luxurious French trip

 

By Anita Goswami

 

SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA: After the failure of Bud Light’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, a California marketing firm has taken a drastic step by firing more than a dozen employees. This comes shortly after senior executives openly celebrated a luxurious trip to Cannes, France.

 

The marketing company, Captiv8, headquartered in San Mateo, gained attention for organizing a private jet for top executives and special guests to attend the renowned Cannes-Lions festival in June, per The NY Post.

 

Who is Krishna Subramanian?

 

Krishna Subramanian is the CEO and co-founder of Captiv8.

 

The entrepreneur also co-founded Unanimous Capital, demonstrating a commitment to startup growth. Subramanian’s other career roles include serving on the Mobile Marketing Association’s Board of Directors and spearheading mobile marketing and advertising technology at Velti.

 

His impact extends to Mobclix, Yahoo, and BlueLithium, where he co-founded and directed transformative ventures.

 

Upon their return from Cannes, CEO Subramanian reportedly provided a rundown of their trip during a company-wide Zoom meeting held on July 3.

 

The presentation purportedly showcased photographs of the excited travelers aboard the lavish private jet, in addition to images of their visits to yachts, pool parties, and villas situated in the southern part of France.

 

Captiv8 reserved a private charter through a boutique French airline named La Compagnie, known for its 76 fully reclining seats and a unique “bespoke plane experience,” as detailed in a press release about the journey.

 

Captiv8 CEO fires 13 employees after Cannes trip

 

However, just two days after this lavish display, CEO Subramanian, perceived by some as “tone-deaf,” reportedly fired 13 employees. This accounts for approximately 5% of Captiv8’s workforce, which comprises over 200 employees, as disclosed by a staff member at the firm.

 

“They said they were investing in the future of the company and building relationships,” one current worker who survived the purge said, adding, “Maybe they could have saved jobs instead of blowing all of this money” in Cannes.

 

Captiv8 extended invitations to various influencers, including David Dobrik, Josh Richards, and Robyn Delmonte (known as Girl Boss Town). In addition, the company also invited chief marketing officers from several firms that have partnerships with Captiv8.

 

Passengers on the trip were treated to an array of goodies, including skincare and beauty products, electronics, designer sunglasses, and a denim jacket, along with wine and Champagne. These details were shared through social media posts about the excursion.

 

Over time, Captiv8 has garnered recognition as an award-winning enterprise by aligning social media influencers with prominent consumer brands. This approach was allegedly employed when Mulvaney posted an Instagram picture on April 1, featuring her holding a can of Bud Light.

 

Following the layoffs, CEO Subramanian reportedly addressed the remaining staff through another company-wide Zoom meeting, during which he indicated that the agency was actively reviewing budgets and assessing its financial situation, as per information from sources.

 

“The timing was terrible,” said one fired employee who did not want to be identified out of fear of losing their severance package.

 

“You wouldn’t expect to be laid off after such an extravagant trip. If you get more business in Cannes then you don’t downsize and cut your manpower,” added the devastated worker, who has young children.

 

At present, the recently laid-off employee is grappling with anxiety over the prospect of finding new employment in a job market that is gradually becoming more competitive. “I need to keep my head above the water because no one is hiring right now,” the former worker said.

 

The company, boasting clientele such as McDonald’s, Disney, Toyota, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and OceanSpray, clarified that the layoffs accounted for “less than 5% of our workforce” and emphasized that they are currently in the process of actively recruiting for various positions.

 

According to a representative from Captiv8, the decision to let go of employees was a result of routine performance evaluations. “We assess the productivity of our employees with regular cadence and these layoffs were part of a continuous strategy that ensures our continued success,” the spokesperson said.

 

“We want to emphasize that these decisions, which were not made lightly, were driven by a strategic assessment of our team with our business priorities in mind, and not by financial challenges,” they added.

 

The company said the junket was “paid for in tandem with our brand partners and clients, having no impact on the company’s overall bottom line.” The spokesperson emphasized that the trip is a “meaningful business development lever for Captiv8.”

16320: Funkin’ Donuts…?

 

For an explanation of this Vaseline social post, check out More About Advertising.

16275: Pouring Water On Explicit Song Lyrics…?

This Nirvana Water campaign from Nigeria puts a spin on the product’s purity position, as explained via the following:

 

Children and the Nirvana Water brand share something in common: purity. However, exposure to explicit and vulgar lyrics in popular songs can taint the nature of children and lead to aggression, risky sexual behavior, and other anti-social behaviors. To address this, Nirvana Water created an awareness campaign to serve as a clarion call to all adult members of society to help preserve the innocence of children by stopping their exposure to these vulgar lyrics before it is too late.

 

As a social experiment launched on Children’s Day, [a] film featured seven kids who were asked to interpret lyrics from popular songs. Their inability to capture the negative undertones and vulgar meanings of these lyrics underscored their innocence/purity and the need for society to stop the exposure before they know.

16186: Out Of The Wilderness—Thanks To ZipRecruiter…?

 

Is ZipRecruiter offering job candidates currently living in tents? Gee, such noble social concern…

10672: Delayed WTF 54—TRG 2.0 2023.

 

MultiCultClassics is often occupied with real work. As a result, a handful of events occur without the expected blog commentary. This limited series—Delayed WTF—seeks to make belated amends for the absence of malice.

 

A recent social media post from TRG celebrated the White advertising agency winning an AAF District 10 2023 Mosaic Award. What’s more, the honor saluted Workforce Inclusion.

 

Wow, it looks like the erasure of Stan Richards continues. The place has even moved into a different office space and embraced a fresh kumbaya spirit. And now there’s a shiny new trophy for the awards case. Forget that the workforce inclusion was fueled by the founder’s forceful exclusion.

 

A “stan richards” Google search identifies the old man as an author, so the information technology platform is purging and revising his history too.

 

BTW, would Richards think a Mosaic Award was too Black?

 

To keep things in perspective, simply review the “competition” in AAF District 10. Lots of honors went to GSD&M—those wonderful folks who gave you Annie the Chicken Queen. Nuff said. Other victors included Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University, institutions that probably edged out the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations. Better luck next year.

 

15931: Hootsuite Is Not Wise With Its Advertising.

 

This shitty banner ad for Hootsuite appears to be based on a shitty video. Give a hoot! Don’t pollute—the Internet.

15854: Facebook Safety, Reckless Spending.

 

This Facebook commercial sucks in a multitude of ways. Why is the social media platform bragging about all the money and resources used for safety precautions—aren’t such measures part of Facebook’s operational needs and overall responsibility? And did they have to create a big-budget commercial to deliver the message? Surely the exorbitant funds could have been directed toward more substantive care for communities.

 

Even the actress choice feels like a self-serving attempt to make Facebook look diverse.

 

And why didn’t Facebook mention the $650 million class action lawsuit settlement?

 

15734: BHM 2022—Mickey D’s.

 

Mickey D’s Black & Positively Golden® celebrates Black History Month by saluting “The Future 22” on Instagram…? Um, this is not exactly the best way for the fast feeder to defend itself against Byron Allen’s charges of discriminatory and lackluster support for Black-owned media.