Habitat blames Twitter faux pas on intern

by Staff, Brand Republic 25-Jun-09, 12:00

LONDON - Furnishings retailer Habitat has blamed an "overenthusiastic intern" for its attempt to use the election protests in Iran as a promotional vehicle.

Yesterday, Habitat apologised for its promotional messages on Twitter, which also tried to ride on the back of interest in the launch of the latest Apple iPhone.

Irrelevant hashtags featured in the messages included '#mousavi', referring to an Iranian presidential candidate, and '#iphone'.

The promotion was designed to sign people up to its database with the chance to win a £1,000 gift card.

According to a Sky News Habitat's communications team said they had not authorised the messages, but they have confirmed they were not hacked.

"The hashtags were uploaded without Habitat's authorisation by an overenthusiastic intern who did not fully understand the ramifications of his actions. He is no longer associated with Habitat," a spokesman said.

Twitter users accused Habitat of spamming and its mistake was heavily retweeted on the micro blogging service. It was being touted as a case study example of what marketers should not do on Twitter.

The offending tweets have since been removed and Habitat promised to "do better for the Twitter community".

Blogs on Brand Republic:

Comments

Oli Christie - 25/06/2009

Lame, lame, lame, lame, lame. Blaming an intern is a pitiful excuse.

sara chapman - 25/06/2009

surely this excuse just suggests poor management and training rather than excusing the mistake? If you've made a mistake just be brave enough to admit it.

Mark Palmer - 25/06/2009

I don't believe it either. What sort of company lets an intern have any sort of control over its external comms. Perhaps Gordon Brown can blame an intern.

Andrew Nicholson - 25/06/2009

Oh come on, they're a big company who can't monitor every piece of communication that goes out. Giving responsibility for Twittering to the young, "hip" work experience kid probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Notch it up to experience and let them be

- 25/06/2009

This is a shocking excuse. There is no responsibility being taken my senior management whatsoever, just PR guff to smooth over an appallingly opportunistic marketing error. It just goes from bad to worse and whoever is advising them on crisis management needs to take a cold hard look at themselves. How-not-to-market 101.

Kay Mc - 25/06/2009

Would any company who values their reputation ever let an intern have control over marketing activity on any scale? Communication should be treated seriously. I find it difficult to believe that there was an intern Twittering on behalf of Habitat, and if I'm wrong then whoever appointed the intern should be taking the rap.

Phil Burgess - 25/06/2009

I think they're getting the interns to do their crisis management now.

Jonathan Harris - 25/06/2009

Hmmm....I smell a cover up....and a firing!

SARAH PROBERT-HILL - 25/06/2009

Oh come on Habitat - you can do better than that. The tea lady? The janitor? The butler? What a Scooby Do excuse.

Richard Hope - 25/06/2009

On the one hand - this is a lame excuse, as no company would allow an 'intern' to release any form of live communication without it having gone through management first - so I guess management approved it without really understanding the medium. However - good job for Habitat it's only us marketing bods who are getting uppity and righteous over their goof. I doubt very much that the public at large will care at all, and it won't damage their reputation one iota Not exactly on the Grauniad homepage is it?

Sam Ismail - 25/06/2009

Whether it's true or not, it's a lame thing to just say it was an intern and then expect it to rest. Another opportunity wasted. The intern is a hero though.

Nicola Lucas - 25/06/2009

Whoever actually did it no matter how far down, it is always the managers fault. Don't they know this by now? Which is why the project manager should always be fired in the apprentice.. but that's another story

Karan Chadda - 25/06/2009

I think the old saying of never ruining an apology with an excuse says it all really.

John Scott Cothill - 26/06/2009

I agree - HABITAT; sort out your managers. But come on guys, the vast majority of you fail badly at Twitter anyway, so quit the smugness. Not very befitting.