Twitter, Tags, and DiGiorno

Groundswell Today

Ray Rice & NFL Internet Coverage and Its Viral Scope 

            Two weeks ago the internet exploded with reports of NFL player, Ray Rice, and footage of him beating his then fiancé, now wife, Janay Rice. This story was initially reported from TMZ, a celebrity gossip news program. Of course, the NFL’s response to the situation when the story was finally exposed through a facet of the media received a large amount of backlash.

All too soon was the elevator footage viral and used in many online news articles, broadcasts, and social media as a case against Rice and NFL.  

Yes, this content has thrived online. Blog sites, like Tumblr, to social media networking and content sharing sites, namely Facebook and Twitter, spread this content far and wide, and the outrage was voiced.

It became a fast “trending” topic within overnight. Ray Rice’s “punishment” was mocked by many media outlets, and football fans and human rights activists spoke up on blogs and other social media sites.

It is no secret (according to the internet and the general public) that the repercussions of Rice’s actions are not satisfactory. The NFL has had its name and brand tarnished, not just by Rice’s actions, but really by the way the NFL is handling the situation.

Turning the Disheartening Into the Empowering

Tags in the "Why I Stayed" Movement

            On twitter, users have used the hashtag “WhyIStayed” to tell their own stories involving abuse relationships and the reinforced their involvement in those relationships. This hashtag has also been coupled with another hashtag “WhyILeft” to share and connect over their reason(s) behind leaving these relationships. This social justice movement on Twitter has generated very real content and created a powerful narrative.

The hashtags separately serve their own poignant purposes. “WhyIStayed” is a heartbreaking account of real events which, frighteningly enough, resonate with a large number of Twitter users.

 “WhyILeft” is more empowering, but is still heartbreaking because of the gravity of the situation that is bringing a person to finally leave the relationship.

Together, the hashtags send a powerful message out to the rest of the Twitter community. Because of relevancy of the Rice case and the use of tags, this movement has reached the online community at large. 

This movement has surfaced on many online news publications, blog sites, and other sites and search engines. The movement is made to the public through online searches using one of the tag “Why I Stayed.”

 Groundswell: It Can’t Be Tamed

           Janay shares her comeback to the media’s and the people’s reaction to the video and story of her abused carried out by Rice on her Instagram.

This story, as well as many other narratives created online, cannot be contained. Though Janay’s position posted through her Instagram defended Rice that did not stop participants in social media from using her experience to speak out against Rice and stand for and with those who have experienced abusive relationships. 

How “Going With the Groundswell” Goes Wrong

The distribution of the Rice case, and the “WhyIStayed” movement that came from it is brought to the greater online community through the power and persistence of “groundswell.” In Li and Bernoff’s text, groundswell is the phenomenon where a story or trend inevitably gets picked up on an internet social media network or application and is there to stay (in so many words). Li and Bernoff emphasize right away in their text the permanence of the internet. Once content has been share it has sticking power regardless of the desires of the “powers that be.” This contributes to the inevitability groundswell and one of the traits of the internet that make groundswell so inevitable.

The more an individual, organization, or company want something taken off the internet, the more it’s bound to resurface. This resistance and secrecy on behalf of the person or people the content is representing only entices internet participants and generates more desire to access this content. Li and Bernoff would agree.

DiGiorno, a brand that makes frozen pizza, jumped on board with this trending topic by using the trending tag “WhyIStayed” in a controversial manner. First of all, DiGiorno do not follow the guidelines of “POST” given by Li andBernoff. They’re objectives and strategies are askew, to say the least. The biggest evidence of this is their misuse of tag, hashtags on Twitter specifically.

DiGiorno tweeted “#WhyIStayed You had pizza” in order to get involved with this trend that had obviously made an impact in the Twitter community. However their strategy (“S”), which I’m only assuming was “to gain audience interest in their product through humor” was very misled.

 Their objective to reach out to another community with this hashtag was botched because they failed to achieve some crucial objectives (“O”), such as listening. Those responsible for running the DiGiorno account did not even bother to clink the hashtag and see other’s stories. This would have illuminated the intended and appropriate use of the hashtag.

DiGiorno’s twitter account is somewhat of a “repeat offender” when it comes to misusing trends on Twitter. However its last escapade during the live televised production of Sound of Music on NBC was actually considered a success. But regardless, it is evident that DiGiorno is handling this social media technology and groundswell with some reckless ignorance.

DiGiorno taking down its tweet doesn’t mean the evidence has disappeared. With screenshots the text, time, and place exist on the online community forever. And while the company apologizes and makes not just a valiant, but surprisingly smart effort after their blunder, they cannot erase the original mistake. Though they may have made the best effort of any company, or general user, on Twitter to apologize and make amends for their mistake by apologizing to every outraged individual it can only go so far to “save face” for the DiGiorno brand. 

The Bottom Line on Walking the "Thin Line"

Corporations Partcipating in Groundswell  

Lesson being that if a company is  not thorough and respectful with background information and motivation behind social media trends and tags then there is bound to be backlash. It really comes down to the "thin line" between being engaging and being appropriate. If corporations aren't willing to apply the listening objective of social media marketing then they are going to have problems. 

Watch the video

 John Oliver sums up this case perfectly. His criticism is so on point. 
(And needless to say, his face also captures the ridiculousness of DiGiorno's twitter blunder)