DiGiorno's horrific laugh on domestic violence Twitter hashtag
A rare mistake. A million apologies. But it is too late, once a tasteless tweet is sent from a corporate account? Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
It wasn't the delivery. Well, not just the delivery.
It was the idea that someone manning a corporate Twitter account wouldn't first check what a hashtag meant before tweeting a "joke" about it.
Yesterday, video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice striking his then girlfriend (and now wife) Janay in an elevator caused mass consternation.
Given that he'd already been shown dragging her out of the elevator, you might think a video wasn't needed. In this case, however, footage of him actually punching her caused comment, outrage and Rice to be cut and suspended from the NFL.
It also inspired the hashtag #WhyIStayed. It was meant as a message board of solidarity with Janay Rice. Many women tweeted their own horrific experiences.
The person behind the DiGiorno's Pizza Twitter account may not have grasped the plot. He tweeted: "#WhyIStayed You had pizza."
Naturally, the error was swiftly and aggressively pointed out to DiGiorno's, which tweeted: "A million apologies. Did not read what the hashtag was about before posting."
However, if you're manning a corporate Twitter account, you're surely aware of what's happening in the news. What could the #WhyIStayed hashtag have been about, if not for Ray Rice? Vacations abroad?
More Technically Incorrect
As Fast Company noticed, the DiGiorno's Twitter controller is now attempting to reply to every single comment personally.
Sample: "I didn't realize the context of the hashtag before posting. I never would have tweeted that on purpose. I'm horrified & so sorry."
Second sample: "This was a rare mistake -- I always check before posting, and for some reason I didn't last night. I'm so sorry."
How many apologies does it take to undo what was done?
