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Corporate Social Media Disasters
Corporate social media disasters can harm reputation in hours. Below are five recent, well-documented fails, the lesson you should take, and the corrective actions you can apply. We also include do’s and don’ts, response steps, and stats to guide your social strategy.
Illustration of digital marketing and social media strategy, showing how campaigns spread across platforms, reinforcing the risks of corporate social media disasters.
In today’s digital world, it’s easier than ever to communicate with your target market. As a business, you can use social media to inform, advertise and connect with current and potential customers alike. While it’s a fantastic tool, it can also do serious damage to your reputation if used incorrectly.
Despite their power and status, large companies can still fall foul of failing to do their due diligence when it comes to social media campaigns. This can lead to some serious PR disasters for brands, businesses and companies alike.
Here are the corporate social media disasters that damaged some of the world’s biggest brands:
Burger King UK: “Women belong in the kitchen.” (2021)
On International Women’s Day, Burger King UK led with a tweet saying “Women belong in the kitchen.” The context, a scholarship to support female chefs, sat in a follow-up tweet. The first post went viral on its own, drew backlash, and was deleted with an apology.
Burger King UK’s controversial tweet, “Women belong in the kitchen” became a corporate social media disaster after its context was missed.
Key lesson: Lead with context. Don’t rely on threads for critical nuance.
Corrective actions:
- Put the full intent in the first post (headline + support).
- Test copy with diverse reviewers; remove “shock” framing.
- Use empathetic, unambiguous language on awareness days.
Need help planning sensitive campaigns? Our PR & communications team pressure-tests messaging before you go live.
Snapchat offends multiple countries
Back in 2015, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel announced to colleagues that he wasn’t interested in promoting his product overseas.
“This app is only for rich people,” he said. “I don’t want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain”.
It was kept quiet for two years, but in April 2017, ex-Snapchat employee Anthony Pompliano decided to spill Spiegel’s controversial statement.
Unsurprisingly, public reaction was overwhelmingly negative, with Snapchat users around the world uninstalling the app, leaving poor ratings on various App stores and attempting to get #BoycottSnapchat trending on Twitter.
Social media is such a huge part of modern business and digital marketing strategies, given the sheer amount of users worldwide. At Purplex, we are dedicated to keeping on top of the latest trends and advancements within the world of social media. Read our ultimate guide to the newest social media trends that you need to know.
Ryanair’s “Pringles” jibe at cabin crew (2022)
Ryanair quote-tweeted a fashion post with: “€96 to look like you’re handing out Pringles on a flight to Berlin.” Many saw it as belittling cabin crew. The post was later removed.
Ryanair’s “Pringles” tweet comparing a Lacoste jacket to cabin crew uniforms became a corporate social media disaster after being seen as disrespectful.
Key lesson: Even “on-brand snark” can cross a line when it targets staff or customers.
Corrective actions:
- Define humour guardrails (who/what is off-limits).
- Sanity-check human posts for dignity and safety risks.
- Escalate borderline jokes for senior sign-off.
We build tone-of-voice playbooks in our social media management programmes.
Kendall Jenner and Pepsi
Pepsi were forced to pull a 2017 ad campaign featuring Kendall Jenner after it was widely criticised for its insensitivity.
Basing itself on the Black Lives Matter movement, which seeks to raise awareness of police brutality towards African-Americans, the ad saw Jenner face off against a row of officers in a way that seemed to replicate the now-iconic photo of protestor Leshia Evans.
“The best example of white and economic privilege/ignorance I’ve ever seen. Never forget Leshia Evans #Pepsi” @Mayaelysee (Twitter)
The company was forced to embarrassingly backtrack, claiming that: “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly, we missed the mark, and we apologise. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologise for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”
However, the damage was already done, and both Pepsi and Kendall Jenner will be dealing with the fallout for a long time to come.
Of course, it is important to make sure that your online marketing avenues are suitably vetted so you can avoid such brand disasters. With that in mind, here are five digital marketing tips for the upcoming year.
Adidas’ monumental mistake
Email subject lines have to be eye-catching and memorable to work, but this example from Adidas was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
The subject line read ‘Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon.’ Doesn’t seem that bad, right? But when the email was sent out to thousands of customers in April 2017, people immediately read it as a reference to the horrific bombing of the 2013 Boston Marathon, where 3 people were killed.
Adidas later apologised via Twitter.
While Adidas may have had a mishap on that occasion, email marketing remains a powerful tool. In particular, remarketing campaigns are an effective way to encourage consumers to commit to a purchase that they had previously signalled an interest in. Here are five reasons why running remarking campaigns is what you should be doing.
Jaguar’s “Copy Nothing” rebrand backlash (2024–2025)
Jaguar launched a glossy rebrand and ad campaign focused on “Copy Nothing,” leaning into fashion-style creative with little product detail. Reaction on social channels ranged from intrigue to confusion and criticism about drifting from the core brand identity.
Key lesson: Big pivots need clear narrative links to brand heritage and customer value.
Corrective actions:
- Explain the “why now,” “for whom,” and “what changes” in plain terms.
- Pair brand films with product/benefit content.
- Pre-test with loyal customers and measure sentiment before scaling.
For launches and rebrands, combine our PR & communications with social media management.
United Airlines’ major PR FAIL
United Airlines had a tough 2017. A whole list of PR disasters went viral on social media, creating a crisis of brand-threatening proportions.
Two young teenage girls were denied from flying because they were wearing leggings, an Asian-American man was dragged off a plane so that his seat could be given to a crew member, and a pet bunny was killed due to members of staff not following proper procedures.
All in all, it was a perfect social media storm and one that the firm’s reputation is yet to recover from.
As evidenced above, PR disasters are a real thing. Our PR and communications expertise ensures that our clients’ reputations are always positively maintained. When it comes to marketing strategy, here are the reasons why PR is so important.
Dove spreads racism (2017)
Back in October 2017, Dove posted a video promoting their soap product. The video involved a black woman removing her brown t-shirt and transforming into a white woman wearing a white t-shirt.
There was a huge amount of controversy around this when it was released. The advert seemed to portray that her dark skin was ‘dirty’. Social media spread the distasteful promotion around the world, and the company was slated for its racism. While it may have been an inadvertent oversight, the implication was enough to cause a strong amount of issues for the care product giants.
How to avoid social media mistakes and fails (do’s & don’ts)
Social media offers powerful opportunities for brand growth, but one wrong post can quickly damage a reputation. By following these dos and don’ts, you can minimise risks, stay relevant, and keep your online presence positive and effective.
| Do | Don’t |
| Have a written plan: audience, goals, tone, guardrails and approvals. | Spam feeds; aim for consistent, useful posts over volume. |
| Play to each platform’s strengths; test formats before scaling. | Be overly self-promotional; add value first. |
| Research trends, hashtags, partners, and dates thoroughly. | Cross-post everything; tailor for each platform’s norms. |
| Post consistently with a calendar and clear ownership. | Talk at users; ask, listen, and respond. |
| Interact as people, not as a logo; personalise replies. | Chase every trend; pick the ones that truly fit your brand. |
What to do when a blunder happens (simple response plan)
Even the best-managed accounts can slip up. What matters most is how you respond. A clear plan helps limit damage, rebuild trust, and show your audience you’re taking responsibility.
- Acknowledge the issue promptly and factually.
- Apologise without hedging; avoid defensive language.
- Explain what you’re doing to fix it (now and next).
- Engage politely in comments; move complex cases to DMs.
- Make it right for affected users where appropriate.
- Follow through on promised process changes; publish a brief update.
We deliver ready-to-use crisis playbooks and on-call support via PR & communications.
Useful stats to guide your 2025 social strategy
Data-backed insights are essential for shaping an effective social media plan. These 2025 statistics highlight how customer expectations and behaviours are changing, giving you clear benchmarks to refine your strategy.
- Response time: Nearly three-quarters of consumers expect a brand reply on social within 24 hours or sooner. Prioritise customer service.
- Trust:78% say a brand’s social presence now has a stronger impact on trust than a year ago.
- Taking stands:71% think brands must take a position on social issues; 51% see silence as hiding something.
- Trend participation: Consumers are positive when brands join cultural moments, when it fits and is well-timed.
- Social commerce:76% of UK consumers plan to buy directly via social in 2025, raising the bar for in-app service and moderation.
Protect Your Brand from Social Media Disasters
Corporate social media disasters can damage trust, reputation, and sales. At Purplex, we combine PR and communications expertise with social media management to create campaigns that get attention for the right reasons. From planning and monitoring to crisis response, we keep your brand protected and your audience engaged.
For more information, contact us here, call 01934 808132, or email grow@purplexmarketing.com.
About the Author – Martyn East
As an SEO Executive at Purplex, I specialise in digital marketing strategy, website SEO optimisation and content marketing that helps businesses protect their brand reputation and grow online visibility. I work with companies across multiple sectors to align search, PR, and social media campaigns with Google’s latest updates. If you want measurable results, talk to our SEO services or social media management teams.
Connect with me on LinkedIn or read more of my articles: Martyn East.
This entry was posted in Digital Marketing
