Bill Johnston: Online Community Strategy

My posts from last summer about the Mattel recall crisis have been getting a lot of traffic lately, so I thought I would post an update.

We followed Mattel’s guidance on requesting shippers for a replacement (or in certain cases, refund) in August of last year. The follow up from Mattel to date? Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

I have to congratulate Mattel on their “ignore the problem and it will go away” strategy, as it worked on us. We totally forgot about it… except when we go to make purchase decisions about toys for our daughter or as gifts.

Original posts here:
Mattel: How not to handle a PR crisis,
How to avoid a PR crisis: Starbucks

I just disabled LoudTwitter autoposting. I thought it would be interesting to publish a daily digest of tweets, but after seeing it for a week or so, it just looked obnoxious… especially when the treats were parts of conversations, as opposed to just thoughts or observations.

• 08:16 @jowyang you should do a book club, like Oprah. I’m serious (except for the Oprah part) #

• 15:51 @leolaporte How about another Live TWiT at Noonans? #
• 15:54 @sashapeterson dude - nice to see you. One word… CABO! #
• 20:16 @mdfw "mauntie"? #
• 21:20 @factoryjoe thanks for the Radiohead! #
• 21:22 rt: factoryjoe Excellent: Radiohead Live at the BBC from April 2008: tinyurl.com/6rpzkg #

• 11:29 Tweeps: who is here? At Web2.0pen #
• 13:43 I’m having a ridiculously good time just sitting in the hall by web2open. I’m just shouting down folks as they walk by. efficient #
• 14:45 @rohitbhargava if you get back to SF in time, swing by Six Apart for the Online Community Roundtable - 5:30 - 8:30 #
• 14:47 Ok - got my fill of Web2.0 in ~3 hours. Now at Philz in China Basin #
• 14:49 @simedia @claynewton if you guys are around SF tonight, swing by Six Apart for the Online Community Roundtable - 5:30 - 8:30 #
• 18:53 kicking off online community rountable #
• 23:15 @TechCrunch - Video comments on TC = good. I like the implimentation #
• 09:55 @SamLawrence - stopped by Jive booth but you were gone… wanted to suggest another metaphor: The Enterprise Platypus #

• 13:14 @tempo I’m tempted to have a "romper room" at the Online Community Unconference #
• 18:26 Off to the Marin SofTECH meetup. Leaving the warm cocoon of Marin tomorrow for Web2.0 and OC Roundtable #
• 08:52 Still chuckling from a noted PR star saying "the web site" is dead yesterday… I can only imagine what he thinks about the health of PR #
• 08:59 @nejsnave good web strategy was always about "presence", not a single destination, i agree.. maybe the delivery was just damn annoying #

• 13:45 The best blog you probably aren’t reading: www.socialtimes.com/ @biznickman is awesome #
• 14:15 @TeteSagehen - Congrats! Great brand, nice move #
• 19:49 wow - no matter where your allegiances lie, you have to admit Obama is 100% a class act. being gracious in victory and defeat = character #
• 19:51 couldn’t they have put Obama shirts on the Abercrombie and Fitch idiots standing behind O? #
• 20:07 @annierodkins you can point folks to the Online Community Roundtable FB group. IF you know peeps that want to come, forward the invite & LMK #
• 20:11 @scottmoore I didn’t follow your re:tweet #
• 08:29 @sharakarasic who is on the panel? #
• 08:59 @Jowyang - Ask how to keep stakeholders (biz side) excited and engaged #

• 22:26 If I had a podcast, I would discuss this site regularly www.myjumpsuit.com/ #
• 22:28 My wife is trying to explain the Hills to me. The only part I understand is that Lauren is hot. #
• 22:39 Still a few seats open for the Online Community Roundtable this Thursday L:sixapart in SF #
• 08:27 @sharakarasic - are you around Thursday night? We are doing an online community roundtable at Six Apart #

• 15:08 finishing up the Roundtable guest list for Thursday night and going for a run @chadcrowell maybe I’ll swing by your casa #
• 20:43 DLR’s Eat ‘Em and Smile in Spanish.. loco y bueno! tinyurl.com/3z4ste #
• 08:07 Google click decline: Comscore was wrong tinyurl.com/3sz6jm #
• 09:45 looking back at pix from last year’s Online Community Unconference in Mountain View www.flickr.com/search/?q=ocu2007 #