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3. Bill Gates' "Internet Tidal Wave" Document
Speaking of Microsoft, the company famously found itself in catch-up mode when it came to the Internet, releasing Windows 95 without a Web browser (among other missteps). When the company realized the error of its ways, and its stiff new competition in Netscape, then-CEO Bill Gates sent the infamous "Internet Tidal Wave" memo to company executives. In the memo, Gates admitted that the company had been flat-footed and assigned the Internet the highest level of importance from there on in. Today, companies can and should be listening to chatter on all social platforms, looking to get ahead of trending topics and analyzing sentiment about their and their competitors' products. Microsoft didn't listen to the chatter it had access to back in the day, and it hasn't exactly been a trailblazer since, but today's social tools certainly make it easier to identify what's hot and, perhaps more importantly, what's not. And, imagine how widely shared the Internet Tidal Wave memo would have been had Gates posted it on Facebook. Of course, the Twitter posts from the Microsoft vs. DOJ trial after Microsoft bundled a browser free in Windows would have been pure social gold. Who knows--Microsoft could have swayed public sentiment its way.
4. Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force
In 2007, the Cartoon Network made a misguided (to say the least) attempt to promote its "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" show. Small, battery-powered screens depicting characters (some with their middle fingers raised) were placed throughout Boston. Trouble was that the screens were seen not as a cool marketing device but as potentially explosive devices. The bomb squad was deployed, and roads, bridges, and subway lines in the city were shut down. In the end, the head of the Cartoon Network resigned and parent company Turner Broadcasting reimbursed the city the $2 million it laid out to defuse the situation (pun intended). Fast forward to today: There's no getting around the inanity of placing electronic signs in public places without permission, not to mention rendering cartoon characters as flipping people the bird, but imagine if the Cartoon Network spent some time building a marketing campaign on Facebook and Twitter, offering a coupon or status of some kind for anyone who spotted the signs (placed, of course, with permission). Social media is a powerful buzz builder. Who knows--"Aqua Teen Hunger Force" might still be on the air.
5. McDonald's McLean Deluxe
In 1991, McDonald's attempted to cash in on the healthier-eating movement by offering an alternative to the Big Mac and Filet 'o Fish. Enter the McLean Deluxe, a hamburger sandwich made lower in fat with the addition of seaweed-derived carrageenan. The sandwich did not do well, and McDonald's dropped it from its menu three years later. Today, McDonald's could include information on its Facebook page that provides all the reasons why lighter alternatives make sense. It could provide videos and nutrition info. It could invite 9 million people to vote on their favorite fare. Oh, wait--McDonald's is doing just that. As for the McLean Deluxe, there's a Facebook page lobbying for its return.
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