In 2012,during the presidential debate in the U.S., a member of the KitchenAid’s social media team forgot they were still logged into the company’s Twitter handle while sending the message above.
The company quickly caught and deleted the Tweet, then apologized:
Deepest apologies for an irresponsible tweet that is in no way a representation of the brand’s opinion. #nbcpolitics
— KitchenAid (@KitchenAidUSA) October 4, 2012
In an official statement sent to Mashable, Cynthia Soledad explained that,
The tasteless joke in no way represents our values at KitchenAid, and that person won’t be tweeting for us anymore. That said, I lead the KitchenAid brand, and I take responsibility for the whole team. I am deeply sorry to President Obama, his family, and the Twitter community for this careless error. Thanks for hearing me out.
KitchenAid also sent a Tweet to President Obama:
I would like to personally apologize to President @BarackObama, his family and everyone on Twitter for the offensive tweet sent earlier.
— KitchenAid (@KitchenAidUSA) October 4, 2012
This case study is a great example of a brand that takes responsibility for its actions. While many people will remember the blunder for a long time, others will also pinpoint what Soledad did.
To me, that’s the sign of a great leader: Someone who owns up to a mistake that may not be theirs and makes sure that the problem is corrected.
“Once we accept accountability and responsibility, suddenly everything is back inside of our control. We really can make a difference in our lives and the lives of the people we lead,” says Michael Hyatt in the video below. And he is right. Anyone who has ever been in that situation will tell you how liberating the experience truly is.
The discussion between Michael andMichele Cushatt is very insightful. Watch it!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=lKqFnFUgy-0
