Can Companies Apologize, And Be Believed, in the Age of Social Media?

Apologizing is never easy, especially for companies with a lot at stake. Sometimes, though, there’s no other option.

Take, for instance, Build-A-Bear’s “Pay your age” disaster last week, when the stuffed-toy company offered British and American customers the product for a price matching their child’s age. With demand far outstripping the company’s capacity, the marketing ploy blew up in spectacular fashion, infuriating customers as they suffered “mile-long” queues, police called to some tense locations and seven-hour waits.

The company was forced to cancel the offer. The next day, Build-A-Bear CEO Sharon Price John took to NBC’s “Today” show to apologize. The result? On the morning of the interview, company shares were trading up nearly 2% from the previous day’s close.

Pizza giant Papa John’sOpens a new window issued its own mea culpa last week following racist remarks by its founder, John Schnatter, with the company not only forcing his resignation as CEO but removing him entirely – Papa John himself – from the company’s branding.

In the past year alone, fiascos at major companies including Facebook, StarbucksOpens a new window , Wells FargoOpens a new window and UberOpens a new window have led to television mea culpa campaigns.

How Companies Think to Apologize

Traditionally, companies stick to apologies via prepared statements, press releases or social media posts, only turning to TV when they’ve really messed up. But in the era of social media, desperate times call for calculated measures: Corporate apologies – which customarily have tested the art of admitting a mistake without actually admitting it – must evolve with the times as offended customers and public demand more than a mere video or uninspiring statement.

Consider Facebook’s recent “Here Together” TV spot, Opens a new window designed to address the rampant data and privacy concerns since the Cambridge AnalyticaOpens a new window debacle. While it does well to tug on the viewers’ heart strings, the spot also manages to convey “sorry…not.”

In particular, the press and public were quick to sense that Facebook was painting itself as another victim of personal data breach. As Wired points outOpens a new window , the ad uses misleading phrasing, implying that the “spam, clickbait, fake news and data misuse” are issues that simply “happened.”

In fact, an apology is nowhere to be found in the commercial.

Social Media Means a Demand for Authentic Apologies

The public now wants more from a brand or company when it screws up. In the era of Facebook and Twitter, among other social media, dealing with scandal requires previously unimaginable levels of transparency. Simply put, the public now has direct lines to companies and brands in order to hold them accountable – and the companies don’t respond appropriately at their peril.

Mishaps and mistakes can and do ‘go viral’, inflicting more damage on a brand in 24 hours than would have been thinkable a mere decade ago. Look at Pepsi’sOpens a new window major TV spot last year featuring Kendall Jenner, which had to be pulled because of the intense social media outrage over the perception it had appropriated the imagery of protest movements to sell a can of soda.

Similarly, Elon Musk experienced social media backlashOpens a new window in recent weeks from his Twitter tirade against a diver involved in the rescue of the Thai soccer team trapped in the Tham Luang caves.

Both Pepsi and Musk had no choice but to issue apologies.

As for the apology itself, showing authenticity and assuming responsibility are necessities – as is visible proof of quick action to remedy the offense. Remorse is one thing, but demonstrating fundamental corporate change is what people really want to see.

That’s why Starbucks did more than merely apologize when two African American men were wrongfully arrested at one of its Philadelphia shops earlier this year. The java giant reacted instantly with CEO-issued regrets and his flight to Pennsylvania to apologize personally to the victims. That was quickly followed with a decision to close all 8,000 US stores for a day of racial-sensitivity training.

The New Ways Companies Can Effectively Apologize

With two-way conversations between a company and its public the order of the day, assurances that things have been set right are “must-have,” rather than “nice-to-have.” Well produced as they may be, apology videos like Facebook’s “Here Together” feel dated. Social media provides a more raw, less polished platform – and an apology must respect that tone.

Ultimately, the key is to be quick, honest and sincere. A sincere, timely, substantive and measured response will go far.

Deflecting blame will be perceived as evading responsibility. It’s important to take a step back, really listen – and only then respond.

That’s why developing an issue management and crisis communications plan is vital. The ability to act quickly will enable a company or brand to gain control of the situation.

Meanwhile, watch for their next crisis to see whether Musk and Zuckerberg have truly learned their lesson – and the art of the effective apology.