Kenneth Cole's Tweet Links Cairo Crisis to Clothes

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The Story

In a failed attempt to use humor for marketing, fashion designer Kenneth Cole tweeted about the uprising in Cairo.  After strong online reactions, Cole removed the tweet and apologized.   Advertising Age summarized the event, which, fortunately for Kenneth Cole, was over quickly. 

Kenneth-Cole_Cairo-Tweet 

 Discussion Starters

  • What is your reaction to Kenneth Cole's tweet?  Do you consider it acceptable, in poor taste, unethical -- or something else?
  • How do you assess Kenneth Cole's apology (below)?  In what ways is the apology effective or ineffective?

Kenneth Cole apology 

 Assignment Ideas

  • Write a few tweets on Kenneth Cole's behalf.  Try using humor more tastefully to promote the brand.
  • During this incident, someone created a fake Kenneth Cole Twitter account.  In small groups, discuss how Kenneth Cole could handle this embarrassment.  You might consider BP's fake Twitter account, which was created after the company's PR failings following the oil spill.