Business

Social Media Roundup: When Good Celebrity Endorsements Go Bad

Lessons from a nonprofit that had a nasty public break-up with an A-list spokeswoman. Also: Design events for introverts.

Just because you have Scarlett Johansson as your ambassador doesn’t mean that things are going to go smoothly.

In fact, as one organization learned a while back, there may be a disconnect you can’t get over. Learn more about it in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Celebrity Disconnect

Let’s see if this one sounds familiar: You have a celebrity endorsing your nonprofit’s efforts, but that star does something that goes against your mission. Suddenly, you’re scrambling to do damage control.

This isn’t an uncommon scenario, and there’s actually a pretty good example from earlier this year, when Scarlett Johansson had an acrimonious parting with Oxfam over her endorsement of SodaStream, an Israeli company whose carbonated-beverage-producing products for consumers are made in a factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

So what’s an organization to do? Writing for The Guardian, Third Sector PR’s Alex Goldup recommends that associations in similar situations keep a close eye on the news.

“Celebrities are, by their nature, in the public eye and there is always the chance that they may attract negative attention,” he writes. “Charities can minimize the potential reputational risks by keeping on top of developments and being prepared with responses for media, supporters and other important audiences at the first sign of any problems.”

Goldup adds, though, that it’s not good to fixate on bad publicity, as negative press tends to fade quickly. Any war stories you’d like to share involving celebrity endorsers? (ht @SilverbearLtd)

Meetings for the Other Half

Not everyone at your events is an extrovert. So how do you cater to people more focused on introversion? Over at Connect Your Meetings, Velvet Chainsaw’s Jeff Hurt breaks down some suggestions for creating learning experiences that cater to those who aren’t so comfortable in social situations.

“While extroverts might crave the spotlight, introverts shy away from it,” he explains. “For event planners, that means the way introverts engage at events and seek information differs wildly from extroverts, and if you know your attendees lean further toward introvert on the social scale, it’s important to keep them in mind when planning your events.” (ht @Robyn_WINH)

Former Oxfam ambassador Scarlett Johansson. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Entertainment/Thinkstock)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

Got an article tip for us? Contact us and let us know!


Comments