Scarlett Johansson: When Good Celebrity Endorsements Go Bad

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

From the @guardian  (opens in a new tab) “How charities can recruit, retain and distance celebrity supporters”: http://t.co/fRUtbdSx1d  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #nfp  (opens in a new tab)

— Silverbear (@SilverbearLtd) March 31, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

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  (opens in a new tab) 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  (opens in a new tab), 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  (opens in a new tab))

Meetings for the Other Half

“6 Tips to Plan #Introvert  (opens in a new tab) Friendly Events” – http://t.co/NyQFZoAzTD  (opens in a new tab) via @connectmeetings  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab)

— Robyn Davis, CPTD, CEM (@Robyn_WINH) March 26, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Not everyone at your events is an extrovert. So how do you cater to people more focused on introversion? Over at Connect Your Meetings  (opens in a new tab), 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  (opens in a new tab))

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