Is any PR good PR?
Once again, Tinder brought this good old saying back. Here’s the story:
Using Tinder’s verified account on Twitter, an employee tore apart Vanity Fair’s contributor Nancy Jo Sales, one week after she wrote a 6,000 words long article on how Tinder and other dating apps are encouraging the whole hook-up culture thing. Something that Tinder tried to turn into its own advantage.
Also Read: Tinder’s Worst Conversations Have Their Own Instagram Account
A 31-tweet torrent of anger was tweeted for one hour on Tuesday night, something that kept many stayed up for and followed gleefully. Needless to say, the meltdown has been quick to make headlines across industry websites and even mainstream media.
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To sum it up, Tinder unsurprisingly dismissed most of Sales’ arguments expounding at length on how tons of “meaningful” relationships are created every day following a swipe to the right. It also claimed that the app makes connections possible in not-so-internet-friendly countries like China or North Korea, where Facebook and Twitter are banned.
It also attacked Sales on her journalistic skills, claiming that she did not reach out to Tinder for comments, thus making the article a really biased one. To wrap things up, the angry lad declared that Tinder is changing the world and creating a #GenerationTinder.
You can find the entire tirade below: (read from bottom up!)
Credit: adweek.com
That could have been it, but nope!
Few hours after the rant topped the headlines, it was revealed that the tweet storm was pre-planed and was in fact part of a calculated PR coup – a Buzzfeed writer indicated she was given notice prior to the Twitter rampage.
@summeranne I in fact got a pitch from a PR person that Tinder was about to tweet storm, and I should watch for it.
— Claudia Koerner (@ClaudiaKoerner) August 12, 2015
Was The Tirade A Smart Strategy?
Many knowledgeable PR peeps argue the stunt was awfully orchestrated. Even another VF journalist expressed regrets on Tinder’s clumsy attitude:
Reminder for @tinder: You’re a brand. Not the personal Twitter account belonging to a pissed off PR manager that has had three beers.
— Matt (@MattNavarra) August 12, 2015
Great #PR case study of how NOT to tackle an article that’s misrepresented you. Thanks Tinder. http://t.co/LXezrnBwPJ pic.twitter.com/8japuBhJHQ
— James Bigg (@JamesBigg) August 12, 2015
I had nothing to do with that great VF article and no personal experience with Tinder, but jeezy creezy this is not how we PR.
— Joanna Robinson (@jowrotethis) August 12, 2015
So, is any PR good PR? We’re eager to know your thoughts!
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