#FAIL: The 50 Greatest Social Media Screw-ups

#FAIL e-book coverHot off the e-press is a fabulous new e-book that I’m very happy to recommend. Written by Bernhard Warner and Matthew Yeomans* of SMI, #FAIL catalogues the 50 most disastrous social media gaffes the world has seen. But, crucially, it also provides invaluable advice on what marketers should do to avoid finding themselves at the centre of the next big scandal. I think this is a must-read for leaders of social enterprises, as well as social media practitioners and students. The e-book also contains clickable links to video footage and articles providing additional supporting information for many of the case studies it covers.

Screw-ups I really enjoyed reading about included:

  • How the mistakes that plagued Dell Hell helped spark the changes needed for Dell to become widely recognised as one of the world’s best social media practitioners
  • How Comcast’s sleeping engineer ultimately helped transform the company’s culture
  • How #McFail taught McDonalds what people really think of its product quality
  • How mixing business with pleasure cost Chrysler dearly
  • How Carnival Cruises’ self-imposed break from social media came unstuck after the Costa Concordia hit the rocks
  • How Ketchum got caught asleep at the social media wheel in Memphis

James Andrews' infamous tweet

The book is bang up to date and a great reference document for anyone involved with the fast-moving world of social media.

You can buy the e-book today from Amazon Kindle Direct, and I understand it will shortly also be available in the Apple iBookstore, the Nook bookstore and on Lulu.com.

* Disclosure: Matthew and I spoke at a recent marketing conference in Rio de Janiero and he kindly sent me a preview copy of the e-book, but I have no commercial interest in the book.