Eighteen years after the 9/11 attacks, commemorating the tragedy online can be a pitfall for pizzeria operators. The pain remains fresh to some customers, who frown on any attempt to commercialize it. Ledo Pizza learned this the hard way with a viral tweet.

The Annapolis, Maryland-based pizza chain tweeted a picture of a pizza styled as the American flag with the #NeverForget hashtag.

Ledo then quickly deleted the picture, replacing it with a picture of an actual American flag.  But a number of followers noticed, and in true Twitter fashion, made a buzz.

Followers then began complaining that the pizzeria’s Twitter account blocked them after they made wisecracks about the tweet. Hours later, the pizzeria posted three tweets apologizing for its conduct.

Numerous followers met the pizzeria’s apologies with forgiveness and a few more jokes.

The takeaway from this 9/11 mishap is that while this date is recognized nationally, the tragedy behind it prohibits any attempt to sell products or promote brands. One brand adviser noted that the only way to recognize 9/11 on social media is to post respectful pictures of the American flag, a solemn photo of the fateful day, or a meaningful graphic.

“Brands had better learn how to deal with (9/11) well, or consumers will make them pay for it,” said Robert Passikoff, founder of Brand Keys, a research consulting firm that assists corporates in marketing and branding.

Pizza News