Rick Camuglia, owner of Paisano’s in Albuquerque, just wanted to call attention to his fish special, a pan-seared Ahi tuna with a black olive tapenade relish. But his attempt at humor—a message on the outdoor marquee that read, “Black Olives Matter”—brought down the wrath of the Internet last week and divided his customers along political and cultural lines. And once again, quickly taking down the sign wasn’t enough to stave off negative media coverage. The moral of the story? In the social media era, operators must think carefully about every marketing message—and how it’s worded—or risk a near-instantaneous backlash.
See what customers said—and Camuglia’s thoughts on political correctness—at PMQ.com.
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