Honda, Honda, Honda. Tsk, tsk.
So. What do you do when you launch a facebook page featuring a new product people hate? If you’re Honda, and your product is the CrossTour set to release this fall, you put a copywriter and a lawyer together in a freshly-disinfected room, turn on the fluorescent lighting, set the thermostat to about 64º, and get to work.
1. Set up a “Message to Fans” tab; after all, who wants to speak directly to anyone responsible for the very thing being berated?
2. No matter how strong the urge, do not respond directly to anyone.
3. Post a commercial that doesn’t even show the car, thereby fueling fans’ opinions.
4. Make visitors become fans to access “exclusive content.”
5. Explain the removal of comments with something warm and fuzzy like, “We removed comments that were posted contrary to American Honda’s consumer-generated media policy for associates.”
I could go on, but you get the point. Although a lot of bad has been said about the Honda CrossTour (and its social media efforts), it’s apparent Honda didn’t do enough social media homework to soften the blows they never saw coming. Personally, I don’t think the car looks all that bad — certainly the social media effort was designed much more haphazardly. I’d say it was as well thought out as the Pontiac Aztek (now THAT is one ugly vehicle).
Happy Sunday.
