Twitter Retaliation
Social media is an excellent tool for nurturing the celebrity-consumer relationship, but as this filter-free communication system becomes ubiquitous, it is also influencing stars’ business dealings.
NFL players, and even their agents, have been angrily Tweeting about their ongoing dispute with team owners. Specific details of the negotiation which would have previously taken place behind closed boardroom doors are being played out publicly in real time. The instant information feed can be detrimental if it is used to vent during a moment of heated emotion.
The communication flow from star to fan was once closely guarded, but sites like Twitter have cut out the media middle men. Under the guidance of publicists, celebs previously communicated with consumers through more traditional media outlets like newspapers, magazines and television interviews.
The NFL Players Association warned its members about the potential for harm in its lockout guide:
“In this modern world of media and social networking, know that the nature of comments you make on Facebook, Twitter and text are taken seriously by the public. One negative comment by a player can be detrimental to the negotiation process and confuse the public and media on the position of our players.”
Playing into the power of social media, the union has devoted a section of its website to Twitter posts about the potential lockout, and launched a viral video campaign.
More from the New York Times.
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