There is a firestorm brewing on twitter at this very moment over a blogger outreach event at Nestle. I’m not using this post to comment about the debate. What I find interesting is how it is being handled by Nestle.
Blogger outreach events are on the rise and many companies are using them for positive PR for their new products or image. I’m not entirely sure (as I am not at this event personally) whether or not Nestle was prepared for the twitter backlash.
By using Twitter search, you can follow much of what is being said at the event. The participants are doing a great job reporting what is happening. Those not in attendance are slamming them with questions and adding fuel to an already raging fire. I’ve been following this for some time now this morning and not once has a representative from Nestle been on twitter to respond.
Instead of leaving the bloggers to address the concerns of the company, Nestle could have been actively engaged in this debate. I don’t know if there is any better example out there right now of the need for a good social media game plan and having someone available to make sure you are a part of the conversation (good or bad).
