RSR’s Senior Content Strategist, Sal Basile, talks to Mediabistro on how major brands can avoid PR fails when tapping into current events conversations like the 2014 Sochi Games.

Excerpt:

“Coke and McDonald’s Olympic campaign woes boil down to the brands’ mismanagement of their own influence. Huge companies like Coke and McDonald’s are too influential and powerful to avoid current events, especially when rushing into the foreground of the conversation. By directly tying their brands to topics like the oppression in Russia, they are entering into a conversation, whether they want to or not.

Attempting to brush off debates, hijacks and other campaign obstacles can cause a severe ‘Streisand Effect’ to ripple across the brand for years to come (i.e. Chik-Fil-A’s LGBT travesty)… A clear stance like this might be a bit much for some companies to commit to, but this is when knowing your brand, your brand’s audience and the severity of the issues at hand can help determine if it is the right time.”

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By Patrick Coffee for Mediabistro