IDF Social Media Genius Is Also Social Media Idiot
All you Web-savvy social media mavens out there be warned: being really good at using social media to communicate will not exempt you from doing something really, really stupid. In fact, it may increase the chances.
I say this based on the story of Lieutenant Sacha Dratwa, the 26-year-old who is widely credited as the architect of the Israeli Defense Force’s social media strategy to shape global public opinion during its recent conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Dratwa, who led the Israeli PR push across social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, was recently profiled by Gawker, among other media sites, which probably explains what happens next.
Having rocketed (um, risen?) to sudden fame, Dratwa apparently didn’t have the time or foresight to remove offensive photos of himself from his Facebook profile. Or rather, one photo in particular, which showed Dratwa with his face daubed with mud from the Dead Sea (a tourist standard) under the caption “Obama style.”
Yes, it’s a blackface joke, which is not a super thing to have on one’s personal Facebook page, especially if one happens to be in PR. The photo was discovered by a Lebanese blogger named Amal Saad-Ghorayeb and the rest is Internet history.
No surprise, Dratwa has set his profile to private and posted a note: “There have been attempts to make use of private photos from my Facebook profile in order to publicly misrepresent my opinions. Due to the amount of public attention I've garnered in recent days I have decided to restrict access to my page, in order to protect my privacy and prevent further cynical use of the information therein.”
Apparently, if you get your opponents, you’re “savvy”; if they get you, they’re “cynical.”
Recent Social Media & Marketing Daily Articles
-
Young Celebs Knock Social Media May 17, 3:12 p.m.
I don’t normally write about what celebrities are saying or doing, because I frankly don’t care. ...
-
Rise in Plastic Surgery Attributed to Social Media May 16, 12:32 p.m.
Social media seems to be driving an increase in plastic surgery, according to an annual survey ...
-
One in Three Social Marketers Dissatisfied with Results May 15, 11:38 a.m.
One in three marketers who use social media for advertising say they aren’t satisfied with the ...
-
Younger Investment Pros Get Info from Social Media May 14, 4 p.m.
Younger investment professionals are more likely to use social media as a source of information for ...
-
Moms Stressed Out by Pinterest May 13, 4:06 p.m.
While Pinterest might seem like a place for caring and sharing, the female-dominated social network is ...
-
Social Media Makes It Harder to Move On When Relationships End May 10, 12:49 p.m.
Whether you are dumped or the dumper, most people will readily agree that it’s difficult to ...
-
Terrorism Study Examines Self-Radicalization via Social Media May 9, 3:30 p.m.
The Canadian government is funding a study that will examine how individuals embrace radical ideologies leading ...
-
Small Biz Embracing Social Marketing; Location-Based, Not So Much May 8, 2:18 p.m.
Small businesses have embraced social media marketing in a big way, but aren’t nearly as keen ...
-
Woman Facebook Stalks Self to Frame Ex's New Girlfriend May 7, 3:42 p.m.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave in pursuit of love! Or maybe not that tangled; ...
-
Nine Out of Ten Execs Use LinkedIn May 6, 2:43 p.m.
Roughly nine out of ten (88%) business executives use LinkedIn “often” or “very often,” according to ...
Be the first to comment on "IDF Social Media Genius Is Also Social Media Idiot"
Leave a Comment