We’re three weeks into the new year and just about every social media, public relations and marketing blog has weighed in what they think are the “Top Social Media Blunders of 2011.” To a PR professional, these faux pas are the stuff of nightmares, so read at your own risk. We’ve rounded up our top list of lists, but we’ve also included a few social media blunders from consumer companies below. Hopefully, there are a few lessons we can all learn from these.

Top Lists for 2011 Social Media Blunders:

• Advertising Age’s “Marketing’s Biggest Social Media Blunders of 2011”
• Ragan.com’s “What the biggest social media blunders have taught us” 
• Vocus’ “Five Easy Resolutions for Avoiding Social Media Apocalypse in 2012” 
• Inc’s “Top 12 Social Media Blunders of 2011″

Zenzi’s Top Consumer Brand Social Media Blunders:

1. Kenneth Cole Spring Collection vs. Cairo Revolution

The revolution in Cairo had begun and only hours later Kenneth Cole tweeted, “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo – KC.” Not only were its Twitter followers stunned, but so was the mainstream media. As news programs covered the historic events in Cairo, they also interrupted coverage to mentioned Kenneth Cole’s poor marketing ploy. This decision was especially egregious considering people were fighting for civil liberties – some even dying along he way. Kenneth Cole later tweeted, “Re Egypt tweet: we weren’t intending to make light of a serious situation. We understand the sensitivity of this historic moment –KC.” For many, it was too little too late.

2. Entenmann & Casey Anthony

What do Entenmann and Casey Anthony have in common? Well, if you were on Twitter during Casey Anthony’s notorious trial, the trending hashtag #NotGuilty! Entenmann, the baked goods company, started incorporating trending hashtags in their tweets as a way to reach a larger audience, but in this case it went too far in many people’s mind.  Entenmann tweeted “Who’s #NotGuilty about eating all the tasty treats they want?” This tweet was either a result of ignorance or insensitivity, but regardless of the reasoning, the angry backlash was substantial.  Entenmann tried to apologize, but the damage was already done. Tech Crunch’s article “Entenmann’s Hashtag Surfing Fails Hard With #NotGuilty Tweet” noted “Entenmann’s has raised the bar for social media stupidity, taking the cup from previous #winner @KennethCole.”

3. Ragu ‘Disses’ Dads

Many companies have been chasing the ever-elusive goal of making their video go “viral.” Some companies’ videos have knocked it out of the park like Jennifer Aniston Goes Viral for SmartWater, but others have been met by crickets. Unfortunately, Ragu’s video “Dad Cooks Dinner: What is Dinnertime Like When Dad Cooks?” went viral for all the wrong reasons. The video featured a few moms discussing and poking fun at their husbands in the kitchen, but the video’s poor editing, unpolished nature and lack of comedic timing made it more offensive than funny. Several ‘daddy bloggers’ got a hold of the video and publicly criticized Ragu for this sexist view on family dynamics.

4. Chrysler Drops the F-Bomb

Chrysler had just launched the Imported from Detroit campaign at the last Super Bowl, when an employee at New Media Strategies used the F-bomb under Chrysler’s Twitter handle.  To make matters worse, he also was using it to describe Detroit drivers. The tweet said, “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to (insert expletive here) drive.” Needless to say the employee was fired and New Media Strategies lost the Chrysler Group account, but the damage was done. Apparently, the NMS employee thought they were logged onto their own personal account. Yikes! For more information, see this article from AdAge.com. 

5. NetFlix Forgets Twitter

Lastly, you’ve most likely heard about NetFlix making a separate company for its DVD-rental service called Qwikster. Immediately, customers began canceling their memberships altogether. Many took to Twitter to express their displeasure, but they were met by @Qwikster, a “foul-mouthed stoner” as Mashable described him. Netflix had failed to secure the @Qwikster Twitter handle before the launch. The Twitter account was filled with tweets about girls and smoking weed – not the image any company would want to be associated with, especially when announcing service changes that consumers are already unhappy with.

Ultimately, if there is anything to take away from these situations, it’s that you can’t be too careful. Whether you work for a PR agency or in-house, you are controlling the reputation and future of the companies you represent. One of the best ways to avoid these kinds of mistakes is to create editorial calendars, get tweets and Facebook posts approved ahead of time, schedule future posts and have separate Hootsuite or TweetDeck accounts for your clients and personal accounts. A little preparation and organization can go a long way!

Can you think of one I haven’t mentioned? Which do you think is the worst?