Yesterday, America witnessed another horrific action that
will go down as a dark day in this country’s history. Two explosions rocked the
Boston Marathon Monday, April 15th, leaving at least three dead and
over a hundred wounded at the time of this post. It’s like these events just
won’t stop.
Last year alone, we saw a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary
School killing over 20 children and another shooting at Movie Theater in
Colorado killing 12. Combine that with the standard (and I realize how sad that
is when I say standard) shootings every day across the country (especially in
Chicago) and we just realize how inhumane our country really is.
Like any event of this nature, as soon as it happened, all
social channels were turned off at WOMMA. Blogs, events, marketing news,
membership, none of that matters in days like this. Any company who thinks
otherwise should be out of the job. Sad to say, this wasn’t always the case.
After hearing about the shootings, I went to Facebook to see
reaction around the country. The fact that I went to Facebook as opposed to CNN
or New York Times is a topic for another day. Nearly across the board, I saw
images and words expressing their condolences to anyone affected by this
horrific action. Yes I saw some promo posts here and there, but mostly, whether
it be a friend or a company I follow, the message was united and clear.
This has not always been the case. Even in extreme times of
worry, certain brands just don’t understand the magnitude of dire events. I
bring up the following example because it not only shows the true danger of
scheduling messages, but also that some companies just don’t get it. After the
Batman incident in Colorado, the NRA sent out a tweet the following morning
(let me repeat, the following morning), “Goodmorning shooters. Happy Friday! Weekend Plans?” The outrage was huge both
online and offline. After Sandy Hook, NRA made a wise choice and stayed silent
across their channels.
I truly believe brands, agencies and most importantly,
humans have come to realize there is more to life than work and money. It is
moments like these that make you appreciate your health, your home, your
friends, your family and your life. Sometimes, we sadly need these types of
reminders to bring us down to earth, but judging by the reactions online
yesterday, our society is moving in the right direction.
How wonderfully stated - thank you for putting thoughts we are all having into such wise words.
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