Among the social media savants charged with running brand accounts, some get to have fun. The weirdos at Denny’s come to mind.
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— Denny’s (@DennysDiner) June 3, 2014
Oftentimes, though, the people crafting corporate tweets are forced to apologize for crossing a line. Perhaps, like a certain Denny’s competitor, they compared pancakes to breasts. Maybe they posted a vulgar image or message (it seems every airline eventually does).
We apologize for running a local ad insensitive in its mention of pit bulls. We didn’t mean to offend anyone and the ad is being pulled.
— McDonald’s (@McDonalds) February 3, 2012
Then there are Twitter accounts for businesses that, for one reason or another, just can’t catch a break. The subscription streaming music service Tidal, which has long struggled in its market, exemplifies this category. Seriously—who else is getting dragged for misidentifying Muppets?
hmm @TIDALHiFi @ElectricMayhem why does the picture have zero EM members? neither Floyd, Zoot, Janice, Animal nor Dr Teeth are pictured
— Dan Boujoulian (he/they) (@danhattan) March 3, 2016
In fact, whoever runs Tidal’s Twitter really just has one job—telling people who complain about the platform to uninstall and reinstall it.
What’s most fascinating about this soul-deadening exercise in #engagement is the way the wording sometimes subtly shifts, as if the person typing is trying to hold onto their sanity even as they descend into “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy”-style madness.
@Kujawski_ Please uninstall and then re-install the app. That should fix it!
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) February 19, 2016
@iamandrewlittle Please uninstall the app and then reinstall it.
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) February 15, 2016
@topo_tron Please uninstall and reinstall the app and let us know if you are still haveing trouble.
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) February 15, 2016
@RalphyNoodlez It should work on all devices! Please check your connection and if that doesn’t work, uninstall and reinstall the app.
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) February 23, 2016
@ReardonShane If you’re having trouble streaming the album via the app, please uninstall and reinstall it.
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) February 15, 2016
All of this is to say: Can someone check on Tidal’s social media manager? It can’t be healthy to spend all day dealing with aggrieved Kanye West fans.
Downloaded Tidal to listen to Life of Pablo from Kanye. Free trial. Plan to uninstall before 1st payment. #WhatHappensInVegas
— Bill Babeaux (@BillBabeaux) February 27, 2016
I’m going to uninstall Tidal right after this album is over.
— PaigeThePlug (@PaigeThePlug) February 20, 2016
https://twitter.com/Just_JRM/status/701763072050921472
@PatrickCoffee they better be careful – when most uninstall Tidal, they never reinstall.
— Ken Bruno (@kenbruno) March 4, 2016
At this point, we’re dealing with a spiritual crisis. Unhappy in your career? Uninstall and reinstall it. Marriage not working? Uninstall and reinstall. Fighting feelings of depression self-loathing? Uninstall your brain, then reinstall it. This is the woe of every troubleshooting professional.
Anyway, hang in there—whoever you are. I don’t want to say it’ll get easier, because it definitely won’t, but surely Jay Z will give you a nice letter of recommendation when you do move on to greener pastures.
Photo via Nan Palmero/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
