Marketing professionals understand that successful marketing work doesn't necessarily mean just talking about your company or product.
Sometimes, the most effective marketing doesn't have anything to do with the business or what they sell.
Wendy's is a great example of this indirect marketing.
A few years back, their social media accounts got spicier than their Spicy Chicken sandwiches. Their Twitter started roasting competitors, cracking jokes in comments, clapping back at people and generally being a red-headed menace.
People loved it, sales and engagement soared, execs took note.
Fast forward to this week and RadioShack sending out a series of tweets so unrelated and jarring that people initially assumed the account had been hacked.
The electronics company kicked off it's new social media style by making some decidedly "bro" decisions, like tweeting about female ejaculation.
That tweet got deleted, but not before people got screenshots! ... so they just put it back up.
\u201cIf you find a squirter marry her.\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1656523099
Mind you, that post came after a series of other absolutely wild tweets over the last week or so - many if which targeted and insulted people, mostly women.
Like so:
\u201csorry not sorry for the absence, had to take the weekend off to bang @coffeebreak_YT\u2019s mom\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1655857260
\u201chello @KITKAT can you rebrand yourself to kitpussy\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1655866527
\u201cCrazy that in todays society, for instance a man has sex with tons of women hes labeled as a player or top G, but then when a woman goes out and has sex with thousands of men we call her @lilpump\u2019s mom.\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1656266148
\u201cI think the only person who\u2019s serviced more customers than us over the years is @jakepaul girlfriend.\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1656350826
\u201cAnybody that thinks RadioShack twitter is wildin just remember: we watched a court room full of people talk about Amber Heard taking a dump in Captain Jack Sparrows bed on live tv.\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1656609806
\u201cEvery account on the bird app is subject to catching this mf smoke. With the exception of @Hooters because i like big tittes. Its that simple.\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1656084671
While initially people thought the account had been hacked, it seems it's far worse than that.
RadioShack has been purchased by internet "get rich quick" guy Tai Lopez. His YouTube videos have drawn ire in the past, so these tweets are no surprise to anyone who knows his style.
Tai Lopez has a marketing style that many have compared to an edgelord 13-year-old who thinks being awful is hilarious and makes him cool.
And while that style certainly works for some - mostly other edgelord teenagers or people with that mentality - it's been a major turnoff for others and does little to explain what is actually happening with the brand.
They do still sell electronics - but have pivoted to push cryptocurrency and blockchain.
The bro-vertising that drips with misogyny is purposeful.
\u201cyou know that internet marketing guy Tai Lopez from all those YouTube "get rich quick" scheme video ads?\n\nhis company owns Radio Shack now. when you retweet those dumb tweets, you're helping them promote their crypto platform. \n\nthat's right, RadioShack sells crypto now.\u201d— Matt Binder (@Matt Binder) 1656534322
\u201cradioshack marketing team\u201d— emilio (@emilio) 1656535084
\u201c@RadioShack RadioShack is going through an "edgy Wendy's" phase in a last ditch effort to prevent the last 2 stores from becoming a Sports Clips location\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1656013909
\u201cbtw the RadioShack Twitter account making weird tweets is bc some dude bought the rights during bankruptcy proceedings and is pushing a cryptocurrency using its name. the token has only ever crashed and he's desperate\u201d— connor (@connor) 1656532719
\u201cJust FYI, this isn't some rebel intern sticking it to RadioShack. The company's owned by crypto bros now and they desperately, desperately want you to pay attention to them.\u201d— MockRock (@MockRock) 1656632345
As for RadioShack - they're loving all the attention. Positive or negative, people are talking about the company.
It doesn't look like they'll be moving away from this marketing tactic any time soon.
\u201cShack intern here. I wanted to take a sec to reflect on my post. Ik your expecting me to say, in my wildest dreams I never thought that tweet would go viral and to apologize. But i did because ik that shit was fire af. No we didnt get hacked, and no im not fired. Buckle up bitch\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1656553476
\u201cCorporate has now regained control of this account and we wanted to take the time to apologize to absolutely fuxking nobody, RadioShack does whatever the fuck RadioShack wants.\u201d— RadioShack \ud83d\ude08 (@RadioShack \ud83d\ude08) 1656013909
Oh, well.
It was fun while it lasted.
