If you have Netflix or have been following them in the news, you probably know that they’re splitting their services into two: the DVD service will move to a new company called Qwikster, while the streaming service will stay branded as netflix. Besides the other problems and PR issues Netflix has had recently, this was a bold move. It was surrounded by controversy and highly dis-liked by both external brand strategists and consumers.
And then someone bothered to do a basic Google search for “Qwikster”. Turns out someone forgot to do their homework on social networks. The Twitter handle for Qwikster is already taken. Not only is it taken, but it’s taken by someone who, until just recently, had a pot-smoking Elmo as their avatar for the account.
Now, this could have been easily avoided. very, very easily avoided. Someone simply forgot to do their homework right and now Netflix is left with another PR disaster and the very expensive duty of buying the person out of the handle. Now, if they had done this before the release and subsequent online fallout, it would have been a dramatically easier and cheaper process.
It’s easy to do the research compared to fallout like the one netflix has on their hands.
And that’s why you always do your homework before you launch.