" In 1981 , the Osborne Computer Corporation had one of the first home computers on the market . At the launching , the CEO said the next rendering will be so much better , so everyone decided , ' Why purchase this translation if the next interpretation will be good ? We ’ll expect for V2 . ' So V1 sold terribly , the company folded , and there was no V2 . "
Recently, I watched the Netflix docuseriesPepsi, Where’s My Jet?, which is about a student whofounda loophole in a ’90s Pepsi commercial that would allow him to buy a $23 million harrier jet for just $700,000 worth of “Pepsi points.” I won’t spoil it, but the story is surprisingly captivating. It got me wondering what other big mistakes companies have made over the years.
Redditoru/LeatherFruitPFasked, “What are some of the worst corporate blunders or PR disasters in history?”
Here are 15 of the top responses:
1.“Gerald Ratner [the former CEO of the British jewelry company Ratners Group, which is now Signet Jewelers]callinghis own company’s product ‘total crap.’ The company’s value fell by millions, and he had toresign.”
2.“When the singer Susan Boylehada new album out [in 2012], they got the hashtag #Susanalbumparty trending to promote it. It was supposed to say ‘Susan Album Party,’ but instead, we all just saw ‘Su’s Anal Bum Party.'”
3.“In Canada, when the Conservative Party merged with the Reform Party, theycalledthemselves the Canadian Conservative Reform Alliance Party, or as all Canadian comedians realized, ‘CCRAP.’ It was hilarious for 48 hours before they changed it. Never forget CCRAP.”
4.“The Microsoft crewhavinga ‘funeral’ for the iPhone and the Blackberry outside of their headquarters to celebrate that amazing Windows phone.”
5.“DiGiornotryingto make the hashtag #WhyIStayed [which was used by survivors of domestic violence to bring awareness to reasons people stay in abusive relationships] be about making pizza at home.”
6.“Can’t believe the Hoover free flights promotion from the early ’90s hasn’t come up yet. Theyoffereda pair of return flights to America [or Europe] if you spent £100 or more on their stuff. Turned out people thought £100 for a return flight with a free vacuum cleaner was a hell of a deal, and it was a disaster that cost the company millions.”
7.“WhenGame of Thronesbotchedthe most anticipated episode of one of the biggest shows in history by making it in borderline pitch black. Then explaining themselves by saying people need better TVs.”
8."[When Pepsi first began selling its products in China, they used the] slogan ‘Come Alive with Pepsi,’ which wasmistranslatedin Chinese as ‘Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.'"
9.“When the US Armytweeted, ‘How has serving impacted you?’ [and many service members and veterans in their replies shared their experiences with trauma, mental health issues, and assault].”
How has do impacted you ?
[ In response , the US Armytweeted , " To everyone who respond to this yarn , thank you for share your story . Your tale are real , they count , and they may help others in similar office . The Army is committed to the health , base hit , and well - being of our soldier . " They alsosharedthe number to the Veterans Crisis Line . ]
10.“Have you heard of theOsborne Effect? In 1981, the Osborne Computer Corporationhadone of the first home computers on the market. It sounded fantastic and everything. At the launch, the CEO said the next version will be so much better… So, everyone decided, ‘Why buy this version if the next version will be better? We’ll wait for V2.’ So V1 sold terribly, the company folded, and there was no V2.”
11.“Blackberrythinkingthat they are the top in the mobile market so they didn’t need to innovate to compete with those new iPhone things from Apple.”
12.“Target’s expansion into Canada [in 2012].Collapsedin two years and cost $7 billion.”
13.“Sears dominated the mail order industry for over a century with their catalog. In 1993, they decided that mail order was on the decline anddiscontinuedthe catalog. Less than a year later, Jeff BezosfoundedAmazon.”
14.“The BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion was pretty bad on many levels. One of thelargest environmental disastersin history.”
15.And finally: “WhenU2madeus all have their album on our iPods [and iPhones].”
Some response have been edited for distance / clearness .
