SEO glossary: Shitstorm

Definition: What is a shitstorm?

The term "shitstorm" is made up of the English words "shit" and "storm". In a figurative sense, it is therefore a storm of faeces that rains down on the person or company concerned.

 

In reality, however, we are talking about a large number of negative statements on the Internet that serve as a reaction to a specific event.

 

A shitstorm is characterized by the fact that it spreads very quickly due to the large number of participants. It also usually comes as a surprise to the person or company concerned.

 

Incidentally, "shitstorm" was voted Anglicism of the Year in 2011.

 

The possible causes of a shitstorm

 

A shitstorm can have the following causes:

 

• It can be caused by the misconduct of an individual or a company.
• It can be triggered by a misunderstanding or an error in communication.
• It can be about a sensitive topic or a controversial opinion.

 

Shitstorms can be justified as well as completely made up out of thin air.

 

If a person or company makes offensive comments about someone or something, they must expect to face a backlash. Whether a shitstorm of thousands of comments on social networks is justified is another matter.

 

However, there have also been cases in which individuals have been subjected to a shitstorm completely without justification.

 

This is what happened to the then 13-year-old singer Rebecca Black in 2011. She published a music video that received millions of views within a short space of time. Many people left negative reviews or insults in the comments.

 

The possible effects of a shitstorm

 

In Rebecca Black's case, the shitstorm even had a positive effect: the attention her video attracted brought her to the attention of a record company, and she signed a record deal shortly afterwards.

 

However, shitstorms are often associated with negative consequences for the person or company affected. They usually deactivate their social media channels to stop the flood of negative comments.

 

For companies, a shitstorm can cause financial damage if, for example, former customers decide to avoid the company from now on. The share price can also fall as a result of the situation.

 

If an influencer or other prominent person is affected by a shitstorm, this can also have financial consequences. Advertising partners could end their involvement and artists could lose paying fans.

 

Examples of shitstorms

 

There are numerous examples of shitstorms. Here we briefly describe two exemplary situations.

 

Incident at United Airlines

 

On April 9, 2017, flight 3411 of United Express - a subsidiary of United Airlines - was scheduled to fly from Chicago to Louisville. Four of the company's employees were also due to board the flight.

 

However, the plane was completely overbooked, so the employees could not find a seat. Therefore, four passengers were randomly selected to leave the plane.

 

One of them was the 69-year-old doctor David Dao. However, he refused to leave his seat as he had appointments at his destination the next day.

 

Security officers then used force to remove him from the aircraft. He hit his head on an armrest, causing a bleeding wound and losing consciousness.

 

The incident was filmed by other passengers and published on the internet. It triggered massive criticism of United Airlines. The then US President Donald Trump also got involved in the shitstorm, describing the incident as "terrible".

 

The company's shares lost around 2.5 percent of their value the day after the incident. Nevertheless, Oscar Munoz, the CEO of United Airlines, tried to play down the incident and placed partial blame on Dao. However, this contradicted the videos of the incident.

 

It was only two days later that Munoz apologized and absolved Dao of any blame. He also promised that such an incident would never happen again on board a United Airlines flight.

 

"Coolest Monkey" from H&M

 

In 2018, clothing manufacturer H&M published a sweater with the slogan "Coolest Monkey in the Jungle" in its online store. In the product presentation, it was worn by a dark-skinned boy.

 

This imagery, which was perceived as racist, caused a worldwide storm of indignation . Even some celebrities such as singer The Weekend and rapper G-Eazy called for a boycott of H&M on the internet.

 

The protest even left the internet when riots broke out in some of the company's stores. H&M's shares also lost value.

 

The company then apologized for having commissioned and published the photo. The fact that the apology was only issued around 48 hours after the shitstorm began earned H&M further resentment.

 

An investigation found that the company's European marketing team was predominantly white and unaware that the image could be racist.

 

As one of the reactions to the incident, H&M made its management team more diverse.

 

 

How best to deal with a shitstorm

 

A shitstorm does not necessarily have to have dramatic consequences . However, the person or company affected must deal with the situation professionally.

 

These are the most important steps that should be taken to counter a shitstorm:

 

1. React quickly: The reaction to a shitstorm should be just as quick as the shitstorm itself. In order to recognize early on that a shitstorm is brewing, social media should be monitored closely. If the signs are clear, an initial message should be sent to ensure that the situation has been noticed.
2. Understanding the cause: In order to be able to react appropriately to the shitstorm, the reasons should first be understood. To do this, all relevant information about the incident should be collected. In addition, all departments in the company that are involved in the situation should be involved at an early stage.
3. Authentic communication: If a mistake has been made, a sincere apology is appropriate. However, accusations or justifications should be avoided. The public should also be informed about the measures taken in response to the error.
4. Take measures: The announced measures should then actually be implemented - and as quickly as possible. For example, if a problematic photo has been posted, it must be removed as quickly as possible. In addition, long-term solutions should be developed to prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future.
5. Dialog: It is also important to enter into dialog with people who are affected by the cause of the shitstorm. Dialogue should also be sought with critics.
6. Follow-up: Once the shitstorm has been contained, precise follow-up is required. This includes, for example, optimizing processes and training employees.