Wendy’s: The master of social media sass
- By Sarah Guenther
- Jan 20, 2017
- 2 min read
Wendy’s has long been an American fast food classic. The freckled, red-braided hamburger queen graces signs from small Midwest towns to large metropolitan cities.
Recently, some haters decided to bash Wendy’s on Twitter, and the fast food chain would have none of it. Users began tweeting insults to the Wendy’s Twitter account after user @NHRide responded to a Wendy’s tweet about “fresh, never frozen beef.” After the user said that Wendy’s is a joke, the fast food chain clapped back and schooled the user.
It didn’t take long for the news of Wendy’s’ sass to go viral. People began tweeting insults at Wendy’s just to see how the restaurant would reply, and the responses did not disappoint.
The question now is: what are the public relations implications of the great Wendy’s social media sensation of 2017?
Wendy’s’ social media manager, Amy Brown, got her current position at the helm of Wendy’s’ online channels after she trolled the vice president of advertising on Twitter. Since then, Wendy’s followers have been audience to Brown’s consistently sassy retorts and replies to users that engage the fast food brand online.
While Brown’s strategy has worked for Wendy’s so far, it isn’t necessarily par for the course. The social media landscape is often a volatile place where even the smallest gaffe can result in a PR nightmare. Social media managers should be careful when crafting messages for their brand and replies to customers and users.
Comedy is an often-welcome social media strategy, but the approach walks a thin line that easily tips to one side or the other – i.e., a comedic success or a total failure. Insults must be funny but also considerate, or a joke gone too far could blow up and paint a company as an inconsiderate or downright rude brand.
In Wendy’s case, the strategy works because it is unexpected and consistent. Brown’s retorts are consistently witty and funny and never seem to disappoint. Users have even begun to ask Wendy’s to roast them just to see what Wendy’s’ response will be.
Wendy’s is clearly doing something right, but other brands should proceed with caution when employing a comedic social media approach and stay away from offending potential customers.
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