Smart PR

A company can react to online trolls in a number of ways. They can pretend to ignore them. They can respond in kind. They can threaten to sue. Or, they can laugh them off their critical game. Arby’s, the sandwich chain, took the last course and made a PR success of it.. First, they did their homework and kept an eye on the twitter account until its author was unmasked. Then, they flew an executive to Chicago to meet with the troll at his place of work unannounced. When the troll came out to greet them, he found several Arby’s staffers, a bag full of sandwiches and a black labrador puppy. The message,“Cheer up, buddy. You live in a world with puppies…and sandwiches.” The PR tactic predictably made a splash in the marketing/advertising community, and well it should. Arby’s had fun with the troll and the troll appreciated it. He told his 300,000 followers about it, thereby adding more impact to smart PR. It is a lesson other companies should follow.