It’s quite possible that future ill-timed social media marketing campaigns will be measured against the #QantasLuxury meme.

The Australian airline suffered a massive PR disaster when it grounded its entire fleet amid a highly publicized tiff with pilots, ground staff, and engineers, regarding pay and work conditions. The company is still trying to rebuild its image—not exactly the right time to tout the luxury angle of flying with Qantas.

But that’s exactly what the company’s social media team did when it tweeted last week: “Ever wanted to experience Qantas First Class luxury? You could win a First Class gift pack feat. A luxury amenity kit and our famous QF PJs.”

It followed up with: “To enter tell us ‘What is your dream luxury inflight experience? (Be creative!) Answer must include #QantasLuxury …”

The airline certainly got creative responses—and they haven’t stopped.

A quick search of the #QantasLuxury hashtag provides a sort of ad hoc primer on social media no-nos.

Next time your company is in the thick of a PR rebuilding phase, you may want to think #QantasLuxury before launching any clever social media campaigns.

(via The Conversation)

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