Starbucks’ #SpreadtheCheer Twitter campaign hijacked

The coffee chain is the latest brand to see its social media efforts overrun by opponents in an exceptional case in which the tweets were displayed for an offline audience.

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The Telegraph explains:

“The coffee firm displayed Twitter messages tagged with #spreadthecheer on a big screen at the Natural History Museum [in London], where Starbucks is sponsoring the ice rink. Unfortunately, the tweets were not checked before being displayed on the screen.

“One tweet called Starbucks ‘tax dodging MoFos,’ while another opted for a more blunt message: ‘Hey Starbucks, PAY YOUR ——- TAX.'”

In recent months, Starbucks has taken flak in the U.K. for the relatively small amount of taxes it pays in that country. In response, the company has volunteered to pay millions of pounds in extra taxes over the next two years.

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