So the news blowing up this Wednesday afternoon is that UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre will not defend his title at UFC 143 in February. The fight will be replaced by an interim title match between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. For more details, check out this article on BJPenn.com.
Cagewriter caught some interesting chatter that’s worth exploring further: Dana White’s quip to a (apparently confused) fan via Twitter.
What’s fascinating about White’s response is that is absolutely the wrong thing to say based on standard social media / pr “rules.”
What’s really fascinating about White’s is that it’s the right move for the brand.
You’re doing it wrong
Nine times out of 10, the “correct” response when a customer has a complaint (even a ludicrous one) is to say “I’m sorry, we screwed up. You’re important to us.”
Nine times out of 10, a company representative telling off a customer (or fan) is grounds for a social media lynch mob.
Unless you’re doing it right
This is that outlier circumstance where telling the customer he’s an idiot is worth it because it makes sense for the brand. The UFC is known for having strong personalities throughout the organization. The fights are physical. The fighters have ego clashes before and after matches. This is a brand for which attitude and swagger are key elements.
“You don’t like it? Then f*** you.”
But only if your customers like a good triangle choke…
Obviously, this doesn’t work for every brand. Dell would be in serious trouble if they started telling customers to go piss up a rope. PayPal would be in deeper waters than they are already over the Regretsy situation. And both brands would have to take action to make amends. This merely illustrates that the “common knowledge” only works for the middle, the average. The rules of engagement for any brand need to be aligned with that brand’s image – White’s response is aligned with the UFC’s image.
Don’t miss the Quipol at the end of this post – Did Dana make the right move?
Here’s a sampling of fan responses in support…
