Within minutes of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, brands began sharing their condolences and thoughts on social media.
And they haven’t stopped since.
Social media feeds have been full of companies and organisations paying tribute.
But not all of them have been well received – many have resulted in widespread ridicule.
One of the first tweets I saw came from The British Kebab Awards – imagine your grandchildren asking you in years to come where you were when you heard the news of the monarch’s death and having to admit the source was an account celebrating post-pub cuisine.
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge Her Majesty the Queen's passing. For 70 years, she stewarded us through our darkest and brightest days. Thank you Your Majesty. RIP https://t.co/uxF192OlSR pic.twitter.com/iuHGVw55Jb
— British Kebab Awards (@KebabAwards) September 8, 2022
Food brands have seemed particularly keen to post tributes.
Pizza Express, Heinz, Greggs and Domino’s were just a few of those that shared their condolences.
Less than an hour after the official announcement, Domino’s said: “Everyone at Domino’s joins the nation and the world in mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Our thoughts and condolences are with the Royal Family.”
— Domino's Pizza UK (@Dominos_UK) September 8, 2022
Such was the mocking backlash to the post that replies have been turned off.
But it was not just food brands.
Playmobil shared a picture of one of its toys in a hat and holding a handbag, and found itself accused of cashing in.
Rest in Peace 🖤 Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022 pic.twitter.com/eou217S8SZ
— PLAYMOBIL (@playmobil) September 8, 2022
The Shrek Adventure attraction, Funky Pigeon and Cal Train – a train company that operates in North California – also felt compelled to post.
Sports publisher Clutchpoints created a bizarre sports graphic to go with its post about the news – and then deleted it.
ClutchPoints deleted the best Queen tweet of the day so here it is for everyone that missed it pic.twitter.com/FbSfsrfwJ1
— Blake (@BlakeyLocks) September 8, 2022
Anti-monarchy musical Les Miserables was another account that found pressing the delete key was the best option.
Meanwhile, CrossFit shared ‘The Queen Elizabeth II workout’, which includes a ‘one-minute rest in silence’. The workout was created for the platinum jubilee, but was shared again after the death was announced – nothing says respect quite like lunges and squats.
‘1 minute rest in silence’ i am finished pic.twitter.com/eNPI5CHyml
— michael ✨ (@mjrgrs) September 9, 2022
The tributes didn’t end on social media. The Ann Summers homepage contained a tribute to the Queen before promoting the latest offers on its range of adult toys. Paddy Power passed its condolences on to The Royal Family before offering the latest odds on the day’s sporting activities.
The death of the UK’s longest reigning monarch is a huge news story. The blanket coverage we have seen since Thursday highlights how big it has been.
So, you can see why brands felt they needed to say something.
But do we need to know that pizza and baked beans send their condolences? Does a train company operating thousands of miles away need to pay tribute?
Or would a dignified silence be a better approach?
Staying silent on social media can feel weird, particularly when it feels like everyone else has something to say.
But staying silent doesn’t mean your brand does not care.
It is not compulsory to tweet or join in every social media conversation.
And, surely, it is better to stay quiet than find yourself facing a backlash, being subject to ridicule, or, in the case of CrossFit, accused of being “unhinged”.
Getting social media – and broader communication – right at times like this, when millions are in mourning, is incredibly hard.
So, we’ve put together a checklist of things we think brands should consider when posting at times of heightened national or global sensitivity.
Expect
A good starting point is to consider whether your customers would expect you to say something. With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, those companies with a Royal Warrant or organisations she had visited would probably be expected to say something.
For others, it is not so clear.
If you are a lingerie brand, were your customers going to be at night wondering what your thoughts were about the Queen’s death? Do those who attend the kebab awards care whether or not organisers have paid their respects?
If there’s no obvious relevance it is unlikely they will be bothered.
Add
What can you add to what has already been said?
If you can’t add anything meaningful, do you need to say it?
Or will it feel like a token gesture?
Timing
If you do need to say something, timing is crucial.
Don’t rush it. There is often a desire to be first on social media. But acting too fast can see you accused of jumping on the bandwagon and being insensitive.
Better to leave the breaking news to the likes of Sky and BBC.
Taking too long, however, can also be problematic and make you appear unsure and indecisive.
Don’t sell
Whatever you do, make sure there is no risk you will face accusations of trying to sell on the back of what has happened.
This is key. Get this wrong, and you will appear callous and insensitive.
Caution
If you are in any doubt about whether or not to post, then you probably shouldn’t.
A cautious silence is unlikely to trigger a backlash.
But getting it wrong might, no matter how quickly you hit the delete button.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
