The Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever

The kerfuffle over Cinnabon’s misguided efforts to memorialize the late Carrie Fisher through a tweet reminds us that Twitter produces two things in abundance: wit and outrage, with the latter often resulting from poorly executed attempts at the former. (And nearly always out of proportion to the original offense.)

I trust Cinnabon’s good intentions, and we’ve certainly seen far more egregious examples of brands trying to capitalize on tragedy, celebrity death, or national commemoration. The question, however, is why tweet about this at all, if you are a brand? Cinnabon has no relationship to Carrie Fisher, other than its chief product reminding people of Princess Leia’s original iconic hairdo. No connection to Star Wars, either. What was to be gained?

Don’t get me wrong. I believe that social media needs to be freewheeling and authentic, and that brands won’t succeed in the social space if their posts read like corporate press releases. The temptation must have been too great to resist, and I’ve been there too — we all like to be clever on social media, especially Twitter, whether as individuals or as brand representatives.

But if there is a line to be drawn, a rule of thumb that tells us when not to post, it is when someone dies. It’s just too fraught with peril, regardless of the individual or the circumstances of their death. (And there are always exceptions, such as when the person had a relationship to the brand.) I doubt a single customer of Cinnabon was sitting at home wondering what the company thought of Fisher’s passing. When someone dies, or when the nation is marking a solemn anniversary, the risk-reward ratio of a bold social media post seems particularly out of balance, and not in the favor of marketers.

This post originally appeared on Medium.