This isn’t rocket science.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that when you give up control of your brand to consumers, anything and everything can happen. Skittles certainly found out the hard way, and now so has NASA.
The space agency decided to get the public involved in naming a new room on the international space station. Ok, the idea is good so far. Then they gave people four names to choose from. Fine. But their big mistake was to also include a write-in option – and once Stephen Colbert asked his fans to vote for his name, the contest was all but over.
After garnering 230,539 votes (to 2nd place’s meager 40,000), Colbert came out on top. Of course NASA reserved the right to choose a name themselves, but will give the online winner “the most consideration.” Once again, a company’s lack of knowledge about the Internet leads to embarrassment.
NASA, I’m begging you. Don’t do something incredibly stupid like naming the room something else. Think of all the great publicity and goodwill you’d get by having a sense of humor about your own bone headed move and really naming it the Colbert Room.
Filed under: Are you kidding me? | 1 Comment
Tags: crowd_sourcing, online, promotion, screw-up
The Colbert Room has no appeal. No panache. No intrinsic NASAness. I’d much rather see a Colbert Module or Colbert Node before a Colbert Room.
What I’m really holding out for, however, is The Colbert Command and Control Pod. The CCCP. Ought to go over big at NASA. Don’t you think?