Known primarily  for their delicious pastries and desserts, Entenmann’s is facing backlash for a distasteful tweet this week. While Twitter was erupting over the Casey Anthony “not guilty” murder verdict, @Entenmann’s asked “Who’s not guilty of eating all the treats they want” and included the trending “Not Guilty “ hashtag.

Although Entenmann’s maintains that the tweet was in no way meant to reference the court case, there is some speculation over whether or not it was a PR stunt. Who wasn’t reading posts, tweets and blogs about the case and the verdict?

Whether it was intentional or an honest mistake, in our opinion, it is still a misstep that should have been avoided. Whether it’s through an understanding of what’s appropriate or training staff on the subject, Entenmann’s should have known better. CommCore also maintains that  social media content should be taken just as seriously as any other materials produced from your company, whether it is an internal memo, press release, by-lined article or product collateral. Your brand and your reputation are on the line with everything you create. We recommend to our clients that they have checks and balances in place for their social media outreach. Someone at Entenmann’s, or their agency, should have researched the trending hashtags prior to tweeting. They should also have had someone review the content prior to posting. It sounds easy enough but more and more companies are making mistakes and attracting negative attention due to inappropriate or insensitive tweets.

Does someone review your company’s posts and tweets before they go on the internet for all to see?