Instructions

Using the strategies and techniques you’ve learned from our crisis communication case studies, write a social media post for SeeMoji. The post is due in 2 hours. 

The purpose of the post is to:

1. Announce that SeeMoji’s library of new emojis will be locked down for one week.
2. Reduce the anger surrounding the accidental release of inappropriate emojis.  
3. Put a halt to the calls for a boycott of SeeMoji.

The following facts are all true. You may choose which facts to include (or not include) in your press release. You may not, however, contradict any of the facts in your press release.

• Teams of two new animation specialists and two designers have been training on new hardware purchased at SeeMoji.
• They have been putting in long hours, sometimes working until 10 p.m.
• Productivity is high, as is creativity.
• SeeMoji recently discovered that while testing the capabilities of the new software late one evening, several employees created an unknown number of inappropriate designs and enjoyed a laugh together.  Immediately, they deleted the content and decided to call it a night.  Because the software is new, they did not realize that they also needed to delete the emojis both in the drawing board function and the library.
• The inappropriate emojis became part of the SeeMoji library and were able to be accessed by customers.
• Billy Benton is our new director of design and development.
• William Hanson is a well-respected member of the Detroit-area community.
• Many SeeMoji employees agree with the editorial written by William Hanson and are embarrassed that this has happened at their employer.

Following are several background documents to use for information in writing your press release: 

TIMELINE  

Monday:  SeeMoji Press Release on new products

Monday:  Customers begin signing up for new $1.99 monthly subscription enabling access to entire SeeMoji library of products.

Tuesday:  Social media posts start complaining about inappropriate emojis included in the SeeMoji library.  People are understandably very upset with SeeMoji’s making “obscene” graphics available to families with children. Social media has been inundated by demands for a boycott of SeeMoji and its products.

Thursday:  Editorial by William Hanson,published in the Detroit Free News

Thursday through Monday:  Sampling of tweets

PRESS RELEASE

Troy, MI – SeeMoji announced today that it was releasing 3,000 new emojis.

Customers will be able to choose from 1,000 brand-new animated emojis, 1,000 animated emojis based on current emojis, and 1,000 brand-new non-animated emojis.  All of the new emojis will be compatible with Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. In addition, SeeMoji has added a new subscription model pricing system intended to save customers money. 

SeeMoji is a rapidly growing company that designs and develops emojis.It has doubled in size in the past three months, hiring new animated emoji specialists, doubling its office space, and tripling its payroll.  The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Troy, Michigan.  

EDITORIAL BY WILLIAM HANSON

“What Has Happened at SeeMoji?  Has the Company Lost Its Focus?”

Four days ago, SeeMoji, a major producer of animated and non-animated emojis announced its release of 3,000 new emojis.  Customers were happy to sign up for these long-awaited new products only to discover that along with their regular smiley faces and moving figures  an occasional inappropriate or even obscene emojis has been included.  Some of these were discovered by children hoping to find emojis to include with notes to friends and grandparents. 

No wonder parents are up in arms about these!

In its five years of existence, SeeMoji has had a reputation of being a family-friendly company that could be relied on to provide users of all ages with “safe” images to express their emotions.  Now, parents are finding themselves having to explain to kids about the image of Santa “mooning” viewers!  How do you explain to kids why some emoji figures are wearing almost nothing at all? 

In addition, some subscription-holders have discovered a gory image of a dead dog and a cat hanging from a tree with a noose around its neck!!  This is not funny stuff.

Social media posters are calling for a boycott of SeeMoji, and I can’t blame them.  SeeMoji deserves everything thrown at them over this most recent release of products that should never have been sold without a warning to parents!  In fact, they never should have been sold at all. 

William Hanson is the local business commentator for the Detroit Free News.

SAMPLING OF TWEETS

313footballmom75

@SeeMoji used to have cute products. Now my kids can’t use them. #DoneWithSeeMoji

Tammytammybomammy

@NotFamilyFriendlyUnbelievable how SeeMoji has changed.  Keep your emojis. #IAgreeWithWilliamHanson

Frazzledmom032968
My kids used to send emojis to grandma—not anymore! #CleanUpYourAct! #boycottSeeMoji

Footballnotfutbol

Is SeeMoji kidding? The last thing my kids need to see are naked emojis. #boycottSeeMoji   

EmoGrunge
These are the last SeeMoji products I will ever buy.  #wantmymoneybackSeeMoji

EvenSteven57

SeeMoji makes everybody in the tech world look bad.  Someone should be fired over this.#fireSeeMoji