If you haven’t seen the mess Burger King got into recently, just click here. In the digital world, a really good idea can go terribly wrong if you don’t understand either the technology or its implications.

On the surface, it was a great idea. Use Google’s Voice Assistant to read the Wikipedia definition of a Whopper Burger. Except, as those of us who are tech savvy know, a Wikipedia article can be edited by anyone at any time. Before Google moved to block the voice request to define what a Whopper is, “..the advertisement almost immediately backfired on the fast-food chain. Once the ad started gaining attention, Wikipedia users began altering the first line of the article about Burger King’s Whopper. These edits included references to the burger as “cancer-causing” and stating that its ingredients include ‘cyanide.'”

Yup. Embarrassed. Shut off by Google for numerous reasons. Have the definition of your lead product changed in ways that are not flattering. A trifecta for sure. And a damaged brand

So, what can we learn from this faux pax? Well, first of all, don’t ever use a technology you don’t understand to market your company or your lead product. The result will always be disastrous. Second, always do a dry run before you release a tech-based ad or marketing plan. Third, if you are going to use Siri or Google Assistant as part of your ad or marketing campaign, check with them first. Even if your ad works, you don’t need the embarrassment of being called out by someone else. In the digital world, credibility is extremely important. Protect yours at all costs.

And there’s one more point – technology isn’t a “magic bullet.” It isn’t the answer to every business problem, and, in fact, the misapplication of technology can turn a business upside down. For example, this past week, we upgraded our server to PHP 7.0 – the latest version. It was quick and easy. PHP, if you aren’t familiar with it, is a “server-side language” that most web servers run. Well, a simple upgrade took down our portal and the site where we post proofs for clients to view. Should PHP version 7 be that incompatible with version 5.4? In theory, no. In fact, yes. What Burger King did – similarly – seemed like a great idea. But then, most missteps when it comes to technology begin life as great ideas.

Post by Falcon