Why Technology, Criminals and Potato Chips Don't Mix.

I would suggest that before exposing your brand to damaging headlines, everyone needs to stop and think why poorly thought through shenanigans in Digital Innovation can be reckless!

Just like anything when it comes to technology, people seem to lose their head when thinking about the possibilities rather than the risks and benefits.

Junior Brand Manager (with social media portfolio) "Hey, we need to be innovating on new trends, digital platforms, social media"

Head of Marketing (Who cut teeth on TV and Print in 1984), "That does sound cool. Daddio!"

Junior Brand Manager "Selfies are In! Mobile phone's are cool! We need a younger demographic! Let me take a punt at something fun and new that utilizes technology for the hell of it!"

Head of Marketing "Sure! What harm could it do! Knock yourself out!"

I'm not sure whether you read in the news today about the unfortunate outcome of the Walker Crisps activity in the UK which sought to innovate with digital platforms and social media?

From what I understand it has had to be rapidly withdrawn from the market.

This was the headline from today's biggest selling newspaper the Sun.

According to the BBC "The "Walkers Wave" campaign asked social media users to respond to a tweet from the official Walkers Crisps Twitter account with a selfie, using the hashtag #WalkersWave, as part of the chance to win the tickets.

The user's picture would then be incorporated into a personalised video, featuring Gary Lineker, automatically tweeted and captioned by Walkers.

To all intents and purposes it would appear that 80's and 90's football sensation Gary Lineker was holding up the picture and the person was waving from a crowded soccer stadium.

Unfortunately it didn't take long before people were uploading photographs of notorious serial killers.

No one at Walkers seemed to have thought that long about the possible abuses of the technology or the implications on the brand.

A Walkers spokesman said: “We recognise people were offended by irresponsible and offensive posts by individuals, and we apologise. We are equally upset and have shut down all activity.”

However the question should really be, why was this allowed to happen?

It reminded me immediately of the recent Burger King debacle in the US.

A Burger King TV advert which was designed to activate Google Home smart speakers and some Android phones to describe its Whopper burgers was sabotaged by members of the public.

The ad triggered the devices to read out information about the burgers from online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.

However, the pages were hijacked and online users edited Wikipedia to describe the Whopper as the "worst hamburger product" and another added cyanide to the list of ingredients.

What ?

Why didn't anyone think that was a possibility?

I genuinely believe people become so enamored by the 'What can be achieved' they do not stop to think if they 'should do it?'

I'll leave the last word to Jeff Goldblooms character in Jurassic Park.

Mat Shore is a professional innovations speaker and founder of Outside In, a consulting and training company specialising in creating competitive insights and value propositions. You can buy his book ‘The Seven Deadly Sins of Innovation’ now at Buy Mats 7 Sins Book