If you're an energy firm under fire for an eye-watering price rise, who's just endured a serial rollicking on Twitter for an ill-judged Q&A on the day of the hike, what would you do? Try Facebook?
British Gas has endured another spectacular social media fail, with a sponsored Facebook post appearing on thousands of Newsfeeds on Monday morning.
With the caption "We’re committed to keeping Britain warmer this winter", British Gas posted a bright picture of Britain etched in a warm copper glow, with a cheery looking British Gas engineer.
The post has more than 20,000, overwhelmingly negative comments, and more than 2,700 shares, with similarly damning comments, calling the provider "thieves" and "shysters".
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One woman wrote: "Thanks British gas as I rent my property privately, I can not change my provider. Which means my two asthmatic children will have to put extra jumpers on, as the government have said. £200 a month I have to pay to keep my house warm for a two up, two down. What a joke. My heating will have to be turned off a lot more this year. I hope you can live with your selves, British gas when the elderly, children and ill suffer. As a mother am suppose to keep my children warm and safe how will I keep my children warm this year?"
"Why raise prices so dramatically? In truth your only commitment is to pay a good dividend," another wrote.
"Delete this link from your FB people and delete BG from your lives," another man wrote. "Their marketing is working as you are all commenting. The only way to beat them is to ignore them and switch providers."
Meanwhile over on Facebook British Gas has another epic social media fail with its 'keeping Britain warmer' ad
— Leggy Mountbatten (@Zardoz67) October 21, 2013
I don't think British Gas thought their Facebook ad campaign through properly - almost 20,000 negative comments so far! #timing
— Hannah Hiles (@HannahHiles) October 21, 2013
I love that a sponsored post by British Gas on Facebook has nearly 9,000 comments telling them how much everyone hates them.
— Tentacle Sixteen (@latentexistence) October 21, 2013
Last week, an #AskBG hashtag on Twitter, on the day the company announced on the same day it unveiled a 9.2% price hike, went about as well as could be expected.
