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| Habitat sorry for Iran Tweeting | Habitat sorry for Iran Tweeting |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Furniture store Habitat has apologised for causing offence after accusations it exploited unrest in Iran to drive online Twitter users to its products. | |
| It added keywords - called hashtags - like 'Iran' and 'Mousavi' to messages so people searching for those subjects would see the firm's online offers. | It added keywords - called hashtags - like 'Iran' and 'Mousavi' to messages so people searching for those subjects would see the firm's online offers. |
| Users of the networking site reacted angrily and the posts were removed. | Users of the networking site reacted angrily and the posts were removed. |
| The retailer has said it knew nothing about the use of the hashtags, but declined to say who was responsible. | The retailer has said it knew nothing about the use of the hashtags, but declined to say who was responsible. |
| Contributors to Twitter posted messages claiming Habitat should be "ashamed" and saying it was "piggy-backing" on the political situation in Iran. | Contributors to Twitter posted messages claiming Habitat should be "ashamed" and saying it was "piggy-backing" on the political situation in Iran. |
| One of the controversial messages - called tweets - which appeared before being removed by Habitat, read: HabitatUK: #MOUSAVI Join the database for free to win a £1,000 gift card. | One of the controversial messages - called tweets - which appeared before being removed by Habitat, read: HabitatUK: #MOUSAVI Join the database for free to win a £1,000 gift card. |
| This was absolutely not authorised by Habitat - we were shocked when we discovered what happened Habitat statement | This was absolutely not authorised by Habitat - we were shocked when we discovered what happened Habitat statement |
| In a statement Habitat said it had "never sought to abuse Twitter". | In a statement Habitat said it had "never sought to abuse Twitter". |
| One online communication expert told the BBC it was hard to imagine how such a "serious misjudgement" could have happened. | One online communication expert told the BBC it was hard to imagine how such a "serious misjudgement" could have happened. |
| Twitter is a social networking tool that has been used widely by people inside and outside Iran to share information and eyewitness accounts, link to news reports and co-ordinate protests disputing the recent election result. | Twitter is a social networking tool that has been used widely by people inside and outside Iran to share information and eyewitness accounts, link to news reports and co-ordinate protests disputing the recent election result. |
| Users following conversations about what was happening in Iran searched for key words and in some cases were directed to adverts for Habitat. | Users following conversations about what was happening in Iran searched for key words and in some cases were directed to adverts for Habitat. |
| Habitat added: "We would like to make a very sincere apology to any users who were offended by last week's activity on Twitter. | Habitat added: "We would like to make a very sincere apology to any users who were offended by last week's activity on Twitter. |
| "The top ten trending topics were pasted into hashtags without checking with us and apparently without verifying what all of the tags referred to. | "The top ten trending topics were pasted into hashtags without checking with us and apparently without verifying what all of the tags referred to. |
| "This was absolutely not authorised by Habitat. We were shocked when we discovered what happened and are very sorry for the offence that has been caused." | "This was absolutely not authorised by Habitat. We were shocked when we discovered what happened and are very sorry for the offence that has been caused." |
| The business said it was "totally against" its communications strategy, that it had removed the content and would ensure it did not happen again. | The business said it was "totally against" its communications strategy, that it had removed the content and would ensure it did not happen again. |
| They have used a political and human situation that many people are concerned about, to market their products... that is not right Alex Burmaster, Nielson Online | |
| When asked whether an outside firm had been responsible for the strategy their spokesman declined to give details. | When asked whether an outside firm had been responsible for the strategy their spokesman declined to give details. |
| Alex Burmaster, communications director at research firm Nielson Online, said while some companies had succeeded in the art of advertising within social networking sites, Habitat had got it wrong. | Alex Burmaster, communications director at research firm Nielson Online, said while some companies had succeeded in the art of advertising within social networking sites, Habitat had got it wrong. |
| "What they have done is extraordinary, that they would even risk something like that. | "What they have done is extraordinary, that they would even risk something like that. |
| "This could not have led to anything other than a consumer backlash. | "This could not have led to anything other than a consumer backlash. |
| "The bottom line is that it was a serious misjudgement. They have used a political and human situation that many people are concerned about, to market their products and services, and that is not right." | |
| He added that marketers had to be particularly careful about the way they used social media - more so than they would be in any other form of media - because consumers were more "in control". | He added that marketers had to be particularly careful about the way they used social media - more so than they would be in any other form of media - because consumers were more "in control". |
| "Advertising in social media can be like gatecrashing a party. People who use social media are much less tolerant to have their conversations interrupted by advertisers. | "Advertising in social media can be like gatecrashing a party. People who use social media are much less tolerant to have their conversations interrupted by advertisers. |
| "The art is in being able to tap into those conversations without alienating people." | "The art is in being able to tap into those conversations without alienating people." |