Comments on: Layoffs and Social Media: Zappos Wounds are Public http://flipthemedia.com/index.php/2008/11/zappos/ At the crossroads of Media, Culture and Technology Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:27:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Brook Ellingwood http://flipthemedia.com/index.php/2008/11/zappos/comment-page-1/#comment-1278 Brook Ellingwood Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:18:09 +0000 http://flipthemedia.com/?p=1836#comment-1278 This news about Zappos comes shortly after I heard about layoffs at a well-known interactive agency that has a great reputation for helping companies develop social media strategies. That information came to me as gossip, doesn't show up in Google searches, and when I asked employees at the agency about it they declined to answer. I have the utmost respect for companies choosing what they think is the best communication strategy. But the impressions I'm left with are completely different. My impression of Zappos is that they are making orderly, if unfortunate, decisions to keep its business healthy in crazy times. My impression of the interactive agency is that they are tanking big time and their reactions are based on fear. I could be 100% wrong about these impressions. Perhaps Zappos is panicking but spinning the story, while the agency is calmly executing a solid long-term strategy for economic health. But to paraphrase Will Rogers and George W. Bush, all I know is what I read on the Internets. This news about Zappos comes shortly after I heard about layoffs at a well-known interactive agency that has a great reputation for helping companies develop social media strategies. That information came to me as gossip, doesn’t show up in Google searches, and when I asked employees at the agency about it they declined to answer.

I have the utmost respect for companies choosing what they think is the best communication strategy. But the impressions I’m left with are completely different.

My impression of Zappos is that they are making orderly, if unfortunate, decisions to keep its business healthy in crazy times. My impression of the interactive agency is that they are tanking big time and their reactions are based on fear.

I could be 100% wrong about these impressions. Perhaps Zappos is panicking but spinning the story, while the agency is calmly executing a solid long-term strategy for economic health. But to paraphrase Will Rogers and George W. Bush, all I know is what I read on the Internets.

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