Chevrolet Embraces the #ChevyGuy Mishap and it Pays Off

This week, we’re giving you an example of how a seeming PR nightmare can actually be a great opportunity for your company to show their smarts. After the World Series, a very nervous Chevrolet representative seemingly butchered his speech. Instead of sweeping the mishap under the rug, Chevy transparently and effectively communicated with their audience. Read below for some inspiration when it comes to re-thinking your own investor communication!

If you haven’t heard of it already, well, this is the poor Chevy Guy:

His name is Rikk Wilde, and during his sweaty and flashcard-accompanied speech, he probably didn’t know he was about to become an internet sensation. The Chevrolet regional zone manager bumbled through his minute long speech of presenting MLB World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner with a new Chevy Colorado. His most memorable moment came when he attempted to describe the new car:

“Um, it combines class-winning and leading, uh, you know, technology and stuff with, uh, Wi-Fi powered by OnStar, sitting there on the screen…”

Yeesh. Seemed like a pretty embarrassing moment and a bad hit for Chevrolet.

But it wasn’t. The internet blew up with responses. Some were horrified, but most were just amused. Jokes sprang up everywhere. AdAge writes, “Within an hour, ‘#ChevyGuy,’ ‘#TechnologyandStuff’ and ‘#Rikk Wilde’ were among the top 10 national trending topics on Twitter”.

And what did Chevy do? They ran with it. Only hours after the interview, they tweeted this picture, incorporating the hashtag #TechnologyAndStuff.

httpss://twitter.com/ChevyTrucks/status/527693640605249537

They also added #TechnologyAndStuff to their homepage and the Chevy Colorado page on their website:

technologyandstuff

Business Insider writes that, “One day after World Series, Chevy edited the end of their new commercial for the Colorado. Instead of ‘you know you want a truck, the all-new Chevy Colorado,’ the voice at the end of the commercial now says ‘the all-new Chevy Colorado, you know you want a truck … and stuff'”.

The internet LOVED the company’s lighthearted response, and applauded them for sticking with their guy:

httpss://twitter.com/amyssorrells/status/528117411799502849

httpss://twitter.com/sharcor/status/527690477613907968

httpss://twitter.com/ChrisBamaBrune/status/528191401138610176

And the ChevyGuy didn’t just provide Chevrolet and GM with some good stories. According to a Bloomberg report,

“Chevrolet, the official vehicle of Major League Baseball, has received at least $2.4 million in media exposure from Rikk Wilde’s unconventional presentation, much of it on social media, according to sponsorship evaluation firm Front Row Analytics. That’s six times more than the $392,000 it would have brought in with a more polished performance.”

Way to go, Rikk!


Marika Hirsch
Marika Hirsch

As Blender’s Content Manager (aka ‘Resident Wordsmith’) Marika enjoys bringing readers the latest and greatest in both digital trends and IR tips. Follow along on Twitter: