If you’ve been following the Cleveland Kidnapping case in which three women were found after spending 10 years in captivity, you certainly know that their rescuer, neighbor Charles Ramsey, was about to enjoy a Big Mac from McDonald’s just before he saw one of the victims screaming for help next door. So does McDonald’s, and the company says that an outpouring of tweets has prompted it to “reach out” to the hero. The fast food giant posted a message to its Twitter account applauding Ramsey, stating that they will “be in touch.”
We salute the courage of Ohio kidnap victims & respect their privacy. Way to go Charles Ramsey- we’ll be in touch.
— McDonald’s Corp. (@McDonaldsCorp) May 7, 2013
The message posted late Tuesday raised criticism by many who say McDonald’s is taking advantage of the situation to promote its brand. “I call it news-jacking,” says Chris Ann Goddard, president of the PR firm CGPR. Others say the action was more fitting for a local restaurant rather than a multibillion-dollar corporation.
However, McDonald’s insists that there is no ulterior motive other than recognizing a community hero.
“Thousands of people have reached out to us expressing their sentiment for McDonald’s to do something for Mr. Ramsey,” spokeswoman Danya Proud says in an e-mail. “We hear them!”
What do you think? Was McDonald’s in the wrong for posting the tweet, or do you think the post isn’t such a big deal at all?