"Pulling a qwikster" – the act of a company returning to its previous way of doing something after making an ill-conceived decision and being slapped by innumerable denizens of the social media community. The decisions are usually an attempt to create more revenue without doing any real work. Even worse, these decisions sometimes kill beloved products or services that the company does not consider cost-effective.
The qwikster can also be a comment from a brand that is simply poking fun at social media, thinking we're nothing more than unemployed geeks living in our parents’ basement. OK … sure … in some cases that is indeed true. But never underestimate the power of a geek fueled by Mountain Dew, pornography and plenty of free time.
A qwister can even come in the shape of a new fee or price hike for a typically non-adjusted fixed cost.
Let's learn from history, folks. As a business or professional, you should never have to shell out piles of money for marketing and social engagement in an attempt to reconnect with previously happy, trusting consumers of your brand.
Qwikster...The new service was to carry video games for an additional charge, whereas Netflix did not.[49]Netflix subscribers who wanted DVDs by mail would have had to use a separate website to access Qwikster.
On October 10, 2011, following negative reaction from customers, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced the cancellation of the planned Qwikster service and said that the DVD-by-mail service would remain a part of Netflix.[50]
Brands and services pulling a Qwikster?
...there's a million people, is your brand next?
Just watch as the qwister become the new social media 'black-eye' – hopefully you'll be ready and keep the coveated trust of your precious customers. Thoughts? Examples? Feedback? I'd love to hear from you. Every last one of you ;)