Two things came to my mind while reading:

1) As much of an added stressor social media is on our jobs as PR pros, I think it’s a great outlet for customers, clients and brand ambassadors to express their thoughts on the product, good or bad. We’ve also got a new opportunity with social media to directly answer those sometimes “hecklers” or genuinely distraught customers looking for some assistance. But the maliciousness we’ve seen on social media outlets such as Twitter can be downright disgusting and mean.
2) I can’t agree enough with you to get the right people involved. It’s important to have someone who is educated on the topic to handle any crises, but it’s also important to make sure the person speaking “knows the lingo.” Perhaps your CEO has yet to be on Twitter? Maybe she’s not the best option to “toss into the fire.” It’s best to mix knowledge of product, client service and practice in the medium of communication.

Love this Kathy! Thanks!

I would add to your list of tips: remember that social media doesn't shut down at 5:00 on Friday. I'm not sure the @NestleFamily Tweeter(s) would have added much to the conversation over the weekend, but the hashtag remained active and the Nestle Folks had removed themselves from the convo. I can't decide if that was the bad move though, given the overall tone of some of the tweets.

Two things came to my mind while reading:

1) As much of an added stressor social media is on our jobs as PR pros, I think it’s a great outlet for customers, clients and brand ambassadors to express their thoughts on the product, good or bad. We’ve also got a new opportunity with social media to directly answer those sometimes “hecklers” or genuinely distraught customers looking for some assistance. But the maliciousness we’ve seen on social media outlets such as Twitter can be downright disgusting and mean.
2) I can’t agree enough with you to get the right people involved. It’s important to have someone who is educated on the topic to handle any crises, but it’s also important to make sure the person speaking “knows the lingo.” Perhaps your CEO has yet to be on Twitter? Maybe she’s not the best option to “toss into the fire.” It’s best to mix knowledge of product, client service and practice in the medium of communication.

Love this Kathy! Thanks!

I would add to your list of tips: remember that social media doesn't shut down at 5:00 on Friday. I'm not sure the @NestleFamily Tweeter(s) would have added much to the conversation over the weekend, but the hashtag remained active and the Nestle Folks had removed themselves from the convo. I can't decide if that was the bad move though, given the overall tone of some of the tweets.