The final piece of the 3-part case study on marketing within a Facebook group. Poor decisions lead to an epic social media meltdown, resulting in alienating 3/4 of prospective buyers.

1. The Case Of
The Pretty Pink Purse:
MEASURING THE FALLOUT
KathleenHeuer.com

2. READ THE REST OF
THE CASE STUDY
• The
Case of the Pretty Pink Purse:
Advertising Within a Local Facebook Group
http://bit.ly/pursecasestudy1
• Pass
the TEQUILA:
Preventative Medicine for Social Media Meltdowns
http://bit.ly/pursecasestudy2
• The
Case of the Pretty Pink Purse:
Measuring the Fallout
http://bit.ly/pursecasestudy3

3. THE QUICK RECAP
• Seller
advertises designer purse for sale
in local private (closed) Facebook group
• Prospective
customer in the group spots same item
for significantly less elsewhere online
• Seller
makes a series of poor choices,
resulting in a social media meltdown.
• Group
member dubs the incident “Pursegate”

4. THE SURVEY
• The
group had 4,837 members the day of the event
• 175
responded to the survey (3.6%)
• Respondents
• Three
were likely those who had the strongest feelings about the event
questions
• SurveyMonkey.com

5. THE SURVEY
1. Were you a witness to “Pursegate” on Thursday, February 6, 2014?
2. As a result of “Pursegate,” are you more or less likely to purchase
products or services from the seller in question?
3. If “Pursegate” changed the likelihood of purchasing from the seller,
what comment, question or overall “vibe” changed your mind?

6. Q1. Were you a witness to “Pursegate”
on Thursday, February 6, 2014?
• Yes, I
watched the whole thing unfold live.
• Yes, I
saw a lot of it as it happened.
•I
saw some, but not the whole thing.
•I
saw something about it, but not much.
•I
missed it.
• Other
(please specify)

7. Saw the whole thing
Saw most of it
Missed some of it
Saw something, but not much
Missed the whole thing.
7%
29%
7%
31%
27%

8. Q2. As a result of “Pursegate,”
are you more or less likely to purchase
products or services from the seller in question?
• More
• Less
likely.
likely.
• About
•I
the same.
was never a prospective customer.
• Please
explain.

9. Not a prospective customer
Prospective customer
33%
57 people*
67%
125 people*
*People must have checked
more than one box.
Poor survey design on my part.

10. As a result of “Pursegate,” are you more or less likely to purchase products or services from the seller in question?
Less likely
Just as likely
More likely
28%
16 people
41 people
72%
More likely
to purchase?
0 people

11. All things being equal,
people will do business with,
and refer business to,
those people they
know, like and trust.
-Bob Burg

12. As a result of “Pursegate,” are you more or less likely to
purchase products or services from the seller in question?
Please explain.
“Since she mis-represented the purse she was selling,
claiming it to be a different and more expensive version
than it actually is, I would be very hesitant
to buy anything from her, knowing she lied about that.”
“The seller has always been ‘off ’ for me
due to her advertising techniques. …
She has become more and more aggressive,
and I don't usually buy from aggressive sellers anyhow.
I don't trust them in any field of business.”

13. As a result of “Pursegate,” are you more or less likely to
purchase products or services from the seller in question?
Please explain.
“…Her constant posting is annoying.
I know full well that I can ‘keep scrolling,’
but that doesn’t change the fact that I always see it.
Furthermore. …never once would I…threaten to sue.
She behaved inappropriately.”

14. As a result of “Pursegate,” are you more or less likely to
purchase products or services from the seller in question?
Please explain.
“I did try to go to the Etsy store,
which I've never done before.”
“Will continue to be a customer.”

15. Q3. If “Pursegate” changed
the likelihood of purchasing
from the seller,
what comment, question,
or overall “vibe” changed your mind?

16. What changed your mind?
“The fact that she clearly lied
about what price the purses
were going for online.
If she is dishonest about that,
how can I trust anything she says?”

17. What changed your mind?
“I did not like her attacks on the group.
I was inclined to believe the person
who was telling us about the factory ‘difference.’ ”
“The bickering.
As they say, the customer is always right.
Don't argue, keep your mouth shut,
and interested people will come along.”

18. What changed your mind?
“Definitely the defensive attitude of the seller
and the lashing out that followed.
It made her seem more guilty
and made me question her ability to handle
any potential issues that can sometimes arise
when you're buying any product.”

19. What changed your mind?
“I didn't like how she kept on posting.
It made her look childish and I'm sure [it] may have
turned some possible customers away.…
She did not need to keep the drama going.”
“She needs to watch her comments in posts.
In my opinion, she is a small business owner
and should conduct herself in a personal,
professional manner so fights over petty things
do not get blown out of proportion.”

20. What changed your mind?
“…I would not consider buying something from someone like that.
It's completely inappropriate to respond rudely
to people on a public forum.…
How do I know…what they are going to say about me?
It's better to ignore the negative and apologize
for any misunderstanding than to cause drama.…
Just bite your tongue and move on….”

21. What changed your mind?
“It's not about the purse, it was about
how unprofessional she acted.
Not much care for her customers
who felt they were cheated.”
“The fact that after the ‘Pursegate’ incident
she actually posted more things for sale.
She should have let it fizzle down,
but it was like she was taunting
the ones annoyed the most by her post.”

22. What changed your mind?
“The part where ‘slander’ and ‘sue you’ were used.”
“Something along the lines of
‘Is there an attorney that works with small businesses?’
on the EXACT same forum that the people
she was threatening to sue use.
Were they supposed to go running at the threat?”

23. “I don't hate on someone trying to make a buck.”
“I feel she was attacked and lost her cool.
I would give her a chance to explain her actions though
and let that determine if I would buy from her.”
“It's a free market. Do I AGREE with the seller?
NO! Do others (including companies) buy and
try to resell at a large profit? ABSOLUTELY.”
“U admins need a life”

24. KATHLEENHEUER.COM
digital marketing
Got a question about social media?
kathleen@kathleenheuer.com
@kathleenheuer