Promotions, Stories Tied to Amy Winehouse Proliferate

With the world still reeling from the death of Amy Winehouse, Microsoft is already apologizing for an insensitive tweet that encouraged followers to pay tribute to the singer by purchasing her album from Zune.

The tweet was sent over the weekend, and Microsoft has since apologized. Since her death, sales of her music have spiked. Microsoft isn’t the only company trying to capitalize on Winehouse’s sad demise; iTunes has also put Amy Winehouse front-and-center on its homepage (“Back to Black” was number one over the weekend).

The website HyperVocal also turns a critical eye to The Huffington Post, which, in a story that makes nearly no sense, draws a parallel between Winehouse’s story and a lesson for small business. What goes for reporters also goes for publicists: Don’t pitch/write stories in poor taste. Don’t start pecking away on Twitter and Facebook about sensitive subjects. Take a breath, think, run the idea past a colleague. You’ll be happy you did.

Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews.