We Play in Traffic

Some consumers may be following what they think is your retail brand on Twitter, but it’s actually someone else, and that may be hurting your brand.

Search “IKEA” on Twitter and there are a variety of listings.  Almost all are posers that customers might think are really from IKEA.  And what some of them do are doing IKEA no good.

The first listing is “ikeafans” and has 1,800 followers.  The site it links to has legal copy that says “This site is intended as a source of information for those interested in IKEA products and is not affiliated with IKEA in any way.”  Yet the site and the accompanying Facebook page are the most unabashedly supportive of any brand I’ve seen.  Probably good for IKEA, but it’s not IKEA.

The second has postings literally every hour about a $1000 IKEA gift card for giving them your email address.  It’s called (surprise) “IKEAGiveaway.”  It links to BrandGivewayCentre.com who indicates in fine print – “The above listed merchants or brands in no way endorse or sponsor BrandGivewayCentre.com’s offer and are not liable for any alleged or actual claims related to this offer.”  Maybe they are going to sell IKEA the email address they acquire. 1,166 followers on Twitter.

GiftCardIKEA is the third Twitter listing.  It has postings every hour about a $1000 IKEA gift card… hey, this looks familiar.  Yes, 978 people are following identical Tweets to “IKEAGiveaway.”  And it takes them to the same BrandGivewayCentre.com.

Number 4 – IKEA_USA at least says “This is NOT an official IKEA account. Follow this account to show IKEA you want them on Twitter!”  The Twitter account links to IKEA.com, and there are a number of interesting Tweets linking to historical IKEA stuff (if you’re interested in the history of Scandinavian retailers.  969 followers must be).

Next is IKEAITALIA.  The Twitter page links to IKEA.com/it and it’s in Italian, so I’m assuming the 755 followers of IKEAITALIA know what the Tweets are about because I have no idea.

IKEA_Oz_East is from Australia and appears as if it might be sponsored by IKEA down under because some of the posts refer to IKEA as “us” and “we” and there are a number of specials that appear to be from IKEA.  733 followers.

I’ll skip a couple to ikealiving with 566 followers.  Most of the Tweets are about a video that is actually from IKEA and is on YouTube.  I think the postings on Twitter are from the people that made the video because all they want the follower to do is look at that video.

Anyway, 15 or so Twitter accounts that might be from IKEA are not.  So IKEA is leaving its brand on Twitter up to imposters.  And I’m not sure the Twittering public knows that.

Is that what you want for your brand?  Before some poser hijacks your brand on Twitter, get on and get some followers.  Better from you than posts that potential customers think are you.