ABSTRACT
Twitter has afforded organizations a platform for crowdsourced campaigns using hashtags. However, it is susceptible to hijacks (Roncero-Menendez, 2013). This chapter seeks to examine the factors, dynamics and response strategies for such hijacks. Five international cases which have generated media interest were analysed. Findings revealed that public anger, wrong timing, and weak hashtags led to hijacked campaigns. Hijacks tended to peak within hours of the launch, aggravated by influential Twitter users, internet activists, and online media interest. Response strategies employed by organizations include replacement of hashtags. This chapter proposes the SMART (Scan-Monitor-Advocate-Respond-Timing) framework to manage such hijacks. This chapter is arguably the first empirical study examining the risks of Twitter hashtag campaigns.
