This post is based on an article in DIGIDAY today, 9/11/2013, on the question of Brands tweeting about 9/11. The article was well done, written by Saya Weissman. The following is my comment, published with the article.

Should brands be tweeting about 9/11? From my perspective, it depends, but the default answer should be to avoid comment. And my perspective is informed, in part, by having worked downtown at the time of the attacks, being there when the buildings came down, and then spending three more months at Ground Zero mobilized with the military.So the experience is pretty close, and pretty raw still, for me.

For companies – not brands – that were affected, e.g.companies in Manhattan and/or companies that suffered losses, it seems to me that a respectful remembrance can be appropriate. But for those brands trying to use the moment to improve awareness, even if the message is benign, I think that’s in poor taste.

9/11 may morph into a national holiday eventually like Memorial Day, though it isn’t really the same thing (we may celebrate Veteran’s Day, but we don’t celebrate Pearl Harbor Day or Oklahoma City Bombing Day). And in any case, it certainly isn’t there yet, especially for those of us personally affected. By the way, as a veteran, I’m not that fond of brands tweeting on Memorial Day either…

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Don Mathis is the CEO and Co-Founder of Kinetic Social, a social data and technology company focused on making sense of the world’s social signal. He also serves in the US Navy on reserve duty, where he is an Expeditionary Combat Logistics & Anti-Terrorism Officer.

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