Dark Sites Can Help Brands Shed Light for Stakeholders During a Crisis

Does your company have a process to shift gears quickly on its web site when a crisis hits? If not, during a grave incident or crisis your site might continue doing business as usual, loaded with upbeat content and imagery.

In the digital age there are few more visible communication mistakes than failing to update site content or social media accounts when your company is mired in a bad situation or crisis.
Boston Market’s Social Turkey
Recall Boston Market’s predicament during Thanksgiving 2020. Knowing customers were opting not to travel for the holiday during the pandemic’s height, Boston Market offered a solution.

Order a turkey dinner with all the trimmings from us in advance. Pick it up the day before the holiday or early Thanksgiving morning. Some outlets gave customers 15-minute windows to pick up their food.

Sales were wildly successful.

For reasons yet unexplained, though, a slew of Boston Market locations were unable to promptly fill these pre-paid pick-up orders. At some outlets, customers waited for hours to get food.

Others, though, were caught in long lines only to find out hours later there was no more turkey left.