At the end of January, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green initiated the hashtag #ImpeachBidenNow. After that, K-pop fans started using the hashtag on social media to promote K-pop stars and creating memes, shaping a trend on twitter in an apparent attempt to silence the initial call. Hijacking hashtags is not new and has happened with the #McDStories in 2012 and in 2020 when the HKTB saw it’s #MissYouToo hijacked, but it does beg the question, how does hijacking hashtags affect brands and can it be turned into meaningful brand engagement? Telum asked Kate Kwan and Davena Mok for their views on hijacking hashtags.

Kate Kwan, General Manager, Hong Kong, LEWIS

K-pop fans have joined their voices once again by hijacking the #ImpeachBidenNow hashtag. In doing so, the younger generation is showing that they are committed to expressing their influence within communities via collective action on social media. This is a generation that lives and breathes all things digital - the hashtag hijacking is not only a statement to affirm their loyalty, but an act to demonstrate that the K-pop lifestyle matters as much as political issues.

For brands seeking to join any movement, meaningful engagement with consumers will require a thorough understanding of social media channels and ensuring the response is timely. Most importantly, brands need to assess if becoming part of the conversation aligns with their brand values or risk coming across insincere or irrelevant. Whether it’s the fan economy or hijacking political issues, comms professionals should not underestimate the influence such groups have on world issues today.

Davena Mok, Director of A-Vibe

Firstly, in Hong Kong Twitter isn’t an active platform. While, yes, of course, a hashtag campaign could refer to social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook - it’s just not used that way, so far… And, really, the art of hashtag hijacking seems to be mastered on Twitter.

The nature of hijacking hashtags is to artificially amplify or disrupt conversations through coordinated hype and activity. But this manipulation tactic also involves inauthentic engagements, fake accounts, multiple accounts, automation and trolls, spam, etc. I would not think that a PR professional would plan to engage in such aggressive, deliberately deceptive activity to mislead people or disrupt an experience. Afterall, the word ‘hijacking’ is already a negative start to your messaging approach. Rather, it could be more like a marketing tactic - which can sometimes be guerrilla, last-minute or spontaneous, deliberately fake hype, humorous or sarcastic, and so on.”

Secondly, for PR professionals, who are focused on earned media and editorial press, we strive to be as authentic and positive-messaging as possible, in order to boost a brand’s reputation. You certainly don’t want to turn your client into an attention-seeking troll, nor do you want the campaign to backfire and be used negatively against them. But, for social media professionals, if this is a communication tactic, then be fully aware that you can lose control of your hashtag and the original meaning, and it can become a viral nightmare if it backfires on you and your brand.

Thirdly, here are some ways it can be used: If you have to plan a hijacking hashtag campaign, try to start with a direct hashtag that isn’t vague, can’t be used negatively and has no possibility for misinterpretation. Even come up with a hashtag that has a positive vibe to it. Then, think about the timing - the current socio-cultural climate, what’s happening in the news, the company’s image, your competitors. Is it the right time to activate this hashtag? Do you appear on the pulse, or tone deaf?

Fourthly, do your hashtag research. Check out your hashtag ideas and what images come up, look at possible misspellings, even see if you’ve created a quirky or ill-advised acronym.

And lastly, assess the risk and think like a troll or a hater. What would they do if they saw this campaign? Would they tear you apart?