Indian Premier League 2021
How a Tweet trigged the #BoycottSwiggy call
A seemingly innocuous tweet caused an uproar.
The backlash proves beyond doubt that Rohit Sharma is indeed a hugely popular figure in the sport (File photo)
When Swiggy re-tweeted a Rohit Sharma meme from a fan, little did they know that an uproar would soon ensue.
It all began with a tweet from Mayanti Langer, the Star Sports presenter, in response to Swiggy's #SwiggyForkcast contest that coincided with the opening fixture of IPL 2021.
The food delivery app launched the contest on April 9 calling on fans to analyse the game and win a pack of their favourite food in return.
In keeping with the Kolkata Knight Riders-Mumbai Indians game on April 13, Mayanti Langer tweet out her prediction - "If Mumbai score more than 200 I want Vada Pavs Because one must honour the hitman."
A fan, quick to spot the Langer post, produced a cheeky meme featuring Rohit Sharma.
In the meme, the Mumbai Indians skipper is seen lunging for Mumbai's favourite fast food at a ubiquitous roadside vada pav stall.
Swiggy duly picked up the meme and re-tweeted it while saying: "haters will say it's photoshopped."
Irate fans
Rohit Sharma fans, however, did not see the funny side of things.
While demanding respect for the India stalwart, they ensured that #BoycottSwiggy began trending on Twitter.
Others predicted Zomato's joy at the #BoycottSwiggy trend.
Swiggy's apology
Witnessing the backlash, Swiggy reacted, akin to a skipper explaining bowling changes that backfired in a post-match interview.
"We reposted a fan's tweet in good humour. While the image was not created by us, we do admit it could've been worded better. It was not meant to offend anyone in the least. Needless to say, we're always with the Paltan."
Trigger-happy brands are quick to cash in on user-generated content on social media.
But every now and then, the odd move does back, much like an on-field strategy in an IPL game.
If anything, in keeping with the long IPL 2021 season ahead, brands will be wary about the sentiments of fans when posing content going forward.
