<br>"I Accidentally live-streamed a Party on Burger King's Account"

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Who?

Abel holds a Master's in Digital Marketing and a Bachelor's in Corporate Communication. He works as the Community Manager for Burger King Ecuador from an advertising agency called BBA. Since he was 14, he's been a DJ, mixing music at various venues on weekend nights.

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Defining failure

FuN: What's your personal definition of failure?

Abel: For me, failure means not achieving something. Even though you've tried many times and in different ways, you still couldn't reach the top to accomplish your goal.

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The Real F*up 💩

Abel: I live a double life. During the day, I'm a community manager, and on weekend nights, I turn into a DJ. I love partying and sharing special moments with friends. Every weekend, I make people dance and I deeply enjoy the adrenaline they get from listening to my mixes.

To get more gigs as well as to show what I do to my community, I usually livestream on my Instagram account. It helps me attract new people that want to hire me for their parties.

One night, unfortunately, because of the party adrenaline, I didn't realize I hadn't switched accounts on my phone. I was on the Burger King Ecuador account, streaming my craziness live on the Instagram of one of the world's biggest fast-food brands.

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FuN: What were the key decisions that led to the failure?

Abel: A few hours earlier, I was asked to upload a video to Burger King's Instagram account at 8 p.m. It was a specific request to post a reel because, unlike static images, reels can't be scheduled in advance.

Of course, the problem was that I didn't log out of the main Burger King account. Typically, I log out every Friday, but that day was special because it was a holiday. After that I went to a party.

The party hit its peak, everyone was happy, and the adrenaline was high. And then I thought, "This is the perfect moment to make a video" I took out my phone and started live streaming. I was super excited so I didn't check if I had switched accounts before uploading the video.

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FuN: How did you realize the mistake?

Abel: To make everything worse, I was filming with the camera facing towards the crowd, so I couldn't see any comments or notifications.

After two minutes of streaming, I zoomed in to record myself. In the middle of the party, I got a WhatsApp message from my sister telling me that the live stream wasn't on my account but on Burger King's. She called me an irresponsible partyer, also adding that I was doing things without thinking. Several friends joined in on the complaints.

At that point, I ended the livestream, but it had already been saved on Burger King's account.

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FuN: How did you feel at that moment?

Abel: I felt a lot of anxiety. I had no idea what would happen next. After I got my sister's message I felt like the world was ending.

Friends called me but I was still at the party, thinking, "I can't leave. I have to finish the event for my client" The party had already been paid for a set amount of time, so I had to continue.

I wasn't happy or excited at all anymore. I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen to me the next day. I was terrified that this mistake would cause us to lose one of the biggest brands our agency worked with.

I felt an overwhelming sense of desperation and anxiety, convinced I'd be fired and that my future would be bleak, with no new opportunities ahead.

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FuN: How did your agency and the Burger King team react?

Abel: On Saturday I spoke to the agency. The video went viral quickly, so we decided to upload another video on my personal account apologizing. Many community managers shared similar mistakes, supporting me.

On Monday we had a meeting with the Burger King. We showed them the video metrics, and what seemed like a negative turned into an opportunity. The mood of the team was positive, and they released a statement that went viral. Brands like Uber and Tinder joined the conversation, which helped the metrics go up. Within two weeks, Burger King gained 20k followers.

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Sharing the Failure

FuN: How did your agency and the Burger King team react?

Abel: On Saturday, I told the agency everything that had happened. The video quickly went viral, which helped us decide to post another video on my personal account, asking for help and sharing a message of: "Anyone can make a mistake." A community of community managers joined in sharing similar mistakes and explaining how they had been fired for much less.

On Monday morning we had a meeting with the Burger King team. We said, "Look, here's the video, but there are positive comments" We presented a report of the video's metrics, showing how what seemed negative had turned positive.

As a result, the mood of the Burger King team became very positive. They couldn't believe how everything had unfolded. In a strike of brilliance, the brand then released a statement that went viral worldwide.

Throughout the entire process, both my agency and Burger King were very empathetic and human in their approach. There was never any anger, only a focus on finding a solution to the crisis.

That statement went viral, and various brands joined the conversation. Big names like Uber and Tinder commented, as did many community managers, expressing their support and even saying they wanted to "join the party with us"

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This statement helped Burger King's metrics skyrocket, adding up to 20k followers in two weeks.

Followers are still coming in and posting, fostering a deeper connection between the brand and the community. The difference now is that people know the face behind the account.

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FuN: How did this failure contribute to your personal and professional growth?

Abel: I now have more confidence in everything I do. I double-check things better to make sure I'm 100% certain of what I'm doing. My perspective on failure has changed and my daily life is different.

When I go to certain places people recognize me and ask me for photos as if I were a celebrity. I've been invited to a marketing conference in another country to give a talk about my experience. Big names in advertising here in Ecuador recognize me and greet me. 

My Instagram account also started gaining more followers. I now have a lot of people in the community management field following me, and I still get daily messages from people saying things like "I admire you," "You're amazing," etc.

In the end, I think I became some sort of icon for many community managers who haven't been as lucky as I was. Sadly, people get fired every day over something as small as a misplaced comma or accent.

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In conclusion...

• No amount of anxiety or worry will change things. Share the bad news as soon as possible and be as transparent as you can.
• When we make mistakes, letting stress and shame take over can lead to unnecessary bad decisions.
• Radical transparency might feel like a negative impact in the short term, but it's always the best long-term investment. Your reputation is the most valuable thing you have.
• Mistakes can lead to a happy ending. To make that happen, surround yourself with optimistic people with a growth mindset.
• When you make a mistake, analyze it next to the good things you've already been doing.

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