So the U.S. government reportedly made the very long-term investment of creating a subpar version of Twitter called “ZunZuneo” to foment unrest in Cuba. #sneakysneaky!
“Zunzuneo” is said to be Cuban slang for the tweet of a hummingbird, and a friendly blog offers tips and tricks for utilizing the service.
But seriously, if our government was capable of creating a successful social media outlet in English, let alone Español, wouldn’t we be out of debt in 3…2…? I mean, look at ZunZuneo’s Facebook page… My advice to the government would be to stick to its day job!
From Washington Post:
This was a program paid for and run by the U.S. Agency for International Development, best known for overseeing billions of dollars in U.S. humanitarian aid…
…Documents show the U.S. government planned to build a subscriber base through “non-controversial content”: news messages on soccer, music, and hurricane updates. Later when the network reached a critical mass of subscribers, perhaps hundreds of thousands, operators would introduce political content aimed at inspiring Cubans to organize “smart mobs” — mass gatherings called at a moment’s notice that might trigger a Cuban Spring, or, as one USAID document put it, “renegotiate the balance of power between the state and society.”
Honestly, fellow marketers, isn’t this what we do all the time, but we call it “content marketing” or something similar?
“Here’s some great content for you to read and get comfortable and forget how you even ended up on this website, and just when you think you’re safe… BOOM!” Advertisements to join class action lawsuits, the latest boner pills, and something else related to that random website you visited last month.
In this case, the delayed “BOOM” was meant to organize demonstrations and “renegotiate the balance of power” in Cuba, all with the trusty altruistic intentions of the Agency for International Development.
In the scope of things, this revelation probably pales in comparison to those from Edward Snowden, but it’s good to know our government still has its priorities…?
One of my favorite parts of the story: ZunZuneo has a Twitter!
What do you think about the Ebay of Pigs?
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