Do you remember RadioShack?

Two decades ago it was the defacto place to purchase computer peripherals and specialized electronics for hobbyist endeavors (where can I learn how to build and install a ham radio transceiver for my car nowadays?).

RadioShack, like so many other former corporate giants of the 90s, (looking at you, BlockBuster, Circuit City, MediaPlay) sank into bankruptcy due to the rise of online retailers like Amazon.

We’re not here to wax nostalgic about the amazing services RadioShack provided computer enthusiasts of the past. We’re here to talk about something else.

RadioShack is BACK!

Yes, you heard that right. The company is back and trending on the Twitter platform, but not for the reasons you might expect.

A visit to their website (radioshack.com) shows nothing terribly out of the ordinary. A smattering of strange and often over-priced tech products for sale through a seemingly functional online store with the tagline ‘RadioShack Shack is Back’. But is it? Delving deeper, inspecting many of the categories, such as laptops, projectors, and notebooks, reveals a catalog devoid of purchasable products. The potential is there, but it’s still a far cry from its former status as THE place to go for electronics and replacement parts. 

So what is the buzz about? 

Well, the company appears to have ‘pivoted’ to doing ‘something’ with cryptocurrency. What this means is not entirely clear (to us at least, yet). But their companion site https://www.radioshack.org (that’s .org, not .com) is devoted to sharing news about their new mobile app, NFT marketplace, and cryptocurrency exchange platform. 

Don’t ask us to explain what any of that means (yet, as we’re still figuring it all out as well). 

What it does mean, is that it appears a younger staff of developers have somehow obtained the rights to the RadioShack name and are rebranding its image. 

Especially on Twitter. 

WARNING: NSFW

Before jumping over to Twitter to check out their profile (https://twitter.com/RadioShack) and recent tweets for yourself, be forewarned.
Some content is not safe for work! 

Alliance Business Technologies provides social media posting for many clients as part of our online reputation management services. But, not like this… Take this tweet written 12 hours ago at the time of this writing:

“Shack intern here. I wanted to take a sec to reflect on my post. Ik your expecting me to say, in my wildest dreams I never thought that tweet would go viral and to apologize. But i did because ik that shit was fire af. No we didnt get hacked, and no im not fired. Buckle up b***h”

RadioShack is Back With Viral Tweets

There is value in tweets ‘going viral’ and there is a saying in marketing that ‘any press is good press’. 
These inflammatory and vulgar tweets are definitely drawing attention to the brand.
Newsweek recently wrote an article summarizing the ongoing debacle: 

“The reasons for the verified account’s apparent turn aren’t clear, but its profanity-laced tweets amused other users on the social media platform. 

“[W]ho else high [as f**k] [right now],” the account tweeted Thursday morning.”

Read more at: https://www.newsweek.com/radioshack-now-crypto-swap-trends-over-profane-tweets

Our Assessment

We can’t say for certain that this is an effective marketing tactic that we support, encourage, or condone. But it is fascinating to watch. There have been corporate swipes made on Twitter in the past, such as Wendy’s subversive comments towards its competitors. But nothing quite like this.

Could this be the dawning of a new age where corporate Twitter accounts are manned by immature, drug using gen-z cryptocurrency enthusiasts? It’s hard to say. I certainly hope not. 

All I personally know is that I’m still waiting for GameStop to invent the next Bitcoin.

We’ll keep monitoring the situation as it unfolds, but if you are looking for professional tweets and Facebook posts advertising your business with a more polite tone, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our web services department for a free online presence snapshot report outlining what we can do for you.