National Express West Midlands had to deal with a fake Twitter account (@Travel_WM) last week, which had been set up to announce false cancellations and to inform overweight passengers they would have to pay double fares for taking up two seats. While this might be amusing to those behind the feed, it’s highly offensive for the passengers who felt victimised by the tweets.

So where did it all go wrong? It’s not like National Express West Midlands didn’t already have a Twitter presence (@nxbus), so why did @Travel_WM have over 200 more followers than the official account? It’s a small figure, but still. In part, it’s down to the appearance of the profiles. The unofficial account has a tiled background with the company’s logo, as well as a user friendly Twitter handle (considering that the official website is: www.travelwm.co.uk). In comparison, @nxbus doesn’t tie back to the brand as clearly, and the appearance of the profile is very basic; in fact the only part that has been modified is the image to the company logo. But it goes deeper than this; after all, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

While we can’t condone fake profiles, this one does seem to have a better handle on social content. The official @nxbus profile has created little to genuinely engage consumers. In comparison, the unofficial account has been posting information (albeit false) that would directly affect those who depend on the service National Express provides in that region. @Travel_WM has been engaging with its followers, promising that, “All queries are responded to”. While @nxbus had tweeted, “Any queries tweeted we’ll try and answer, however the best way to contact us about specific journey feedback is via our website”.

So, where does this leave the company? According to The Telegraph, National Express West Midlands’ Development Director – Martin Hancock – has said that it has asked Twitter to close down the account (as the views do not represent the business)and expects the offensive content to be removed immediately.

Has this damaged the brand’s reputation with  its consumers? It’s far too early to tell, but to avoid any further confusion, Hancock and his team needs to take the @nxbus feed a lot more seriously. Firstly by making it look official, and then considering the type of content the company could share using this channel. By assessing the value, interactivity, time and location, National Express West Midlands should be able to start creating something that customers will find truly valuable.

Kelly is an account executive at Headstream.

Tags: fake, hoaz, kelly moor, martin hancock, national express west midlands, the telegraph, twitter