Greggs bakery’s Google doughnut ‘bribe’ wins hearts on social media

A MAJOR bakery chain has proved an online disaster can turn into the sweetest of victories. Here’s how to turn a PR disaster into a major win.

Mmmm. Doughnuts, a little something Greggs offered to Google to fix a logo problem.

A MAJOR bakery chain has proved an online disaster can turn into the sweetest of victories.

UK chain Gregg’s found itself the unsavoury victim of a spoof logo which appeared when customers googled the company, with the tagline “providing s*** to scum for over 70 years”.

The mistake, which appeared due to a glitch in Google’s algorithms, according to UK newspaper The Telegraph and was quickly picked up on social media.

Google ‘Greggs’ and look at the logo… (hurry cos doubt it’ll be there for long)

— Rou Reynolds (@RouReynolds) August 19, 2014

Go to google and type in "Greggs". Tell me if something about the logo on the right (under the map) catches your eye. Yikes.

— Evan Edinger (@EvanEdinger) August 19, 2014

The logo which appeared on Google, and has now been fixed.

We've all seen the Greggs thing. You can stop tweeting it now.

— fleetstreetfox (@fleetstreetfox) August 19, 2014

Google 'Greggs' and check out the logo!

— Unnamed Insider (@Unnamedinsider) August 19, 2014

The bakery chain then appealed directly to Google UK in a bid to rectify the problem and Google gladly obliged.

Hey @GoogleUK, fix it and they're yours!!! #FixGreggs pic.twitter.com/d5Ub7qtrLG

— Greggs (@GreggstheBakers) August 19, 2014

Sorry @GreggstheBakers, we're on it. Throw in a sausage roll and we'll get it done ASAP. #fixgreggs pic.twitter.com/THXuMubrQq

— Google UK (@GoogleUK) August 19, 2014

.@GoogleUK WE LOVE YOU GOOGLE!!!!

— Greggs (@GreggstheBakers) August 19, 2014

And of course there was only one thing left to say.

Aaaand relax! Maybe those kind folks @GoogleUK could give us the doodle tomorrow? pic.twitter.com/IerRUVW0Z8

— Greggs (@GreggstheBakers) August 19, 2014

Greggs which is based in Newcastle, northeast England, is the largest bakery chain in the UK with more than 1630 outlets.

But the chain which specialises in all things sweet and savoury is now a whole lot more well-known thanks to a little online glitch.

But it seems it wasn’t all bad for Greggs and its social media team has won a fair bit of kudos too.

Greggs cheese and onion pasties are the best. If that makes me scum, so be it.

— Ian Hyland (@HylandIan) August 19, 2014

Gold Star for the Social Media Team at Greggs, Who Turned a Google Nightmare Into a PR Dream: http://t.co/nftGEHHIsG pic.twitter.com/pmzvzOxCax

— Vital By Design, LLC (@VitalByDesign) August 20, 2014

@GreggstheBakers @GoogleUK is this the best PR/socialmedia response to a problem ever! Go Greggs - pies win! #Greggs

— Weesmmc (@weesmmc) August 19, 2014

What a win for @GreggstheBakers on social media today! Clever way to turn things around! Someone deserves a bonus! #ftw #sausagerolls

— Jack (@WhitehouseJack) August 19, 2014

@GreggstheBakers are providing a master class in using social media in the face of a PR crisis. Turned a branding nightmare into a PR win.

— Carl Beech (@carlfbeech) August 19, 2014

Well done @GreggstheBakers. A potential crisis is now a massive social media win. *tips hat*

— Ian Benet (@benettooth) August 19, 2014

It wouldn’t be the first time a company’s logo has created a lot of attention.

A Welsh company recently created a storm in a teacup after its Dirty Bird ‘penis’ logo ruffled quite a few feathers.

The owners of Dirty Bird Fried Chicken copped complaints from customers who said the drawing, which featured a chicken with wings that spelt out ‘d’ and ‘b’ topped off with a crest, was too suggestive.