Klout may be social media experts but its social media team could use some work.
The day after the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I have a dream" speech (and the day after the Golf Channel made a similar social media screwup), Klout told a curious follower that MLK would "definitely" have had an "awesome Klout score" had he not been tragically assassinated decades before the invention of social media.
Also read: Golf Channel's 'I Have a Dream' Tweet Not Up to Par
On Wednesday, Twitter user @maddjayy tweeted that MLK "would have had an awesome Klout score."
The next day, Klout responded: "definitely!" at which point the Twittersphere collectively face-palmed.
Klout's tweet was deleted about an hour later.
"The tweet was written with the best of intentions, but was in poor taste and removed shortly after it was posted," a company spokesperson told TheWrap. "It was an honest mistake and we sincerely apologize."
@Maddjayy, on the other hand, remains proud of her tweet, saying: "I have never received so much hate for giving MLK credit about his social reach. Sorry world and thank you @klout."
It wasn't all bad news for Klout, however:
I just gave @Klout a +K on @Klout for deleting tweets about MLK.
– Old Hoss Radbourn (@OldHossRadbourn) August 29, 2013
Klout wasn't the only brand with a tone-deaf MLK tweet, of course. The Golf Channel deleted and apologized for its tweet on Wednesday that asked followers to tweet their "golf" dreams in honor of MLK's dream for racial equality. And Hardee's tweeted its support of the civil rights leader, saying: "'We cannot walk alone.' – #MartinLutherKingJr Fifty years later, we still cannot… #ihaveadream #50thAnniversary #inspiration"