Have you seen the latest Twitter scandal? 

On the occasion, I present An Open Letter to Sweden:

Dear Sweden,

In theory, you had a really good concept there, letting ordinary citizens take control of the @Sweden twitter handle. We’ve enjoyed getting to know your people; young and old, sporty and intellectual, sexual, political, often compelling and sometimes underwhelming. The problem, of course, is that when you let a person speak through you, we forever associate their words with you, too. Which was sort of your point, but a perilous one. So although this has been a bold and inventive publicity stunt, it was also a truly terrible idea.

There’s a reason politicians and celebrities and companies have press agents and social media gurus and branding specialists. We shine a light on what’s beautiful and smart and sustainable and good about our clients and their products. We work to answer the tough questions, clear up confusion, and set the record straight. When you let any old dodo speak for you, you’re saying, “This is who we are. A bunch of ignorant yahoos.”

Now the publicity stunt is a PR problem, and I’m anxious to see how you handle it, if at all. What’s next, Sweden? We’re watching.