Socialmediaworx

Sure, he didn’t break any laws or commit a felony. But when the CEO of a major company spends nearly a decade posting on message boards under a pseudonym (in this case, his wife Deborah’s name spelled backward – Rahodeb), John Mackey does little to live up to the transparent goodwill Whole Foods has cultivated.

Fortunately for Whole Foods and Mackey, when the news hit the mainstream, and boy did it ever – here, here and oh yes, here – the company’s stock price didn’t take a dive. As more organizations struggle to figure out how to engage in conversation online and participate on blogs and message boards, it’s great to see Mackey understand the potential for influencing conversations. What is ridiculous, is that he would tarnish his reputation by breaking the golden rule in social media.

You can check out Mackey’s response to the debacle here.