This is a day Kenneth Cole will like to forget! 
 
 By now, you’ve probably heard about the ridiculous tweet sent out this morning by the designer, which used the volatile situation in Egypt to promote its new spring collection. 
 
 Here’s the exact Tweet: 
 
 Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo 
 
 That tweet caused quite an uproar – rightfully so. And, Kenneth Cole has responded fairly quickly to the crisis by issuing the following statement via Facebook. 
 
 “I apologize to everyone who was offended by my insensitive tweet about the situation in Egypt. I’ve dedicated my life to raising awareness about serious social issues, and in hindsight my attempt at humor regarding a nation liberating themselves against oppression was poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate,” said Kenneth Cole, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer. 
 
 This fairly quick response demonstrates how fast companies are being forced to respond to social media blunders in order to save their brands’ reputation and value. 
 
 Should Kenneth Cole have responded even sooner to this gaffe? Sure, but I believe we should accept Cole’s apology and move on. 
 
 Thoughts? 
 
 Mark Pasetsky is the editorial director of CoverAwards.com. ||||| Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo -KC Kenneth Cole 
 
 KennethCole 
 
 @KennethCole Totally poor taste. People are dying in the streets and you want to advertise your fashions? #boycottKennethCole Jennifer Lizak 
 
 jlizak 
 
 I have to say the #Kennethcole tweet made me giggle; they had to know there would be backlash.. They are now in a PR nightmare. Intended??? Chris Meitzler 
 
 Meitzler 
 
 Frankly, the problem with the @kennethcole #Egypt tweet wasn't "insensitivity." it's that the joke was LAME. Ron Hogan 
 
 RonHogan 
 
 "People from New Orleans are flooding into Kenneth Cole stores!" #KennethColeTweets KennethColePR 
 
 KennethColePR 
 
 One thing the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement can agree on? Our hot new looks! #Darfubulous #KennethColeTweets KennethColePR 
 
 KennethColePR 
 
 Re Egypt tweet: we weren't intending to make light of a serious situation. We understand the sensitivity of this historic moment -KC Kenneth Cole 
 
 KennethCole 
 
 Let's say you're an American shoe designer with a spring collection to promote. And let's say the world is focused on a historic revolution in North Africa. What do you do?Well, in what may go down as one of the more tacky marketing ploys in recent history, here's what Kenneth Cole did via Twitter:Now Cole is being criticized for "hijacking" the #Cairo hashtag, which has been helping Twitter users track the latest news from Egypt.TechCrunch's Michael Arrington puts it succinctly.Some people are calling for a Kenneth Cole boycott.Here's a good question: How much of the outrage was anticipated?Another problem: Kenneth Cole is known for edgy ad campaigns, but this one wasn't even very clever.In what has to be an Internet speed record, a parody @kennethcolepr account was created within minutes of Cole's first Cairo tweet, and the #KennethColeTweets hashtag took off. A sampling:As for the real Kenneth Cole, he's sorry (sort of).What do you think? Was this an offhand remark that happened to go viral, or did Kenneth Cole intend to cause a controversy this big?
– It appears Kenneth Cole didn't learn his lesson when he sent a very questionable tweet out into the world to promote his brand back in 2011. He's done it once again, this time using the situation in Syria, rather than Egypt, for inspiration, Gawker notes. "'Boots on the ground' or not, let's not forget about sandals, pumps and loafers. #Footwear," the high-end designer tweeted yesterday. And out poured the angry responses. One Twitter user argued Cole was "mocking war to sell fashion," another accused him of being "out for cheap shock value." But this time around, Cole isn't apologizing. In an Instagram video, the designer responded by saying, "I've always used my platform to provoke dialogue about important issues including HIV/AIDS, war, and homelessness. I'm well aware of the risks that come with this approach, and if this encourages further awareness and discussion of critical issues, then all the better." But as the Atlantic Wire notes, "If Cole is genuine about the mission behind his otherwise regrettable tweets, it doesn't look like he's anywhere close to succeeding: The only subject his more controversial tweets have provoked people to discuss is Kenneth Cole himself." Click to find out why he's in teachers' bad books, too.