Promoted tweet used to complain about British Airways

In a modern spin on the tale of David and Goliath, a disgruntled customer has found a new way to use social media to take on a big corporation.

Fed up with the way British Airways was handling the issue of his father's lost luggage, businessman Hasan Syed decided to complain about it.

But rather than just put out a normal tweet, he paid to have one promoted.

Using promoted tweets in this way could represent a new trend, experts believe.

The promoted tweet bought by Mr Syed reads: "Don't fly @BritishAirways. Their customer service is horrendous."

Promoted tweets are generally bought by advertisers who want to reach a wider audience. The paid-for tweet is given high prominence in the Twitter feed of the relevant company but otherwise acts as a normal message and can be retweeted by others.

Mr Syed purchased his paid-for tweet via Twitter's self-service ad platform for an undisclosed sum. He targeted New York and UK markets with the tweet.

Read more of this article from the BBC.

WSBTV