Sherwin-Williams fires employee for TikTok videos.

[CastletonSnob]

https://www.insider.com/college-stud...tiktok-2020-11

Tony Piloseno, a senior at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, said he was fired from his part-time job at the local Sherwin-Williams store for making viral TikTok videos mixing paint.

The creator announced his firing earlier in November in a TikTok video that's since gone viral, earning more than 6 million likes since he posted it. He was fired in late July after working at the paint shop for three years, he told BuzzFeed News.

"Last year, I started making paint videos at the store showing everyone how satisfying paint mixing could be," he said in the video. "I noticed the videos were doing well and people seemed to be enjoying on TikTok."

In case you need any more proof that most companies are run by out of touch boomers who still think this whole "internet" thing is just a fad.

[Themius]

He added he had even created a presentation to show the Sherwin-Williams marketing department how TikTok could be beneficial to the company's marking strategy, but he said the company wasn't interested in viewing his presentation after several attempts at reaching the company's vice president of marketing.

Gotta love dinosaurs

[Saltysquidoon]

I'll always be thankful I live in a country where you can't just be instantly fired 'just because' with no recompense for you or potential sanctions for the employer.
Also,

He added he had even created a presentation to show the Sherwin-Williams marketing department how TikTok could be beneficial to the company's marking strategy, but he said the company wasn't interested in viewing his presentation after several attempts at reaching the company's vice president of marketing.

If this is true it makes the whole situation twice as sad. He tried to be a good little capitalist, do the 'right thing' and got slapped down anyway.

[the game]

If yes doing it while he's at work and on the clock then I dont blame the employer. You're there to work. Not make tik tok videos.

[Elegiac]

If yes doing it while he's at work and on the clock then I dont blame the employer. You're there to work. Not make tik tok videos.

Just evidence of how capitalism stifles creativity and innovation even when it stands to actually increase revenue through exposure, lul.

[Themius]

If yes doing it while he's at work and on the clock then I dont blame the employer. You're there to work. Not make tik tok videos.

That's just a really ignorant way to run a business..

"this guy is going viral mixing our pain!!! exposing us to millions of people and potentially it could be something we can capitalise on!!! but he's not doing it the right way! fire him! I mean sure he tried to tell us about his marketing idea but not!" Says old crotchety man.

[callipygoustp]

Seems like a big no-brainer for getting free extra exposure for your store.

Wonder what the customer complaint was.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Rule #1 for working at Sherin-Williams: do not, under any circumstances, ever mix fruit into paint cans.


And this mad lad did it. What a hero.

[wunksta]

If yes doing it while he's at work and on the clock then I dont blame the employer. You're there to work. Not make tik tok videos.

And one video has over 6 million likes. Honestly, that's free advertising for the company and they should be paying him for it. They really need to re-evaluate their priorities and learn how to leverage social media. But as others have said, boomer dinosaurs think employee is wasting company time on social media.

[Endus]

So, no indication he was actually fired for "making TikTok videos". The evidence points to him breaking company policies about unapproved additives to paint and so forth.

As for the "I tried to get them to understand my TikTok power" nonsense; Sherwin-Williams is a Fortune 500 company with stores in 120 countries. Of course the VP of marketing of a major multinational didn't respond to your e-mails. Particularly if the primary gain from your viral pirate marketing was people asking for adulterated products the company doesn't actually support or sell. The way that kind of shit works is you demonstrate the success of your marketing efforts on the local level, and use that success to argue for expanding your efforts nationally/internationally. If your TikTok videos didn't increase sales, they're not a marketing success.

[Themius]

So, no indication he was actually fired for "making TikTok videos". The evidence points to him breaking company policies about unapproved additives to paint and so forth.

As for the "I tried to get them to understand my TikTok power" nonsense; Sherwin-Williams is a Fortune 500 company with stores in 120 countries. Of course the VP of marketing of a major multinational didn't respond to your e-mails. Particularly if the primary gain from your viral pirate marketing was people asking for adulterated products the company doesn't actually support or sell. The way that kind of shit works is you demonstrate the success of your marketing efforts on the local level, and use that success to argue for expanding your efforts nationally/internationally. If your TikTok videos didn't increase sales, they're not a marketing success.

It could have been. I didn’t know what the fuck that store was when I saw the name. I hadn’t heard about them in like decades. Only make paint I can instantly think of is behr.

Exposing millions who mayn’t have a clue or forgot they exist should lead to future customers.

Unless it’s losing money I don’t see the logic in caring.

[Shadowferal]

Trying to see what the big deal is here...

[Endus]

It could have been. I didn’t know what the fuck that store was when I saw the name. I hadn’t heard about them in like decades. Only make paint I can instantly think of is behr.

Exposing millions who mayn’t have a clue or forgot they exist should lead to future customers.

Unless it’s losing money I don’t see the logic in caring.

Again, there's basically no evidence the guy was fired because he made TikToks that went viral.
It's about what he did during those TikToks, breaking company rules and policies.
Same basic reason you'll get fired from McDonalds for sharing a video or you dipping your nuts into the big mac sauce, no matter how viral that video gets.

[Saltysquidoon]

Really the entire issue here turns on if he was a moron and actually sold paint to customers that had been adulterated without their knowledge or consent. From my reading, it seems more like the company was contacted by a confused boomer and/or troll about the video of him mixing blueberries into paint moreso than someone opening their paint at home with blueberries in it.

If he only mixed things into the paint customers had asked for or in fact his own paint there's really no need to go sniffing around Sherwin-Williams' boot (Their logo is existentially horrifying btw).
Remember a company has no legal or moral onus not to lie to the press (especially when they can essentially never be proven wrong). Secondly, company policy violations could be literally any reason whatsoever, Ohio is an at-will state. The reason for termination, in this case, could literally be "We don't like employees being popular on tiktok".

[wunksta]

Really the entire issue here turns on if he was a moron and actually sold paint to customers that had been adulterated without their knowledge or consent. From my reading, it seems more like the company was contacted by a confused boomer and/or troll about the video of him mixing blueberries into paint moreso than someone opening their paint at home with blueberries in it.

Yeah he claims that he purchased all the paint that was used.

[Themius]

Again, there's basically no evidence the guy was fired because he made TikToks that went viral.
It's about what he did during those TikToks, breaking company rules and policies.
Same basic reason you'll get fired from McDonalds for sharing a video or you dipping your nuts into the big mac sauce, no matter how viral that video gets.

That's full-on illegal. A reprimand would have made sense for this paint guy.

[Daedius]

Wonder what the customer complaint was.

Didn't taste good.

[Endus]

That's full-on illegal. A reprimand would have made sense for this paint guy.

Depends on how seriously the company takes these policies. We really don't have any information of why he was actually fired. That's sort of my point from the start.

[smityx]

I'll always be thankful I live in a country where you can't just be instantly fired 'just because' with no recompense for you or potential sanctions for the employer.
Also,

If this is true it makes the whole situation twice as sad. He tried to be a good little capitalist, do the 'right thing' and got slapped down anyway.

It was probably due it would of been documented that it wasn't the VP's idea so he passed on it since he wouldn't be able to take credit for it and further advance his career or get bonuses.

- - - Updated - - -

Depends on how seriously the company takes these policies. We really don't have any information of why he was actually fired. That's sort of my point from the start.

If it's anything like fast food places you are not allowed to film onsite. Probably due to possible liabilities that may be exposed if it occurs,

[Unholyground]

Honestly he is going to probably sue and they will settle it out of court, buddy won't have to work ever again so smart move on his part, and I guarantee tons of people will come to defend him and make the company look bad.