Social media is more and more becoming the first place consumers turn to when a brand has let them down. Tonight was no exception.

Local broadcaster, SABC 3, tonight aired the season finale and reunion show. Unfortunately they mixed up their schedules and ruined the last season of one of the most watched shows on local South African television.

Amazingly (or not so much) the South African public stormed to easiest place they could vent their anger. In this case Twitter.

In the last hour since the unfortunate mistake, South Africans have tweeted about SABC over 350 times, all of them devaluing a brand that was already teetering on the verge of destruction. The significance here is that more and more people are using the internet and their peer networks to show both their unhappiness and love for brands.

Brands should deal with these kinds of situations head on, on the platforms that allow for sharing. Admit the mistake, and try and minimize the damage.

The SABC needs a Twitter strategy to handle their online PR.