HSL criticized for rapid social media response over campaign featuring influencers in Helsinki

Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) has been criticized for its rapid response to social media backlash, according to crisis communication expert and university lecturer Salli Hakala from the University of Helsinki. On Monday, HSL removed campaign images featuring social media influencers Ibrahim “Iba” Manza and Abdirahman Keinaan. However, on Tuesday, HSL announced it would reinstate the images with clearer context.

Previously, HSL indicated that some perceptions on LinkedIn suggested the campaign faces represented users of fake tickets. The campaign intended to inform young people that using counterfeit tickets on public transport is illegal.

Hakala noted that HSL’s response mirrored typical corporate crisis communication protocol: recognizing and acknowledging the mistake, emphasizing it as an isolated incident, and quickly outlining corrective actions. However, she warned against responding to every minor incident on social media, stating that HSL’s swift response may have exacerbated the situation by drawing more attention to the campaign’s termination.

HSL’s communication duty officer, Johannes Laitila, informed Yle that the organization did not directly consult the influencers before removing the images. Contact with their management occurred only after the situation escalated, and Laitila acknowledged that discussions should have involved Manza and Keinaan beforehand. Hakala also asserted that it would have been prudent to seek the perspectives of the influencers before labeling the images as racist.

Both Manza and Keinaan expressed disappointment that individuals outside their community defined racism, effectively voicing their concerns through Molybros’ Instagram. Hakala emphasized the importance of this dialogue and the broader societal conversation about who gets to define racism, a topic relevant both in Finland and globally.