Join us Dec. 1-3 in New Orleans for the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit
As you know by now, the Pope is on Twitter using the handle @Pontifex, and he already has over 1.2 million devoted followers on the platform. However, there’s been some confusion that has resulted in a boost in followers and and misdirected tweets to a Brooklyn-based mobile ad startup called Pontiflex whose Twitter handle, @pontiflex, is just one letter off from the Pope’s.
The company has had some fun with the mixup and tweeted things like, “We were hoping for a Vatican press release today with the Pope’s favorite mobile apps. @pontifex.” And as a thank you to all who accidentally helped bring attention to the startup, Pontiflex is offering a special that gives $100 of free mobile ads to religious organizations. 
Here are five funny examples of people who didn’t get the memo and tweeted to a mobile ad company thinking they were talking to the big man on campus in Vatican City.
1. Oh @MrLSaunders, you know how it is with company and brand Twitter accounts. Some aren’t super responsive. Don’t take it personally.
2. @MaxmillionZ, that’s an interesting point you bring up about the donkey but unless there are mobile ads in the stable too, not sure how Pontiflex can help.

3. @vento1932, good job noticing, but you know, in this day and age, most companies are on Twitter. It’s kind of a must, especially since they are a mobile ad startup. But yeah, I am sure they will appreciate the comment.

4. Sorry @PaulBrachter, but seriously, you shouldn’t take it personally when a mobile ad company doesn’t respond on Twitter. Maybe they don’t have a social media manager or an attentive one, you know?
5. @biggg_j1 that’s something you’ll want to take up with their HR department probably, not their Twitter account. 
Pope image via vipflash / Shutterstock.com
More in Media
Job cuts hit 22-year October high as retail layoffs from Amazon to Target mount ahead of holidays
Employers slashed 153,074 jobs last month, up 175% from a year earlier, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Publishers swap traffic angst for strategy in Q3 earnings
There’s a tone shift in publishers’ Q3 earnings: focus on video, direct audiences and AI licensing to offset search-driven ad revenue declines.
Daily Mail says Google AI Overviews have killed click-throughs
Daily Mail’s clickthroughs drop 80–90% when Google AI Overviews appear, but traffic impact remains minimal due to strong direct traffic.