Delta decided to play a quick game of word association when crafting a congratulatory tweet when the United States men’s national soccer team beat Ghana on Monday.

USA:: ‘Murica, Land of the Free, Statue of Liberty

Yes, we’ll use a beautiful picture of the monument to represent the United States.

Ghana: Africa, The Lion King, Giraffes

Ah, yes, the majestic giraffe. What a great representation of Ghana.

The problem with that association: these long-necked animals do not live in Ghana. Twitter users blasted Delta, calling the message racist and ignorant. Delta Airlines deleted the tweet and issued an apology — which first included a typo.

As companies are using social media more and more to connect with consumers on topics outside of their own brand and products, it calls into question the social media experts running these accounts. Yes, a congratulatory tweet is a great idea. Using a stock image of a giraffe at the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya… isn’t such a great idea. While you want your content to be relevant and timely, your messages should also be informed.

What other advice would you give Delta’s social media expert?