Managing Reputation for a Digital Generation

by Claire Walker, CEO and Founder - Firefly Communications

When I reflect on the year that has been, the one question asked more than any other has been: how do we control what people say about us online? While it’s no secret that the epic growth and popularity of social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter provide new and exciting opportunities for businesses to engage with consumers, the flipside is that it also brings with it a high level of reputational risk.

No business, individual or brand is immune to potential criticism online. As a business owner myself, we encountered first hand what can go wrong. Someone created a fake Firefly Twitter identity, complete with our company logo, and posted fabricated tweets about our business. Luckily for us it happened to be a relatively innocent and uncontentious hijacking of our brand and we were able to reclaim the profile with little difficulty through Twitter’s surprisingly efficient dispute resolution function. But if you are not living and breathing all things digital, you are increasingly susceptible to condemnation or a hijacking – we were able to deal with the fake Twitter page as we are constantly monitoring what’s being said about our business online, and this is what all businesses should do. And the public’s voice is getting louder and closer to a brand. For example, look at Google’s new sidewiki application which allows the public to post comments that would appear next to a brand’s website.

Why is this important?
Findings from Nielson’s Global Online Consumer survey released earlier this year state that, second to recommendations from people they know, consumers trust other people’s opinions via blogs and websites more than any other form of advertising, such as newspapers and TV. Consumer Generated Media (CGM), these posts from the public, reach mass audiences and therefore have the power to make or break a business or product reputations. The public are verbose about brands online and, according to the Nielson research, purchasing decisions are being influenced primarily through word of mouth.

So what does this mean for the PR practioner?
We need to help our clients monitor these conversations and engage or join in, but in such a way that it is not perceived as self-serving or shameless promotion. Sure, the majority of time the online environment is utilised by businesses is for sales generation, but in terms of reputation, the brand that is perceived as a valid member of the online community stands to benefit. This is even more the case during times of crisis.

Whether it’s on a discussion forum or social networking platform, there is always an opportunity to turn a negative into an opportunity. If an individual is criticising your client’s service or business, there is an opportunity for the company to immediately engage and publicly respond to the complainant. This offering of assistance will often go a long way in not only appeasing the angry customer or consumer, but will also help extinguish any potential for the complaint to spread like wildfire across other sites. But God help the PR agency that issues a blogger a bland corporate reactive statement when under fire! Of course, it is on a case-by-case basis as to exactly when and how to get involved, and in what tone, so firstly it is the PR’s job to consult and determine whether the client should enter the conversation at all. 

Furthermore, the days of liaising with a journalist to get a story about your client out to the masses are in steady decline. Digital has opened the doors to liaise with the public directly, and has also changed the tone and manner by which we disseminate information. One could go so far as to say that media relations is a dying service for clients, but video didn’t kill the radio star, and the internet will not kill the publishing industry – merely change it. Journalists and the media are still an important influential communications channel, but digital is going from strength-to-strength, meaning more direct conversations with consumers. Mastering the art of influence for our clients through an increased level of transparency, immediacy and being considered valid members of the online community, is of paramount importance.

As the government tries to catch up with regulation suitable to manage the online realm, clients will increasingly look to PR professionals to manage and protect their online reputation. The advent of digital has called for a universal reassessment of how we operate as an industry. It’s important to understand that it is not about control, it’s a matter of influence and engagement in conversations with people.  It’s up to PRs to ensure that clients are relevant, trusted and transparent.

This quote from US legal blogger, Jim Calloway sums it up nicely when he writes: “… the biggest potential danger area for damage to your online reputation is you.” He couldn’t be more right.
December 2009

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