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Online Reputation Threats Are Just A Click Away
Online PR services are more in need than ever before
. Take last year in 2009. It had its share of scandals from the corporate variety (eg, MPs expenses), to the celebrity variety (will anyone ever forget the Tiger Woods scandal).While the ingredients that make up most PR crisis like this are almost always similar, the way they are dissected by the public has change dramatically. This can be attributed to consumers being able to weigh in, sharing their views via blogs and social media sites, for example. This gives new angles to high-profile stories.
Is it any wonder the proliferation of online PR services are more needed than ever? We now live in a new, digitally transparent world. And, it is fuelled by the revolution and growth of social media, which includes blogs, consumer review sites and video sharing channels, to name a few. The consumer is empowered like never before.
As with any revolution, this cuts both ways. It is welcomed on the one hand, and cursed on the other.
On the welcome side, giving the public a large a way to voice their opinions about important issues is a generally a positive development. On the curse side, some businesses and individuals have had their reputations take a pounding on the web.
New Media Power
Interactive media platforms like blogs, consumer chat rooms and social media channels (eg, You Tube and Trip Advisor) are now a normal part of the way consumers share information about people, products and brands. Proof? Log on and do a cursory search for practically any brand, and you will almost instantly encounter user-generated content that cover all shades of opinion. What does this mean for businesses?
In addition to their regular marketing activities, they must now deal with the effects that unfair or inaccurate comments can have on their reputation. And it can happen to larger or small firms. Enter online reputation management. It has become a vital part of every companys marketing strategy. When you consider the damage that online attacks and negative reviews can do, it is easy to see why businesses are now investing in online reputation management.
Impact
Ever hear of the Kryptonite story, one of the largest cases of brand attacks on the net? Kryptonite is one of the largest bike lock companies in the world. Their reputation was built on the legendary security of their products. In 2004, the company found out the hard way about power online consumers wield. And all it took was two minutes.
A YouTube video of this length went viral. It was entitled, How to pick a Kryptonite bike lock with a Bic pen in 10 seconds. Viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, it caused a lot of damage to Kryptonites brand.
This is the power of the net, and why online PR services are growing by leaps and bounds.The damage consumer power has done to brands has not been limited to large product manufacturers like Kryptonite. Even small businesses can be targets, from family restaurants to car mechanics, negative online comments do not discriminate. And, the public sector is not immune either (as the previously mentioned Tiger Woods knows only too well).
Over the next few years, online social commentary and reviews of government services is expected to grow significantly. One institution is getting ahead of the curve. The Department of Health earlier this year announced plans to encourage consumers to log on and post feedback about their local health centres and GP services.
The problem individuals and companies who attract negative online publicity face is the permanence of it. Unlike traditional media, online criticism is not here today and gone tomorrow. Like eternal damnation, it is preserved on search engine like Google into perpetuity, always just clicks away from an inquiring mind.
Strategic choices
Like any revolution, this new power of the people also opens up a world of opportunity for businesses astute enough to seize it. And marketing departments in every industry is facing increased pressure to demonstrate they can incorporate online PR services into their marketing mix.
The evidence is irrefutable: understanding how online media works is pivotal to using it to promote, and defend, your brand online. In fact, it is fast becoming a foundational marketing skill. And online PR services are part of this mix.
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