Bad blogs trash corporate reputations
COMPANIES are finding it harder to protect their corporate reputations as consumers can now vent frustrations to large communities at the push of a button.
Social media such as Facebook and Twitter have made it easier than ever to share both good and bad experiences. Popular blogs — often anonymous — give writers the opportunity to influence often sizeable audiences.
Negative references to companies can remain online long after the original complaint has been resolved.
Blogger Laurian Clemence, who runs the site Peas on Toast (http://www.mushypeasontoast.blogspot.com/), said she wrote a blog post in 2006 about insurer First For Women after she had received “terrible” service and the company had allegedly tried to fit pirate parts to her car.
The insurance company, owned by Auto & General, found her blog and contacted her to ask how the situation could be rectified. It apologised to her and did its best to make amends, she said.
Clemence would not take down the original post, but wrote another blog entry detailing the company’s reaction.
“The first right thing that First For Women did was find out what was being said about them, and then rectify the situation. You’re going to get feedback, and you can’t ignore it,” she said.
She recommended companies conduct regular Google searches on themselves and their products. They could also subscribe to RSS feeds for the most relevant, prevalent and reputable blogs, especially blogs covering industries the company operated in.
“It’s about awareness. Read what the blogs are saying, it could be good news too,” said Clemence. Because of the influence bloggers command, several large corporates actively involve bloggers in their public relations strategy.
The International Marketing Council of SA last year invited several influential US-based bloggers to tour SA and blog about their impressions. But even this type of outreach strategy cannot guarantee good mentions.
“The bottom line is, there’s not an enormous amount that companies can do,” said customer service expert Peter Cheales, who runs hellopeter.com, a site where consumers can post compliments or complaints about companies.
“You have disgruntled people venting their frustrations in internet forums around the world. There is no other way to penetrate the walls companies have put up around themselves,” he said.
But Cheales said this was a positive development, and said that previously public relations companies had been able to whitewash customer complaints.
“Now, the metaphoric nose has got to be kept clean,” he said.
“Customers rule, and they’re utilising every trick in the book. They’re undermining the public relations and marketing put forward by companies. They’re making companies go back to the drawing boards and look carefully at marketing campaigns.”
Hellopeter has a facility where companies can resolve customer complaints, and Cheales describes it as a “problem solution” rather than a discussion forum.
The site will also be used in a marketing campaign this year, to encourage potential customers to read what people have said about the company on hellopeter.com.
The company in question had “many complaints”, said Cheales, but had a “remarkable” way of converting complaints into compliments, or positive mentions on the site.
“Whoever you are, you’re not able to appease all of the people all the time,” he said.
Even hellopeter, a free service, received complaints. “It’s about how the complaints are handled. People want intensive care, and if they’re not getting that, they will go elsewhere.”
An advertising campaign, which featured the company’s MD speaking on camera and gave out his cellphone number, would obviate the need for hellopeter, he said.
“And tough luck if you have
2-million customers. There’s no excuse for size. You’ve made it big because you’re so damn good. Don’t blame us because you’re good,” he said.
“Blogs are portals into the public conscience, and are a valuable reputation management measuring device,” said JP Roodt, a senior associate at Marcus Brewster Publicity.
He said alert and text mining technologies can be used as a real time monitoring device.
“When your company or product has been mentioned in blogs, PR and communication folk can respond by sharing views, news and opinions from the company or their leaders on the blog comment section.”
“Companies and brands can create and write their own blogs to get ideas and information out to the public,” he said.
“Successful blogs are those that are genuine, and those that have a sincere and passionate voice.”
Roodt recommended an ethical code for corporate bloggers formulated by online thought leadership strategist David Meerman Scott.
“They are transparency, privacy (specifically receiving permission to blog on authorised content), disclosure (indicating your function, role and relationship with the company or brand), truthfulness (never lying or making up content) and credit (always acknowledging a blogger and other blogging sources).”
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