MANAGING DIGITAL REPUTATION By: Zeeshan A. Bhatti.
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Transcript of MANAGING DIGITAL REPUTATION By: Zeeshan A. Bhatti.
MANAGING DIGITAL REPUTATION
By: Zeeshan A. Bhatti
Digital Reputation
E Reputation/ Digital Reputation / Online Reputation/ Digital Footprints…
Everything that you say & do online can have an effect on your reputation – E-Reputation Internet – vast collection of details and you might be surprised at just
how information on YOU can impact on how you look and how you are perceived as a person and a professional
The internet is not anonymous anymore – E Reputation is a hard core reality Today our digital reputation expose more information about our lives
than ever before
The fact is that digital reputation might be incorrect or present only partial information
Are you happy with the results people get back when they Google your name? If not, there are easy ways to monitor and guide what
info. is published on you
In today's world of instant information and communication, having a strong and positive digital reputation is vital
Incremental formation of digital reputation by unintentional sharing of data
Regardless of whether the information comes from a competitor; an unhappy customer; a disgruntled employee: a media
news site; or an anonymous posting on a message board; BUT false or misleading information can devastate your company's reputation
Business perspective on E-Reputation
In business, having a bad reputation can mean bankruptcy or perpetual unemployment
So it has always been considered good practice to remain polite, professional and reliable so people think highly of you
With Internet, the ability to control what people said and thought about you has drastically diminished
As search engines got better at finding things and blogging and social networks became more common, it got easier for people to express an opinion and even easier to plant a false rumor
E-Reputation: Individual Vs. Corporate
A person’s digital reputation begins with information from public record sources that define you – whether you want to have an online reputation or not While you may not participate in the initial results delivered
about you, the Internet frequently consolidates information about you, your family and your business, and delivers that information through a simple search query
This information can have a lasting presence online, permanently impacting you Online content can even impact your ability to secure bank
loans and mortgages, the underwriting of insurance for you and your family, not to mention creating many embarrassing situations
Erasing the digital Past
NY Times Article “ Erasing the Digital Past” (April1, 2011) by Nick Bilton:
The NY Teacher who divorced his wife Bryan – the NYC Professor – charged with wrongfully
receiving 9/11 money – Press release from US Attorney’s Office
Philadelphia Physiologist – unwittingly linked with a consumer advocacy site, which listed him a graduate of distance learning school that was shut down
Hiring of Reputation Management Company – www.reputation.com
VIDEO: THINK BEFORE YOU POST
Google Alerts Subscribe to a Google Alert and receive an
email as soon as your search phrase (like your name or company) enters Google's index
Blog search engines (e.g., Technorati) Tracks buzz in the blogosphere If you're looking to monitor blog comments,
check out previously mentioned comments which keeps you informed of the ongoing discussion
Corporate Digital Reputation Your company's digital reputation is the aggregate of all the information
and viewpoints on the Internet made by multiple stakeholders, both inside and outside your firm. Each piece of content can be seen and heard worldwide and has the potential to
damage your brand in an instant
Typically, the first information people see and impressions they form result from a search-engine query You must monitor and manage the flow of information about you and your company
to protect and enhance your corporate image
It's not just about finding out what others are saying. You need to have some type of digital presence; otherwise, it's hard to counter any negative press your company may receive.
If you're not actively involved in communicating, your company's reputation will be left to what others say about you So what will people see when they use the Internet to investigate your company,
including you and your executives?
Firm – Consumer Relationship For years marketers assumed that consumers started
with a large number of potential brands and methodically winnowed their choices until they’d decided which one to buy
After purchase, their relationship with the brand typically focused on the use of product/service, itself
..the brand relationships has changed..
Consider and Buy Mktrs often overemphasize the “consider” and “buy”
stages of journey They allocate 70-90% of resources to building awareness
through advertising and promotions Evaluate and Advocate
New media has made “evaluate” and “advocate” stages increasingly relevant
Spread of word of mouth can as important as building awareness about brand
The Bond If a consumer’s bond with a brand is strong enough, S/He
repurchases without cycling through earlier decision stages
“Nowadays, More than 60% of consumers of facial skin care products worldwide do online research
about them after purchase”
Do You work on this point in your company?
What can be the consequences???
Consequences: You’re spending your money in all the wrong places
Paid Media Vs. Earned Media Earned media (or free media) refers to favorable publicity gained
through promotional efforts other than advertising, as opposed to paid media, which refers to publicity gained through advertising
Management still focuses on “working media spend” – which doesn’t make sense unless you consider owned and earned media, as well A VIRAL VIDEO IS WORTHLESS – if the products gets bad reviews or worse
– if no one is talking about it
“Still 90% of digital budgets are allocated to websites – When only 1 out of 10 consumers visit company sites to get information”
Earned media (be it negative or positive) is more trusted by consumers/candidates/partners Therefore, it is important to monitor what is being said on the web
How to manage your online presence?
#1 Understand your online reputation – Global Ecosystem
The idea is NOT to bring everybody back to the corporate website but to create and
manage activities in these 3 different types of “spaces”
#2: Work on the Basics Ensure the visibility of your In-house platforms
Domain name strategy is the key Alphabetic (Russian, Arab, French) Geographic (extension e.g., .FR, . PK etc.) Linguistic (Accent) / Translations Typographic (Microsoft, Mikrosoft..) Product Universe (Android, Iphone 4, 5, …)
SEF (Search Engine Friendly) Optimized structure of your website to support search engines
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Refresh content regularly
SMO (Social Media Optimization) Allow people to find your brand on other
places (e.g., Youtube, Flicker, Pinterest etc.)
Helps avoiding irrelevant or “squatted” UGC
On Wikipedia, make sire existing definition is precise and improve if necessary
#3: Evaluate your brand’s personality
If you don’t know which type of brand you have – do online mapping
Mapping is a snapshot of your brand online Allows to understand where your brand is
talked about online, how, and how much
1) Basic Brand
A Basic brand typically means products/services for which people DON’T usually talk about – because there is not much to say
A basic brand can do or create funny or useful content to set itself apart E.g., Blendtec Blenders (http://www.willitblend.com/)
2) Functional Brand
Most brands are Functional People mention functional brands at length online ‘cause
they have questions about their products/services work
The brand should engage and answer wherever discussions are taking place People are going to shop with companies that really care Don’t go ‘above and beyond’ – be quick, short and relevant
E.g., Customer services on Twitter
3) Exciting Brand
Exciting brands have self-made fans on FB and around the web that talk about them E.g., Nike, Adidas, Apple, Google etc.
What they are doing seems inspirational to their fans The should focus on creating top-notch content so that
enthusiasts can dig and enjoy (e.g., TED: Ideas)
To measure ROI of these brands – the best is to compare the “buzz” around each campaign The volume of conversations The improvement of sentiment
Example
Harley Davidson is a unique brand followed by diehard enthusiasts – Rise of shine, their fans will follow
TIPEncouraging real life meetings can foster community feelings
4) Vital Brand
Vital Brands affect people in a very direct manner (health, environment,…) e.g., Subway – the low calorie sandwich
These brands should listen carefully to what people are saying to discover meaningful insights
#4: Evaluate your brand’s personality “Today anyone with a $100 camera
and an internet connection is a potential Spielberg or Riefenstahl”
BUTCan a real crisis really occur on the
social web?
There are different types of crises Most common: Communication crises – short
term damage but won’t mean the end of your company
Others can effect your core business: What happened in Vegas wont stay in Vegas anymore – World of Mouth The rise of Wikileaks From now on everything that concerns your
company (particularly non-ethical matter, as well as interactions with stakeholders) risks to be exposed
Example
The Bank of America already lost 3% of its value – on a rumor
Wikileaks announced that a bank will be targeted in January 2011 – Just the rumor that it might be Bank of American caused it to lose its current value
HOW CAN YOU FIGHT BACK?
New Media can you be your friend!!
Attacking is the best defense Begin by defining all sensitive subjects that
concern your company Identify and listening to weak signals on social
web – whether you need to change policies or develop communications
A YouTube video can be more effective than a formal press release – people can be surprised (e.g., Domino’s Pizza CEO video on YouTube)
Find sympathetic third parties
Force Multipliers In case of crises – Don’t use in-house experts Develop e a network of independent 3rd parties
willing to take your side Bloggers, Journalists and forum admins. can help
maintain a positive or at least a neutral position You may not have diehard fans like Harley Davidson,
but strong arguments might find you someone Develop long-term relationships with well targeted
bloggers e.g., WEBLINK: The Top 50 makeup Blogs The YouTube Gurus
Avoid any show of force
A typical company’s reaction to online attack has been a juridical approach Never been a good idea Lengthy Cannot reflect on your company as a humane
approach even if you are right
People don’t care who leaked the information, they just want your company
to be responsible – apologize if you are wrong
Empower your team
People talk with people No body wants to hear rose-colored versions from a
top-executive – they want to talk to a real employee Empower your employees to express themselves –
they’ve got stories – they can be a good resource
Treat your team well You’re only as strong as your weakest link If we go back to Wikileaks – employees could be
the ones doing the “leaking”
WHAT ABOUT ROI??
WHO CARES? SOCIAL WEB IS COOL
ISNT IT?
SO ROI or RONI?
RISK OF NON INVESTMENT Its not whether investing $1will make an
impact BUT what will happened if you don't1. Misunderstanding of customer
expectations2. Missed opportunities to improve CRM3. Failure to make up for the decline in
efficiency of classic advertising4. Failure to connect with Gen-Y and their
behaviors5. Inability to manage potential crises
before they begin
YOU NEED “ME” TO MANAGE YOUR STRATEGY
KEY TAKEAWAYS?
The media has shifted and the Internet is longer just an option
Communication in the digital world is long term (The web doesn’t erase itself)
Understand your customer's decision journey Understand your brand’s online presence &
your company profile Prepare yourself because your brand doesn’t
belong to (just) you anymore Be humble, We are all learning. Be curous
THANK YOU