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