In the world of traditional media it’s called “spin control.” Somehow your company’s brand name gets some mud on it. So you hire a PR firm and launch a major TV, print and radio campaign. With a little time and a big enough budget you can typically overcome the negative viewpoints.
With the growth in popularity of consumer generated media (CGM) via blogs, message boards, Wikis, MySpace etc., this is no longer the case. Take Walmart for example. As of today, when you type in “Walmart” in Google’s search box, three of the 10 organic listings on page 1 are less than complimentary (#4, #9, #10).
In the case of Walmart, these sites haven’t brought the retailing giant to its knees. But considering that most consumers begin their offline shopping experiences by going online to research brands and products and read reviews, a few unhappy consumers/employees or a desperate competitor could be a major problem for smaller companies.
Although you can’t be sure that your company won’t ever be the subject of less than favorable CGM, you can make it harder for prospective customers or partners to see that content. Walmart has already created and optimized enough secondary sites for its brand to occupy 7 out of 10 positions on the first page on Google. Why not 10 out of 10? Why not create a real blog specifically for Walmart fans? Why not create a contest for the best consumer video on ‘Why I Love Walmart?’ Perhaps a steady stream of SEO press releases would also be in order.
The point is, you don’t have to let this happen to your brand. We all love the freedom of information and opinion that the Internet brings. But if you’re running a company that’s concerned about customer or investor perception and loss of revenue it’s really important that you know what’s being said about you online. When it’s all said and done, the best defense really is a good offense. What do you think?