In the offline world of newspapers and broadcast soundbites there may be a good case for PRs and Customer Relations departments not to become involved in public disputes about their companies’ products or services.
Adding to the discussion with further commentary and action – however helpful, however speedy – may be used by a journalist in need of a good story to keep the issue on the boil for longer. Comment from the brand under attack can produce another good story for the press.
In a world where we can all be publishers, traditional methods don’t necessarily apply.
Unhappy customers whose complaints are not dealt with rapidly can, and do reach a wide audience – from potential customers to those who have suffered similar problems and want to talk about it. The effect can be viral, with awareness growing rapidly the longer the issues are not addressed.
In Market Sentinel’s survey of the top 50 UK grocery brands, 20 were found to have detractors in the top ten Google results, including Coca Cola, Walkers crisps, Lucozade, Mars bars and McCain oven chips.
The effect on brand can be serious – take the well-documented case of Dell as one example. Jeff Jarvis’s Dell Hell chronicle of his problems with his $1,600 laptop ‘lemon’ and Dell’s poor customer service struck a chord. Visits to his website more than doubled. The story was picked up by Business week: “The most sensitive question for the brand is this: What’s the net impact of a curious buyer stumbling into Jeff Jarvis’ nastygram?” says Intelliseek’s Pete Blackshaw. “This is where brand reputation and purchase behavior take a hit.”
Try typing Dell Hell into Google and consider the impact this might have on prospective purchasers.
To quote from Jarvis’s recent article about all this in the Media Guardian “Now consumers don’t just consume. We spit back. We have our own printing presses.”
A dignified silence from brands under attack can become a high risk strategy.
Blog Bits – Week of September 19th
Can brands ignore blogs? Market Sentinel addresses that in the world of newspapers and broadcast soundbites there may be a good case for PRs and Customer Relations departments not to become involved in public disputes about their company or product