How to protect your company from negative online publicity?
What is the first news item that pops up when looking up your company on Google? And what happens when you add other keywords such as "disaster," "employer" or "incident"?
In the digital world, it takes only one news article, tweet or review to make or break your reputation. Take charge of your online presence so that negative buzz or fake news does not come out of the blue.
Picture this: your company launched a campaign to present itself as a socially engaged brand, but instead of positive reactions, it led to a wave of negative reactions within the Black Lives Matter debate.
The situation, enhanced by the involvement of a superstar, quickly escalated and resulted in a full-blown PR crisis. A hard blow as the ad was meant to revive the poor annual numbers.
Bad buzz can also come from your employees. Negative reviews from dissatisfied former employees on platforms such as Glassdoor and Reddit can cause Internet fuss and serious reputational damage.
These are realistic scenarios where unchecked online discussion can cause serious damage to your company's reputation. Before you know it, a negative post will spread like digital wildfire. On top of that, the Internet never forgets anything.
In this dynamic environment, it is crucial to pay attention to online reputation management in addition to regular advertising messages. As a company, you have everything to gain from proactively working on your digital business card.
Photo: © Pepsi
Our three tips:
Know what is circulating online
Map your company's online reputation. Set up Google Alerts and use SEO and SEA to monitor what is being said about your company online. This will keep you in control of the news flow and one step ahead of the news sites.
Take care of your public relations
Do not limit your communication to times of crisis. In addition to the obligatory advertising messages, build an online image. Consistently communicate about positive events such as product launches or company acquisitions.
Then send the messages out to a wide audience. Include consumers, as well as other stakeholders such as neighbors, suppliers and investors. Keep it short and simple, so that the message is clear and not open for interpretation.
All employees are company ambassadors
Both the offline word-of-mouth and online word-of-mouse of your employees is crucial to your reputation. Online communication is not only for the marketing department and spokesperson. Instead, encourage all employees to act as company ambassadors. This will not only increase the credibility of your messages, but also accelerate the spread of positive news.
How can we help you?
Take control in your own hands:
Proactively protecting your business from the dynamics of online media is crucial, but when crisis hits, you must act acutely. Food Security will help you do just that.
Learn how to effectively protect your online and offline reputation in the heat of the moment with effective crisis management:
- Follow our practical Media Training to develop skills that will help you communicate effectively with the press.
- Register for our Crisis Communication Workshop and learn how to respond quickly and effectively in crisis situations.
Come to our Lunch & Learn "Sensitive Consumer Complaints" and learn more about managing sensitive complaints and bad buzz on social media.
Learning points
What to do when a consumer reacts in an unexpected way?
What do you do when faced with an unexpected response? How do you prepare your consumer service for the unexpected?
How is your company’s Food Defense?
Securing your residence is a given, but securing the workplace comes less naturally. Our practical experience at food companies confirms this.
First aid for consumer complaints
When receiving a sensitive consumer complaint, a swift response is key. Proper complaint management directly affects consumer confidence in your brand and products.