For a business, maintaining your brands status and equity in the market is a fundamental. So what should a business do when there is online chatter that appears to be dragging your brand through the mud?
The initial response by some companies to 'brand damaging' posts has been to try and control the situation - usually by deleting a comment or a forum thread. This is about the worst thing a business could do.
In an open environment like the Internet, this step will only serve to inflame the issue. Other online users will then rally to the defense of the original poster. Things can get viral as well, doing more damage in the long run, than would have happened if the company didn't do anything in the first place. This is a lesson Channel 7 have hopefully learnt after a Facebook post from a grieving mother was 'removed in error' by the company. Channel 7's response was clearly a PR disaster.
The best thing a business can do to protect their brand during these situations is be honest. No business is impervious to disaster. It only takes the decisions and behaviour of one employee to create an unplanned situation such as the one Channel 7 recently faced. Channel 7 should have responded openly and honestly online, addressing the questions raised by the original poster. Instead trust was broken with their online community, and the incident will no doubt not be forgotten for sometime.
Whether you have a large or small business, if you come across commentary that appears negative and potentially damaging to your brand, think twice about how you respond. Engaging openly and honestly will always get you a better outcome in the long run.
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