There’s no going about deleting all and every detractor comments and reviews there is on the internet. Most malicious comments stay online for eons unless effective measure were taken into considerations. Yet still, negative and way off the scale hurling insults won’t stop automatically. People say it comes with fame or that it’s the price that one must pay for being known or in many cases, when one is also receives a lot of love from the public
Maybe the negative trollings of corporate linked social media accounts will not have the disastrous effects borne by Korean celebrities but to a certain extent, the cancelling culture is real, and even realer mitigation plans must be put in place so that proper protocols and crisis communications procedures can be abided without hitch
Managing online reputations, as well as tiding the wildfires of hatred and negativities in the forms of crisis communications is all part and parcel of Digital PR management and execution. No, we don’t condone overt cybertrooper on the till system, nor do we encourage voluminous resources to be directed at paying these cytro teams, just to appear dignified and pure. Our Public Relations’ stance on online reputation protocols remains unchanged as it is offline aka traditional media, positive pulls, reviews, endorsements must be grown organically
Buying reviews, getting cybertrooper teams to make it sound all nice and perfect, will not solve everything. Worse off, the larger consumer and public side will begin to distrust such over glowing reports and reviews and may grow distrustful from then thereon about the organisation and this will spell disaster in genereal and cut short the longevity of any brands, previously much adored by the publics
It is not entirely wrong to have in house teams to act as defenders, for any online threats posed but the way to do it is not anonymously. In house teams or in house cybertrooper teams, the legit ones, even if it consists of one or even two members team only, needs legitimacy more than anything else. To combat hypocrisy and lies, the in house cybertrooper team members must be officially sanctioned and their designations and personas are close as ever to the real designations and nature of their job scopes and tasks in their organisations. The gist? Just be real. Be their selves but with agreed SOP, contractual obligations and scriptings
The way to combat the unknowns in this wide and vast world of the internet, with its many anonymous accounts posing as experts and legit know it all, is to be extra patient, courtious and ever kind. Be the emblem of good character, attitudes and refined customer service persona, it might be the hardest thing to do but that’s what we abide in and it is the gold standard in bridging enmity and disharmony in digital spaces
We can’t totally predict nor control the outcomes of each crisis and hopes that it’’ll all turn out the way we plan it to be. No can do sirs and madames, it will not. We can assure you that it will not just go away when you want it. Of course, the best way to confront it is to come up with the best products and services, but then, even the best, especially the best, will get their full amount of hate and negativity, just because
While legal battles are not so alien a concept to take after such crisis, and must be taken highly into considerations to clear the organisation’s name and reputation, if it calls for that, we must also not forget the real sacrifices the organisation poured into the crises – the time, resources and energy that went into defending the organisation do take toll on all involved members. To go or not to go to court must be acknowledge and embraced wholeheartedly by all members of the organisation and all members mus t be briefed regarding what’s going to happen and what they must do in the mean time
That’s why, preparations ‘before’ the crisis are more than an important agenda that must be taken more seriously, in this time of rapid changes and the nature of crisis that can come hurling at the organisation at any time. We can predict the possible outcome and flow of crises and plan accordingly but we do also acknowledge that every new crisis comes with it, their own anomalies, peculiarities and threats. Sharing know hows, the algorithm of safety and defense mechanisms, are all healthy steps needs to be taken and embraced by organisations and company alike, big or small
How do we propose Online Reputation Management here, at Andhika pramuthya? We do consider a few components vital in its early stages and also pasca, but overall, the role of Digital PR for any organisation is to help prepare for the eventual, and in this case, specifically and namely, the online tarnishing, smearing and also plain insult and hates, directed to the organisation as a whole, or individuals or individual that makes the organisation at present
Below are few components of Online Reputation Management that can be considered :
+ Anticipate future threats by allowing the organisation to go through crisis simulatons and scenario planning workshops. In it, possible scenarios can be choregraphed and accordingly the related press releases, press conferences, briefings and realted kits can be prepared and summarised
+ Make clear the Crisis Tree House diagram and determine who’s who that should be up there, and how a crisis do go through it in possible scenarios, along with it, scripting exercises not just for the eventual all important spokesperson or alternative spokespersons but also, the front liners and all possible personnel that might be contacted by external parties that are looking to pry away important details, informations and gossips. SOPs regarding how to address the members of the media, online enquiries or seemed innocent questions on public notice boards or chatrooms must be made known as fast as the organisation can, so that timely responses can be marshalled out effectively
+ Crisis and Risk teams overall must work together with Public Relations team from the start, even when the crisis is seen as not or even looming in the distance. Making it official for these teams to be in the loop is the first step any organisation can make and of course, the next step is fully determining the line of duties each one must carry flawlessly as the can when the crisis explodes and reach their attentions
No one can really predict how and when crisis will and can happen. The same with online reputation. Although reputation management might sound a bit soft compared to the ever thretening crisis management per se, looking over the reputation portfolio effectively may decrease the chances of crisis ambushing the organisations without proper shoutouts or warning calls
The usuals of Online Reputation Management looks at determining the pros and cons of the brand the organisation carries, analysing the merits and critics, assigning points and validity for next action and steps, as well as the usual write ups to combat and defend organistion’s stance and rights
Although any organisation and agency do not go to war with errant and abhorrent commentors and reviewers for the sake of vengeance, understanding the psychology behind rattling the nerves of being the accused, even if the accussations are invalid and proposterous, is really, a stufy in war tactics and strategy
Having a great and most importantly, understanding and not impulsie team members that works on this Online Reputation Management portfolion is a primer above anything else. We can’t go head to heat, increasing the heat of the arguments for it to escalate to outright bashings and name calling and hoping some words of sorry and apology can simmer and cool things down immediately. It doesn’t work like that
As also with traditional media, Public Realtions works the long game in ensuring the publics are always well informed of the positive brand enhancing news and bits of stories in timely manner and fashion, so that in time, this well of positivity might be stocked well enough that when the crisis comes, the public will not totally abandon the brand and organisation without at least questioning the veracity of the negative claims and accussations
Some recommendations that can be incorporated in line of great Online Reputation Management are:
+ Create various possible positive news inducing exercises at the organisation and customer level
+ Ensuring a good track record of best online response and fedbacks
+ Having strong brand presence in the digital space with unique leanings and interest of the public at heart. Meaning, the brand must not be seen too neutral for its own good. Social causes and sentiments must be voiced strategically, so that the brand and organisation can be accepted as having a ‘voice’ or stance. In this case, better it be with or in the same trench as the publics at large and not opposing them
+ Researching the predilictions and quirkiness of influencers and content creators before handing out or reaching out for possible talks of partnerships. Popularity, follows and likes might not always be the best indications of future errant behavours or possible digital scandals taht may erupt virally. The same goes for brand ambassadors of any kind, their characters are forever interlinked with the direct fate and reputation of the organisation, vice versa
