Being in the public eye nowadays is a mixed blessing for brands, given the unprecedented access the internet offers to people all around the world. Social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn also contribute to the flow of intriguing images and facts about companies, no matter how big they are. This sometimes leaves firms and their managers unpleasantly surprised, Nancy Myrland writes for Business 2 Community website.
We all agree that being known and talked about by many people has both its advantages and disadvantages; it´s natural for brands to feel happy when they see positive tweets, Facebook comments or blog posts about themselves, but when millions are in uproar over a photo of one of their clients from a firm event posted by a colleague, or over a massive departure of employees to a more attractive competitor, things seem to be different.
Posts on social platforms alerting to the fact that one of your partners has been caught drink driving, coming to the conclusion that all LinkedIn members know about your unsuccessful merger plan or any other embarrassing circumstances you can think of are all situations in which, unfortunately, nothing can be done.
In order to escape any of these hurt your company´s reputation, it´s high time for managers to gather their marketing, social media and public relation experts and draft a strategy to control publicity. Brands should pay extra attention to what is being said in the firm, raise awareness about what could damage the good name and draft solutions and how to smooth over potential troubles.