| As communication has become nearly instantaneous | | | | need to address it? The answer is a resounding "yes". |
| today, the need to quickly and actively address a crisis | | | | The days of ignoring something and hoping it goes |
| before an irreparable amount of damage is done is a | | | | away are long gone. Today, if an issue is ignored it is |
| necessity for any corporation. Indeed, a recent blog | | | | considered true until proven otherwise. This means that |
| posting by Advertising Age journalist Jack Neff | | | | regardless of the validity of gossip or rumours floating |
| claimed that social media can even sustain myths that | | | | around the web or elsewhere, corporate reputation |
| have proven to be inaccurate. Certainly, the longer a | | | | management must be handled quickly and |
| situation is allowed to incubate before it is effectively | | | | professionally. |
| addressed and contained, the more likely it is that | | | | A false report that is allowed to spread without any |
| damage will be irreversible - even fatal - to a | | | | attempt to contain or reverse it can be a death |
| corporation's reputation. How Quickly is Damage | | | | sentence to an otherwise flourishing company. |
| Done? | | | | Because people love a juicy rumour - particularly one |
| Nearly instantaneous communication is performed as | | | | that sheds negative light on a reputable corporation or |
| quickly as the keys can be punched on a keyboard. | | | | person - harmful reports travel at lightning speed. This |
| Consider all of the internet's social media and blogs and | | | | means that you must have the ability to monitor and |
| you will realize just how quickly damage can be done. | | | | identify online comment, and the resources and people |
| Where is damage done first? Here are some of the | | | | ready and able to respond to it. Having this expertise |
| Internet's most fertile breeding grounds for potentially | | | | to hand is essential as damage control must begin |
| damaging online chat: | | | | immediately to effectively protect the corporate |
| * Twitter | | | | reputation. |
| * YouTube | | | | The fact is that "innocent until proven guilty" does not |
| * Influential blogs | | | | apply to public opinion of anyone that appears in the |
| * Facebook | | | | headlines of newspapers, blogs, or social media. And |
| * MySpace | | | | the truth is, if the information hits one area of the |
| While these are far from the only areas that can | | | | media, chances are it will quickly make its way to |
| cause damage to a reputation, they are definitely | | | | every other part of the media. |
| some of the key areas requiring a response. These | | | | Seeking professional advice |
| sites are not only extremely high in traffic, but they also | | | | The best advice is to seek out a specialist to handle |
| make information, pictures, and videos available online | | | | corporate reputation management before you have |
| immediately upon submission. | | | | the need for it. You never know when you will |
| So, within minutes of a negative posting taking place, | | | | encounter an accident, incident, emergency, or become |
| your stakeholders have the ability to search the web | | | | someone's unsuspecting target and need to be able to |
| and read critical comment on these sites. The | | | | respond quickly and effectively. Protect your reputation |
| information may or may not be valid, but from a | | | | and that of your company by having a skilled and |
| reputational standpoint it must be addressed. | | | | experienced person on call in case a situation arises. |
| Does Inaccurate Information Require Crisis | | | | You may never need them - but you'll certainly be glad |
| Management? | | | | they're around if you or your company become the |
| If information is not accurate does a company still | | | | subject of unwanted internet chatter. |