| No matter what reputation you command in the | | | | position. Once you are a leading brand, there are a lot |
| market, the truth is that everybody cannot be pleased | | | | of people who would like to pull you down. It gives |
| every time. Sometime someone or the other is bound | | | | them a sense of vengeance. Do not let that happen to |
| to be unhappy or displeased. Ten years ago, the | | | | your brand. Once you are at the top, maintain that |
| manufacturer and the marketeer was the king. He | | | | position. |
| dictated the market and in times where there was a | | | | In the present scenario and in future, how you portray |
| monopoly, the consumer had to grin and bear it. But in | | | | yourself online makes a difference between a good |
| the year 2007, the consumer grins and bares it. The | | | | brand and the best brand. There are a huge number |
| year 2007 has witnessed a lot of 'so-called prestigious' | | | | of blogs that can be a potential threat to your online |
| brands losing their control over the market thanks to | | | | business or even to the business that you are |
| consumer power. | | | | marketing online. There are blogs growing at 60 a |
| Online reputation management is paramount to your | | | | minute and it is not necessary that all of them have |
| business. Even one customer lost is bad news | | | | good things to say about your brand. As a matter of |
| because it offsets a chain reaction which can spread | | | | fact, you need to make sure that none of these |
| its tentacles to a lot of other potential customers. It is | | | | negative posts come on the first two pages of a |
| too big a risk to take! As a responsible business, you | | | | search engine. This calls for smart online reputation |
| must be dedicated and honest while dealing with your | | | | management. |
| customers. You must take care that ther are no | | | | A lot of powerful personalities and brands have been |
| negative posts or stories being floated online about | | | | shrouded with negative publicity which follows them |
| your company. This can be done by taking care of | | | | wherever they are. No amount of PR can save the |
| your customers' needs and also by keeping a tab on | | | | damage done to their reputation be it a Michael |
| the competition. You must be alert and smart enough | | | | Jackson or an Enron. Online reputation management is |
| to sniff competition and potential threat and act | | | | an exercise to see that helping hand is given at the |
| accordingly. Right from the office boy to the CEO, | | | | right time so that the reputation is not only salvaged |
| everyone matters and everyone has a deciding | | | | but maintained too. An ORM exercise can reach to |
| influence on the brand image that you convey. | | | | millions of people online at a time rather than a PR |
| As online reputation guardians, our intention is to act | | | | exercise or a press release which cannot reach a |
| wisely and see that every negative post that can be a | | | | wider scale of audience. Online reputation |
| blotch on your brand is done away with. Online | | | | management separates the reality from the |
| reputation management is hand-in-glove with efficient | | | | perception. Are you ready to be the part of the |
| customer service. We know that it is tough to reach to | | | | change? |
| the top but it is all even tougher to maintain that | | | | |