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Managing reputation risk in the world of social journalism is an exercise in planning, vigilance and swift execution of your plan. Oh, and even then, be prepared for the unexpected.
Take a look at this 16 second video.
Sixteen seconds of footage has the potential, if not managed well, to extract many hours of viral chaos, on and offline reputation damage and a whole litany of unforeseen consequences to your brand.
The footage shows a piece of Australian shopping centre iconography (the Miranda Westfield star) being toppled by a demolition company. The rough footage has been something of a local hit – with nearly 12,000 views to date.
The star has sat atop the shopping centre building, now being redeveloped by its owners, since the 1960s. It was a revolving, illuminated icon, and part of the landscape for decades. It clearly has some sentimental significance to quite a few local residents.
The YouTube postings beneath the video post give a flavour for how sentimental, even enraged, certain people are about the decision to remove it.
The lesson? Well, anyone with a smart phone is now also a journalist. Risk – from a reputation viewpoint – is all about us.
Any brand with a contingent risk must plan, strategise and have ready to roll a swift response to head off the downside issues.
Oh, and be a worthy adversary in the conversation. In this case, what positives are being planned? What is the other side of the story? What were the hazards of keeping a 50-year-old piece of infrastructure flapping on top of a public space?
There are always two sides to every story. Getting your truth, your response out swiftly, concisely and with a firm target on protecting your overall reputation objectives is vital.
Bruce Madden is a BlueChip co-founder, media trainer and message development expert. Follow him @madd_23n or email mediatraining@bluechipcommunication.com.au if you’d like to know more about media training.
