Tag: Brand

Advertising, Corporations, cyber risk, Entertainment, Marketing, Media, Reputation

Combatting Online Reputation Attacks: A Business Guide

The Internet, and user-generated review sites such as Yelp! and others, make it easy to engage in online attacks to the reputation of both individuals and companies. Unfortunately, pervasive online reviews and review sites,  can, and do, cause serious damage to businesses. 

While “attacks” come from a variety of sources, most originate from disgruntled employees, competitors, disillusioned investors, professional extortionists (e.g. “mug shot” web sites) or just regular people upset with a company (or its managers).   

Attacks come in many forms.  Some are legitimate concerns on consumer-protection websites. But some are customers and competitors who post false information on social media or false reviews.

This article provides multiple approaches and practices for dealing with online attacks on personal and business reputations. 

  • Understand online risks. Online reviews and social media make it easy for disgruntled employees, competitors, and others to publish damaging or false information that can quickly harm a business’s reputation.
  • Form a response team. When attacks occur, assemble a coordinated team (legal, PR, marketing, tech, and an internal lead) to assess the threat, plan strategy, and decide how to counter or dilute the negative message.
  • Evaluate harm and when to sue. Analyze financial data, traffic, and business trends to decide whether the attack is actually hurting profits and whether litigation is worth the cost, risk, and potential extra publicity.
  • Investigate the attacker. Gather information about whether the attacker is anonymous or known, a one‑time complainer or a persistent campaigner, and how large and influential their online audience is.
  • Unmask anonymous posters carefully. Use investigators, subpoenas to platforms and ISPs, forensic exams of suspected devices, and (in some cases) affidavits to identify anonymous attackers, while staying within ethical and procedural limits.
  • Use platform rules to remove content. Rely on website terms of service and reporting tools (for sites like Yelp or Wikipedia) to argue that content violates their rules and should be taken down or edited.
  • Pursue quiet, practical fixes. Consider confidential negotiations or settlements with the author, asking traditional media to update or remove outdated stories, and using ORM or SEO tactics to push harmful links lower in search results.
  • Leverage courts and de‑indexing. In serious cases, obtain court orders against attackers and then present those orders to search engines (like Google) to have harmful links de‑indexed from search results, even if the content remains online.
  • Litigate strategically and beware anti‑SLAPP. If filing suit (often as a John Doe case initially), ensure solid legal grounds, proof of falsity and damages, and an ability to withstand anti‑SLAPP motions so the case does not backfire publicly.
  • Prove and recover damages. Use lost‑profit evidence and expert estimates of ORM/cleanup costs to quantify harm, invoke defamation per se where available, and in competitor‑fake‑review cases seek remedies under the Lanham Act for false advertising.
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Social Media Policies for Fashion Companies and Clothing Labels

In fashion, innovation never goes out of style. Therefore, it is no surprise that fashion houses and clothing brandsmarket across many different

Fashion (film)
Fashion (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

social media platforms. It is axiomatic that fashion marketing requires a deep understanding of the target audience, regardless of whether that knowledge comes from online or offline interaction. Social media provides a forum for a more authentic, transparent and personal engagement with the customer, but also highlights whether a brand has judged (or misjudged) its customer base.

To be successful in social media, brands need to harness the personality, wit, charm and, in all likelihood, free time of their staff. In order to ensure positive, informative and engaging social interaction, a fashion brand’s social media rules must be smart, positive and inclusive. Here are some guidelines for drafting a social media policy that will bring out the best in your brand, your employees (brand ambassadors) and your customers.

Rather than writing out a lengthy, legal boilerplate script, keep these considerations in mind when drafting your policy:

  • Philosophy. Begin with a discussion of how social media fits into an employee’s job expectations and performance. For example, guidelines are important, because if not followed “bad things” can happen, such as losing customers or vendors, the company could get into legal trouble, or worse, you could lose your job.
  • Behavioral Expectations. This is a good place to remind employees that even though it’s a big world, you are often in a small community and, on the Internet, it’s forever. What a person says can be seen by customers and employees all over the world.  Remind employees to stick to their areas of expertise and use respectful conduct. Other watch words include “timeliness” (posts should be fresh, current and relevant), “perspective” (something that may sound clever and racy to one person may be inaccurate or offensive to another), “transparency” (be the first to point out that you are an employee and make it clear that you are not a company spokesperson) and  “judiciousness” (use caution when discussing things where emotional topics like politics and religion and show respect for others’ opinions).
  • Channel expectations. If your company has a social media strategy, make sure employees know which sites (communication channels) are appropriate for which types of communications and marketing messages.
  • Contextual Expectations. Help employees understand the context within which they are engaging customers. Suggest using a conversational style. Remember that in customer’s eyes, “perception is reality.” Add value: Make sure your posts really add to the conversation. If they promote the company’s goals and values, supports the customers, improves or helps to sell products, or helps to do jobs better, then you are adding value.
  • Content Expectations. The policy must have clear and conspicuous language about what is considered company proprietary information, including current projects, trademarks, names, logos  and how they may be used. Never: (i)  discuss or post about financial information, sales trends, strategies, forecasts, legal issues and future promotional activities; (ii) post confidential or non-public information about the company; (iii) give out personal information about customers or employees; or (iv)  respond to an offensive or negative post by a customer.
  • Consequences. Lastly, be upfront about the very real consequences if mistakes are made. If a mistake occurs, correct it immediately and be clear about what’s been done to fix it. Contact the social media team if there’s a lesson to be learned.