Gone are the days when you can issue a press release to respond to crises
and be done with it. "Corporate statements" are now not only largely
ineffective, they can be counterproductive. If I were advising Bank of
America amidst their debit-card-distaster, I would have said, point-blank:
"Look, you were being greedy. R5 a month to use a debit card? Come on.
Consumers are already spitting-angry with banks. So, do something
unprecedented. Set a new standard for banks: admit it. Apologize (and mean
it). And, commit to not nickle-diming customers anymore. If you do that, you
will win the hearts of millions. If you keep doing business-as-usual, you
will continue to get pummeled - with increasingly devasting blows."
and be done with it. "Corporate statements" are now not only largely
ineffective, they can be counterproductive. If I were advising Bank of
America amidst their debit-card-distaster, I would have said, point-blank:
"Look, you were being greedy. R5 a month to use a debit card? Come on.
Consumers are already spitting-angry with banks. So, do something
unprecedented. Set a new standard for banks: admit it. Apologize (and mean
it). And, commit to not nickle-diming customers anymore. If you do that, you
will win the hearts of millions. If you keep doing business-as-usual, you
will continue to get pummeled - with increasingly devasting blows."
You can turn your most vitriolic critic into your most vocal evangelist if
you have humility and listen. Remember: social media is not a media. It's
not marketing. It's a human relationship. Treat it as such, and your brand
management strategy will be more effective than most.
As Oliver Blanchard says in his must read Social Media ROI (Que, 2011):
"Never get defensive, never take attacks personally, and never allow
yourself to be drawn into an argument. Present the facts calmly and
professionally, monitor the impact of your activities on topics relating to
your brand and overall sentiment, and either press on with your response or
move on."
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