Stop the Presses is a sobering book. Its tag line -
Bullet-proofing Brands and Protecting Reputations in an Age of Peril
Yikes! The authors, Richard A. Levick, Esq., and Larry Smith are writing about crisis management. Throughout history, large corporations have been vulnerable to a media inspired or inflamed crisis; but more and more, smaller companies are vulnerable as well. Why?
- More and more people are using the Web to gather information about companies
- More and more niche bloggers are writing about companies and industries
- Some of these bloggers have an agenda
- Small stories broken on blogs can become viral overnight and seriously disrupt a firm's reputation, or worse
In such an environment, silence is not golden. Say the authors -
"Savvy bloggers and readers won't stand for corporate rhetoric or tactical obfuscation ... Developing and implementing a substantive blogging strategy in advance of a crisis is therefore critical. A blog gives businesses a way to stay ahead of the news cycle by presenting, testing, and refining a company's message, distinguishing facts from fiction, and correcting any misinformation that may be circulating and propagating through the blogosphere." (p. 87)
Of course, another outstanding communication benefit of a blog is that it allows customers and interested third parties to have conversations with your company. A great deal of misunderstanding and misrepresentation can be cleared up by talking
with consumers, not
at them. Some of the most powerful - and most persuasive - communication in the business world now takes place in the comments section of a blog post. Remaining silent or aloof is no longer an option, because people are going to have conversations about your business whether you're participating or not.
Ironically, many firms shy away from launching a blog because they believe it will attract or magnify controversy. The idea of publishing a negative comment - a rather common occurrence these days - still sends shivers up some corporate spines. In reality, as the authors of
Stop the Presses explain so well, a business blog serves to alleviate controversy; provided, of course, the firm has a well thought out content policy and capable, well schooled writers.
The best news of all is this. Even if the crisis never comes (and we hope that's the case), a business blog still contributes mightily to the corporate cause. More about that next time.
