I hear from Al Fox that yet another company is reeling from brand damage caused by employees voicing their opinions on social media services.
This time it is British high street giant Primark who has taken a turn at the mud pit
Discount retailer Primark has launched a staff investigation after several employees posted malicious comments about customers on social networking site Facebook
Of course Primark are not the first and they will not be the last. Previous brand victims have been
- Ryan Air
- Starbucks
- Waitrose
- Tesco
- Virgin Atlantic
- 118 118
- And who can forget about Domino’s Pizza?
What is the answer? What can companies do to save their brands?
- Have clear policies and training in place for staff before the bad stuff happens so they know the risks, the potential punishment, and you can avoid things getting out through ignorance
- Realize these networks work for good and bad, which means even if you do not want to use Social Media for marketing, you need to have a presence if you are going to be able to mitigate inevitable issues
- When the fires start, work hard to get your side across and do not put your head in the sand
Got any more tips for companies who want to protect their brands from the dangerous side of social media? Please share in the comments …
