When Blogs Attack: Eric Eggertson on PR Damage Control

(FranchisePick.Com)  FranchisePick.com was created 14 months ago to be the first truly candid, unbiased, hype-free blog for those seeking the franchise opportunities.  Rather quickly, our willingness to allow both sides of franchising to be heard made us a lightning rod for some of the industry’s most controversial issues and companies. 

We saw how companies responded to negative comments about them on blogs in a variety of ways – from threats and intimidation to hiring Internet tech tricksters to posting positive shill comments to telling themselves What happens in the blogosophere STAYS in the blogosphere over and over.  

As most tactics seemed to backfire and my suggested response (buying me off with large, untraceable offshore deposits, lavish gifts and/or check made payable to Sean Kelly.  That’s spelled S-E-A-N K-E-L-L-Y) is rarely heeded, I asked PR guru and fellow b5 media blogger Eric Eggertson of Common Sense PR to share his uncommon wisdom with victims of negative blog press.  And he did!

Eric Eggertson on PR Damage Control:  The FranchisePick.Com b5 Business Channel Interview

 SK:  Thanks for the interview, Eric, and welcome.  First off, should companies even care what’s being said about them on blogs?  After all, it’s just a handful of geeks reading each other’s diary entries, right?

EE: Whether or not you decide to respond to items in the media or on blogs, most companies should monitor what’s being said. You have to know what people are saying about you, or you won’t know how to protect your reputation, or take advantage of positive buzz that’s happening.  One reason not to ignore what’s written on blogs is that they provide a semi-permanent comment about your company that is easy to find through search engines.

SK:  You’re a Public Relations pro in both the traditional and New media world.  Do the same basic rules and practices of traditional PR still apply to the world of blogging?  How do they differ?

EE: The same rules apply.  You manage relationships with the individuals and groups that are important for your company.  Internally, you get agreement on clear, compelling ways to tell your company’s story, and you tell that story consistently, customized for whoever you’re dealing with.

Of course, it’s also true that the old way of doing things doesn’t work in this new environment.  Your PR tactics have to adapt to the world of blogging, podcasting and social news sites.  You have to understand technology enough to know that the Internet has the equivalent of Call Display, so your anonymous comment on a website can be traced back to your company’s IP address.  If you thought spamming journalists with news releases was a good idea), you definitely have to change the way you approach bloggers, because they’ll ignore you or ridicule you. 

SK:  There was one company (that shall remain nameless) whose controversy was first posted on Franchise Pick but spread throughout dozens of blogs and even into print coverage.  It seems to me that the catalyst for this story was not even really what the company did or didn’t do initially, but a perception that they vigorously attempted to suppress the discussion and purge past posts of all references to the controversy.  What’s the best way for a company to defuse a volatile issue that involves bloggers?

EE: This area of PR is fairly new ground, but I see a few pitfalls to avoid.  First, it’s usually better to be perceived to be an open, honest company that is acting in good faith to defends its reputation from an unjust accusation.  It helps to explain what you perceive to be the damage to your company, and why you believe the record should be set straight.

Don’t let a negative comment poison a business relationship.  If you have an existing contractual relationship with someone who is posting damaging information, it’s very possible that person has violated the terms of the contract.  I don’t see any reason not to contact that person privately and let them know you consider them to have breached their contract.  It’s also perfectly acceptable to express your disappointment, and ask if there’s some way to resolve the problem.
Don’t get trapped in a spiral or “he said”, “she said.”  If you don’t want your words repeated far and wide, ask that your e-mail or phone call remain confidential.  The person may violate your request for confidentiality, but that will likely make them look bad.

I would strongly suggest not involving lawyers in your initial contact with bloggers. It just gets their backs up.  If you have a just cause,  just state your case.  No need to hit them over the head with a hammer.

SK:  What are the worst mistakes a company can make when it comes to defusing or counteracting negative press.

EE: I’ve seen way too many company reps let their emotions take over.  Their feelings are hurt by what has been written, or they are just pissed off.  Remember the first rule of interpersonal communications – try to see the situation from the other person’s point of view.  It’s easy to escalate the situation into a flame war, but that rarely benefits your organization.  Your anger will lead you to behave badly, and the people observing will just see the bad behaviour, they won’t see your justified reasons for being upset. Take a deep breath.  Save your initial nasty response somewhere, and start over with a more reasoned response.

Some companies fail to consider that they may have made a mistake.  If that’s the case, they need to quickly assess the repurcussions of an apology, and make one, if it’s not going to lead to catastrophe.

The opposite response – silence – can be just as bad.  When your reputation has been attacked, your silence can be seen to be an admission of guilt.

The best response to negative press is to correct factual errors, express concern about the situation, and state your company’s position on the issue in clear, simple language.  You don’t have to rebut every single point that is made.  Just show that you have listened to what the person is saying, and respect their point of view, even if you feel they’re wrong.
Behaving well, and treating bloggers, the media and the public like human beings, can build a bridge for a future positive relationship.
Just don’t be disappointed if your reasonable responses are met with distrust, escalations of accusations, and more bad coverage.  You can’t stop people from behaving badly, unless their behaviour steps over the line of libel, or defamation.  If behaving reasonably doesn’t work, you may need to call in the lawyers.

SK:  Thanks, Eric.

EE:  Thank you.

Eric Eggertson is an in-house communications consultant who has worked primarily with Canadian co-operatives, non-profit organizations and government agencies.  He is a generalist in internal communications and public relations, with particular focus on web-based communication methods.  Visit Common Sense PR for a wealth of PR advice, tips and information.

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