Negative coverage is easy to find
The strong focus on digital presence makes it easy for users to search, find and evaluate available information. It only takes a few minutes for anyone to write and read both negative and positive reviews and statements. If you find yourself in a shitstorm or encounter a dissatisfied customer, the negative coverage can follow your business for years after it was posted online.
This trend underscores how important it is to safeguard your brand's positive identity and reputation online. With the right strategic effort, we can ensure that the negative coverage fades into the background and that your positive reputation is brought to the fore.
The importance of a positive reputation
If you and/or your business are subjected to negative coverage online, it can in the worst case cost you potential customers and sales – or a job opportunity. This is often seen with well-established brands, but it can just as easily happen to prominent individuals, who risk ending up in the media. Negative coverage can also come from unreliable sources that create an inaccurate picture of who you are and what you stand for.
All information is publicly available today
Today, we are experts at finding information online, including reviews, statements and ratings of both businesses and individuals. The same applies to various products and brands, which we also research before shopping online or in-store. As a result, negative coverage can quickly cost significant lost revenue, as potential customers will often turn to a competitor who is not affected by it.
When job hunting, it is equally certain that the employer or recruitment agency will look up potential candidates on Google to ensure there is nothing alarming. It takes very few negative statements before you or your business are passed over.
The worst-case scenario – how bad it can get
Let us look at an example that illustrates what it looks like when a major brand is subjected to negative coverage. One of the worst examples to date, which is also well known in the industry, is the case of Vordingborg Køkken.
At the top of the search results shown below, Vordingborg Køkken's own website appears when searching for their brand. In position number 2, a dissatisfied customer appears, having created a website about a bad experience. How much do you think it has cost Vordingborg Køkken in lost revenue to have this page ranked so highly in the search results?
An example of Reputation Management
An example of a reactive response using reputation management could be a situation where your business has experienced negative coverage as a result of one or more poor customer experiences, leading to the following chain reaction:
- A number of poor customer experiences.
- Customers leave negative reviews on Trustpilot.
- Media receive tips from dissatisfied customers about the surge of negative coverage.
- Media report on the emerging shitstorm and the poor customer experiences.
- Word-of-mouth effect begins.
- Articles are shared on social media, resulting in even wider reach.
- The articles rank on search engines for brand searches.
In a case like this, reputation management – controlling, managing and reducing negative coverage on the internet – would be extremely beneficial. A scenario like the one above can have fatal financial consequences for a business, consequences you can mitigate through reputation management.
How to work with reputation management! 6 steps
- Monitor your reputation.
- If necessary: Create a plan for what needs to be addressed and where.
- Execute across individual channels, including through: Search engine optimisation, PR campaigns, allocate resources to responding to negative comments daily, respond to media coverage.
- Build and highlight the positive across channels.
- Monitor and measure the effect of your work.
- Repeat; reputation management is an ongoing process, not just a one-off task.
A qualified sparring partner
Based on a thorough review of your online presence and the reputation already established, we apply a range of solution proposals. We do this on the basis of research and analysis of websites, social networks, portals, blogs, articles and other online sources that mention you and your business. Once we understand the extent of the issue, we can find the best solution tailored to your situation.
We then implement the agreed solutions and begin monitoring the entire process. We work towards creating an accurate impression of you and your business and help clear up any misunderstandings. This includes press releases, articles and posts on various forums and almost anything else that can help bring the correct information to the forefront of Google's results.
We do not assist businesses or individuals if any of the following has occurred:
- A court judgement has been passed.
- Criminal activity and other unlawful conduct.
Contact us today if you would like to learn more about how we can help you specifically!
