Ironically, I love this book - LoveMarks, The Future Beyond Brands. I mentioned it in a comment today about a recent Marcom blog item that became so lengthy that I decided it was worth more as a blog post. 
The original post (What Would You Do?) is about a small grocer’s encounter with a national animal rights organization that takes issue with the existence of a butcher shop in the grocery store. It seems their nice little grocery blog has be come a lightning rod for a debate about animal cruelty. I don’t have an opinion about the root of the debate, but I do have some ideas about shaping your brand in the blogosphere. Without giving away anything except obvious answers to Josh’s challenge for the students, let me offer some insights worthy of greater introspection.
Lots of company executives ask me why on earth any company would want to open themselves up to scrutiny in the blogosphere? My answer is simple…
- Your greatest advocates, enemies, customers, and competitors are in the blogosphere;
- They are freely and openly shaping your brand identity every minute of every day;
- You must ask yourself, do you want your brand identity and brand equity to be shaped without your influence?
No smart executive will ever say “no” when presented with these facts and follow-on question. When presented in this manner, companies are hard-pressed for reasons to avoid participating in the web of conversations (if you haven’t read the Cluetrain Manifesto, do so ASAP).
We are rapidly approaching a web of high-velocity conversation, based purely on dialog, not monologue. The blogosphere is ground-zero for “brand conversation” and the conversational topology of your brand is rapidly becoming a reflection based on interconnected machine-based processes involving instant syndication, news aggregation, and unimpeded flow of commentary, innuendo, half truths, and some facts. Indeed, Web 2.0 is upon us - everything points to Epic 2014 as a clear indicator of what’s to come.
Back to basics…
“How can this lone grocer take on a national advocacy group with thousands of networked members?”
By engaging thousands of networked people that like meat.
“What do you do?“
My advice to the grocer would be to…
Use the weblog as a listening post; not enough emphasis is placed on listening as a function of blogging. All too often, the PR function is concerned with the outbound message and little effort is given to the art of listening. Oddly enough, well crafted blog posts serve as a better listening post (pun intended) than a broadcast medium. Instead of telling your audience what you think - ask them questions - there’s nothing wrong with blog posts that solicit more feedback than they offer in terms of content.
Shape your business and your outbound PR message based on feedback from your blog - even the negative comments. While most comments here seem to suggest the local grocer has no problems with this sort of negative campaign - I disagree. The brand equity of this business is being affected because the brand identity itself is being tested and reshaped in the minds of their customers - locally and regionally. It’s important that blog and non-blog listening lead to new actionable steps that shape the brand identity in positive ways.
Address negative commentary about your brand. Transparent companies tend to absorb negative comments and transform negative events into positive outcomes. Blogging provides a great opportunity to fight fire with love (e.g., LoveMarks - the Future Beyond Brands)
While each of these items look like well-crafted answers to Josh’s questions, they aren’t; they’re merely new ways to look at how blogging can be effective in fighting fire with love. The true PR tasks are far more complex, and totally out of my expertise (I’m the RSS geek in the crowd incidentally).
I suspect the answers to this excellent challenge put forth by Josh are more along the axis of determining how to get people that love animals and a good steak to be comfortable with — perhaps love — the idea of buying products from a local butcher. That’s a real PR challenge…
p.s., I lied when I said I have no opinion concerning the root of the debate - I just didn’t want to confuse the point of the post by droning on that animals can never have rights if we all agree that rights are bound by contract. Rather than express my opinion in gory detail, I’ll ask another question…
Can animal rights activists accept medical treatment invented through animal testing?
The answer to this question is not important - the question, however, is the tip of the iceberg that may serve to help good PR strategists shape public opinion that animals - their protiens and lives - play an important part in the health and welfare of all mankind (hint hint…).
22 comments
10/14/2006 at 2:18 pm
Trackback from Anonymous - Blogs as listening posts
9/12/2006 at 8:30 pm
Elizabeth Wood Rodgers
Hello Bill!
I thought this post was some excellent advice to a situation that anyone would encounter in a business field such as the “grocer/butcher” situation.
I totally agree on what you said about us (people in America on the Internet) approaching the web with high-velocity conversation. People are getting to know what all the are allowed to do on a blog and it is like you said, “brand conversation.” Whatever you say is a reflection based on what is going on in the news, in your community, etc. Using your blog as a listening post and turning negative comments into positive ones are a great way to learn from bad experiences and to better yourself and your company for the future. I also like what you said about not only telling your audience what you think, but asking them questions. It is a great way to hear feedback and to serve as a good PR specialist. I think any way we can improve on being a well rounded public relation practitioner is well worth trying.
9/14/2006 at 3:20 pm
Stephanie
After viewing the Epic 2014 video, I am convinced that the blogosphere and all that social media entails is going to be a huge part, if not the key part, of public relations in our future. With that in mind, I think that the way in which you framed the situation that faced the grocer/butcher was right on track.
I commented on the “What would you do?” post and my response was that the grocer didn’t need to worry about the campaign against his business by the animal rights group. He had loyal customers that would stick with him no matter what. However, after reading your post and reconsidering the situation, I now understand how an organization’s brand equity and identity can be so fragile. It is very important for companies and businesses, no matter how large or small, to immediately address issues such as this one. Businesses that are already a part of the growing blogosphere should address important issues through their blogs in order to generate a dialogue. As you stated previously, businesses or companies that are not a part of the blogosphere have no excuse not to engage in the rapidly growing dialogue that has the potential to further
boost and spark interest in their brand.
9/14/2006 at 3:36 pm
BillFrench
Elizabeth - thanks!
Stephanie - good point - …sparking interest in a brand opened my mind a bit more.
“… businesses that are not a part of the blogosphere have no excuse not to engage in the rapidly growing dialogue that has the potential to further boost and spark interest in their brand.”
We often think of brand building as costly and requiring long-term strategic efforts. However, I believe that a certain comment (say, in a blog post) can act as a flash-point that leads to greater brand discovery. Indeed, brand-flash-points can be created from bad news or good news, eh?
“I think that the way in which you framed the situation that faced the grocer/butcher was right on track.”
So, I might have a future in PR if this techie thing doesn’t pan out?
9/17/2006 at 9:29 pm
Christi
“Fight fire with love” what a novel idea! We’ve heard that advice over and over again from our parents and sunday school teachers since we were toddlers. Why are we so quick to forget that timeless advice when we enter the business arena? Consumers aren’t looking for an all out battle or a cut-throat reaction to opposition. They are looking for sincerity and trustworthiness in a brand or company. And a blog is the perfect way to portray that — No more mass advertising campaigns to build positive brand equity. The internet has created the opportunity for TWO-WAY communication, and thus, given us a whole new way to answer criticism and respond to our audiences (on a more personal level). Thanks for the insight, Bill.
9/17/2006 at 10:01 pm
Hayley
Any company that was smart enough would without question open up themselves to blogosphere considering the impact of social media on our society today. Companies should be jumping on the fact that they can shape their brand identity. Social media is defining our Web-centric world and is increasingly becoming an influence of online media movement. In order to stay in the line of motion and be on top it is important to realize how to effectively communicate with society. Using the blogosphere to address negative commentary on your brand is an important basic point that you make Bill. “Fighting fire with love” through blogs is a creative idea that will extinguish the fire of negativity. It gives companies an opportunity to address the situation/problem and provide reason to transform the negative into positive. Companies should be doing backflips because they have the opportunity to create and shape their brand image and correct negative remarks that hurt their brand image. This glimpse into social media and pr tasks provide reason and encouragement to enter in this blogosphere- where you are allowed to make a difference for your company. Thanks for the insights Bill!
9/18/2006 at 10:26 am
Dallas Perry
I loved the theory of “Fight fire with love”. Of course that’s the correct way to go about our daily lives. Think about how many people feel betrayed or let down every day. Most respond with anger, but the world would be so much more content if we used this advice as our initial reaction to disappointment. I am so glad I saw this, thank goodness for these blog classes that we have to take!
9/18/2006 at 3:09 pm
Rachel M
What a concept “Fight Fire with Love”. Yes the grocer should address the negative commentary so that the negative commentary does not affect its loyal customers. If the grocer does not control its blogosphere they may lose customers. They would have no idea what was going on in the minds of their customers if they did not open themselves up to the web. The grocer did run the risk of these negative comments but the only way to fight back is by not insulting anyone. The comments may be offensive but the grocer will save its brand by fighting back peacefully. There are already enough negative comments out there about their brand they do not need to put gas on the flame.
9/18/2006 at 9:22 pm
Adam Keeshan
The grocer should address the negative feedback as soon as possible because nobody wants bad press. Given the grocer’s traditon in that city there should not be so much concern, but if the grocer has the access to the web then why not take advantage of the blogosphere. Everyone who runs or manages a business should want to shape their own brand identity if given the oppurtunity. Blogging has become an excellent way to spread your. When the grocer does fight fire with love, then I think he should address the issue once and leave it at that.
9/18/2006 at 9:44 pm
Tyler H.
The grocer should begin by taking the higher road and not dumbing himself down to bickering with the group. Second, reminding those out there who are targeting him for “animal cruelty” that he did not start a blog to initiate any problems, but to keep a hometown feel to his shop and be able to keep the lines of communication open to those who want to stay connected. On the other hand, when exposing oneself to the world of social media, especially in a time and place with a heavy emphasis on political correctness, all aspects of discussion should be taken into consideration to ensure a sense of safety. Along with Adam K. above me, “fighting fire with love” and addressing the issue once and leaving it at that seems like the way to go. If the butcher shows a side that is always defensive and retaliating, the negative comments and criticism will never end.
9/30/2006 at 7:29 pm
Rachel D.
Hey Bill! I read the first article “What would you do?” about the butcher, and I’m glad that you came back with some helpful feedback for this small town grocer. I must say that even though he has faced some criticism from animal right’s activists, his grocery store has also received a lot of publicity about this issue. I wouldn’t necessarily say he is even receiving any bad publicity because he does own a grocery store, and all grocery stores do sell meat. It is unfortunate that activists have tried to target his store and encouraged customers to take their business elsewhere. However, people in this small town are still going to buy meat from this grocer unless there are a bunch of vegetarians residing in this town. A huge advantage to this grocer’s blog is to ask questions about how he can improve his store. This will definitely help his business.
10/4/2006 at 4:39 pm
Wade Cothran
I just read an interesting post on Kami Huyse’s blog site about generating successful conversation in the blogosphere.
She wrote about Verizon communications new blog and discussed the risks associated with company blogging. She also listed 5 tips for success in comments.
One tip I thought applied to this situation is “turning off your comments”. If the butcher could do this for a while, the animal activists would probably lose interest, considering they couldn’t complain anymore. The customers would still shop at the store because it is a small town and they could still read the posts from the store owner without worrying about all the negativity.
10/4/2006 at 4:58 pm
BillFrench
Wade:
“One tip I thought applied to this situation is ‘turning off your comments’.”
Excellent point. I’ll validate your suggestion by pointing out that of the 200+ clients we have using our Blogsite platform, fewer than 18% actually have commenting enabled.
Our customers are predominantly using their blogsites as advertorials - part editorial, part advertising - indeed, their chosen method of haviong some say in the way their brand is shaped in the conversational web.
While it’s great to generate conversation and greater dialog with customers, not all businesses want to do this in open public view. This noted behavior essentially establishes the fact that there are many definitions of “blogs”, and not all of them are aligned with the idea that they want to become “bloggers” in every sense of the word. Most “bloggers” would argue that it’s not a blog without open commenting enabled to which I would respond - bull**** - it’s silly to suggest that all business requirements are the same for all companies and all marketing/PR use cases.
Another question worth answering - how many customers fail to leave comments on a blog because the text will be seen by the public and every search engine on the Internet? This is a key question that “business bloggers” must address - there should be additional ways to gather feedback without the possibility of embarrassment or public scrutiny.
10/10/2006 at 4:12 pm
Amy
This is an interesting concept that you bring up, to use blogging as a tool for listening rather than simply speaking. Typically, blogs are used to express the opinions, thoughts and views of the author. It had been brought to my attention long ago that blogs could be used to gather information about the concerns and wants of a particular target audience, but I assumed that would be done through reading their blogs. For some reason it never occurred to me that it could be gathered by using my blog to provoke them to make comments. This way, the audience comes to you. Obviously they are already interested in what you have to say because they are reading your blog. Why not use it to ask questions and encourage them to respond so that you can become well informed of exactly who your audience is and what they want. Very interesting! Thank you!
10/10/2006 at 5:42 pm
BillFrench
You’re welcome Amy. Here’s another somewhat relevant post on the “Voice of the Customer” idea…
http://activerain.com/blogsview/Listening-to-the-Voice-of-the-Customer-?944
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10/12/2006 at 12:05 pm
Virginia
I feel so sorry for the butcher. All he wanted to do was increase awareness of his product, and it brings in more criticism than business. When you were talking about asking questions in your own blog, did you mean surveying the bloggers or just simply asking questions of them? I am currently in a Survey Research Methods class in school and am learning all about the usefulness of a well-written survey. I think this would be another suggestion for the butcher to use.
1/26/2007 at 7:17 pm
Emily Anne
“Your old road is rapidly aging, please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand. For the times they are a-changin’.” - Bob Dylan.
Grocery stores like the one hypothesized gains novelty for being everything a grocery store ought to be (mom, pop, butcher, baker, candlestick maker), but no longer is (http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/19/business/retail.php). And its dissappointing to me that you have to tell business owners that the days are gone when you fought competitors and criticism with loyal customer and quality products. You’ve got to hop on the blog bandwagon and snag a consultant for your image and proper rebuttal.
Do you think there are any situations or levels of conflict in the business world that are not appropriate for a social media response?
3/8/2007 at 9:03 pm
Liz R.
As I began to read this post, the first thing to come to mind was a term we learned in our intro to public relations class, two-way communication. It is a basic communication and public relations tactic, but if forgotten could be detrimental to an organization. I believe that blogs are a great way to increase an organization’s communication with its publics.
I liked your point about using blogs as a way to listen. It is difficult for an organization to meet its public’s needs if it is not listening to their needs in the first place. My only question is, how do you encourage people to visit the Web site and comment on an organization’s blog? Although they visit the site, they may feel that is unnecessary to comment because their opinions will not be heard. Do you know of any ways that organizations can emphasize on their blogs that their comments are being heard?
3/10/2007 at 12:16 pm
Lauren N.
Hi Bill!
I really enjoyed your post. I think your idea of “fight fire with love” has been at the core of many of my public relations classes. I think it is another way of saying engage yourself. If a company listens to the negative things people are saying about them, they have the opportunity to put these negative things in a positive light. I think some companies are still using a very old fashion way to manage their brand. This butcher shop is a perfect example. The owners decide to stay silent about the negative publicity and just hope that it passes soon. What this company has forgotten is that this is a new age of technology. Now that the internet and the blogosphere are available to customers, negative publicity could spread like wild fire.
As you suggest, I think the best way to deal with negative press is to be proactive. I think it is important to communicate with your public and make them feel a part of your company. If you make people feel included, they are less likely to spread negative publicity. Sometimes negative publicity is inevitable, but I think it is wise to address these issues as soon as they arise. The longer you wait, the more time these rumors have time to fester and grow.
Today’s world is more connected than ever before. I think every company needs to keep this in mind. It may be painful at times to respond to negative publicity, but in the long run it could mean the difference between success and failure.
3/12/2007 at 12:02 am
Katherine L.
Hello Bill,
I really enjoyed your post. I am always interested in reading about new ways to view the blogosphere and about its possibilities. I completely agree about making listening a priority when posting your blog and reading others blogs. As a newbie to this business I don’t feel like I have much authority or expertise on blogging (yet!) to be sharing with the world. So I’ve used most of my posts to feel out concepts that I think are important in a kind of “thinking out loud” way. Any advice or feedback that readers can offer me is invaluable.
In response to the grocer/butcher situation, I think that the world is finally catching on to the blogging bug, but some are still unsure of how to use their blog to pump up their brand. Grocers aren’t your typical brand-management people, but they must confront this negative publicity in order to keep moving forward. They’re already ahead of the game by having a blog of their own. Now they just have to show some courage and face their problems head on.
3/12/2007 at 11:40 am
Evyan M.
Bill,
I absolutely love the concept of “fight fire with love”. The blogosphere is something relatively new to business, especially those who did not catch the social media bug as early as others. The concept seems so simple, but in the competitive American society, is almost a breath of fresh air. Business seems to be so competitive and it’s refreshing to see someone give advice with a different take. People will catch on to the blogoshpere soon…they just have to find the confidence to.
3/12/2007 at 12:51 pm
Stephanie
The first things that come to mind after reading this post are eBay and Amazon. I think the main reason is because it allows traffic and feedback about items. Some may say they aren’t blogs, but it is people’s opinions about items. And I think that those opinions can in return hurt a company. I absolutely agree that company executives need to be reading the web for this kind of stuff daily. They should know what people are saying, and not blindly think everything out there is just press releases.
People are talking. Mostly about the craziest, most random things. And to think your company isn’t being talked about somewhere in some fashion whether it is negative or positive is ignorant. From Amazon to blogs to message boards, opinions are flying around all over the Web.