More than ever, people want to feel like they are part of the brand and have a say in its future. This is in large part due to the increasing popularity of the social web. Customers (and potential customers) have more opportunities to interact with the brand by posting a comment on the Facebook page, sending a tweet in its direction or joining a related debate on a blog.So what’s the impact in terms of business continuity and reputation management? Well, what used to be a reactive game has now become a proactive one. The marketing process is not a ‘one size fits all’ game. The social web is not a campaign related strategy; it’s a long-term adaptation of your business model.We are lucky that none of our clients has faced a BP-style situation, although we do encourage them to engage with their communities so that they build a strong brand regardless of what’s going to happen in the future.For example, we are part of the team that has built 2degrees’ Facebook page to over 35,000 people. By fielding customer queries and allowing sneak peeks at new content, like adverts, we have built a trust that allows 2degrees to get honest and almost instantaneous feedback for products and services. This is something that you can’t achieve as quickly through any other medium.Additionally, whenever someone is negative about 2degrees on Facebook, there is always someone (not from 2degrees) who steps up and defends the brand.It’s important to remember that there is a thin line between showing genuine personality online and being too informal, but it really depends on what you are ultimately selling. It’s also about being consistent. A bank isn’t typically associated with being irreverent. But if you start the brand on an alternative tack, as KiwiBank did, then people expect a different tone and it can work to your advantage.Interestingly, one of the individuals who tweets on behalf of Westpac once mistakenly said they were "so over today” and sent it out from the corporate Twitter account rather than their own personal account. You wouldn’t advise this approach, but it actually worked quite well. Many people responded saying they felt the same, as we all do sometimes, and that they appreciated the human personality.Ultimately, there is little point in spending too much time on planning for a reputation attack. It’s certainly a good idea to have a discussion with communication specialists both internally and externally and have a plan in place. However, it’s far better to spend time on improving your products, services and customer relations. Be creative and do something engaging and with a long-term approach that links back to business benefits. This will build better connection and trust with your community and prove far more effective if and when you have a brand crisis on your hands.
