We have established that word of mouth (WOM) marketing is a vastly effective method for getting the word out about a brand or product. Now, just as buzz can be related to good things about a brand, it too can be negative. Word of mouth is certainly not something that can be completely manipulated or controlled by marketers, as I may have glazed over in my previous blogs. It is often hit or miss, and containing negative word of mouth can be quite the task.A recent Brandweek article, "News Analysis: Companies Have a Devil of a Time Denying Rumors", discusses this very issue of negative word of mouth, and how it applies to some corporate giants such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Proctor and Gamble. In fact, this article highlights that these entities have been falsely linked to Satanism through rumors spread among consumers. These rumors have naturally caused some isues for the companies. Proctor and Gamble was particularly linked to the devil because individuals believed its old logo, featured above, had three sixes in it.
What I have learned in my readings, is that the spread of buzz has excellerated exponentialy due to the surge in technology. In the past, as mentioned in Brandweek, companies or brands were able to wait it out until the crisis or negative press was at a breaking point. Now, with email and the viral nature of news, it could reach that breaking point in a day and could become the completely unanticipated news feature!
The way companies have neutralized this negative word of mouth or even translated it to positive feelings about the company, is by being very proactive. Proctor and Gamble legally squelched any rumors of satanic ties and posted evidence on their site of their innocence. jetBlue, who recently had major issues with their service, have tried all they can to nip those negative associations in the bud quickly. A Bazaarblog entry explains why jetBlue has been successfull in taking care of the bad publicity. Citing jetBlue as an example, the entry explains that in order to succeed despite adversity, a company needs to:
"1. Listen to their customers, admit their mistakes and show sincere remorse"
"2. Commit to making significant changes to improve customer service"
"3. Back up their promises with real results"
What I have learned in my readings, is that the spread of buzz has excellerated exponentialy due to the surge in technology. In the past, as mentioned in Brandweek, companies or brands were able to wait it out until the crisis or negative press was at a breaking point. Now, with email and the viral nature of news, it could reach that breaking point in a day and could become the completely unanticipated news feature!
The way companies have neutralized this negative word of mouth or even translated it to positive feelings about the company, is by being very proactive. Proctor and Gamble legally squelched any rumors of satanic ties and posted evidence on their site of their innocence. jetBlue, who recently had major issues with their service, have tried all they can to nip those negative associations in the bud quickly. A Bazaarblog entry explains why jetBlue has been successfull in taking care of the bad publicity. Citing jetBlue as an example, the entry explains that in order to succeed despite adversity, a company needs to:
"1. Listen to their customers, admit their mistakes and show sincere remorse"
"2. Commit to making significant changes to improve customer service"
"3. Back up their promises with real results"
There is also another theory about rumors and negative brand associations; this other theory is that no buzz is bad buzz. The owner of Carmex Lip Balm supposedly doesn't worry anymore that some people claim the product causes "slack mouth" or is addictive. He claimed that he was once very concerned about such outrageous falsehoods, but now he just sees their perpetuation as simply another time his product is mentioned. Still, there exists a special page on the Carmex site devoted to clearing up facts and myths.
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