Celebrities clean up their image online

“A businessman friend recently told me about something called Digitalis. I thought he meant the drug given to people who had suffered heart attacks, but my friend explained this other Digitalis is a firm that attempts to prevent people from having heart attacks.
Digitalis is an internet PR firm specialising in ORM  -  Online Reputation Management. Celebrities whose embarrassing experiences and sexual faux-pas bob you on the nozzle as soon as you Google them are paying such companies to fill the web with positive news, which crowds out the negative offerings.
My friend, who has had a chequered personal life, told me with some satisfaction that his internet profile has now been ‘cleaned up’ by stories about his philanthropy.
I suppose, though, that there are some celebrities even Digitalis wouldn’t take on.
Wayne Rooney, anyone? “

The original article on Digitalis is available here:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1375160/Kate-Middleton-tormentors-asks-Petronella-Wyatt.html

Whilst most of these changes are only relevant when you are signed into your Google account it still signifies Google’s ever increasing desire to rank real time, personalised and content from trusted sources within search results.

The main changes to Google’s Social Search updates are as follows:
1. Social content from your connections will be bumped up the results (these currently show on the bottom of the page).

2. Utilising content from your social connections to display in results. For example if you’re searching for ‘Liverpool FC’ and your connection has publicly tweeted about ‘Liverpool FC’ the results may show in your search.

3. Google is now giving users the ability to connect multiple social profiles and link them privately within your Google account.

Checkout the video to discover more about the changes:

With these changes coming into play it’s a real opportunity for brands to really start leveraging social media to increase visibility in search results as well as driving brand engagement etc. For example, if a fan is following and engaging with a holiday brand on Twitter and they search for ‘Flights to Barcelona’, Google may then pull up the tweet from that brand offering sale flights to Barcelona. This brings the brand directly to the attention of the user and offers a value exchange.

Whilst I haven’t seen the new social search updates integrated into my search results to date, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time until we see this rolled out across Google.

It’s been a great event to focus social media as a viable and increasingly important marketing channel and to also to bring together a range of different people involved in social from industry experts, to brands, to agencies to social media novices.

Having attended a number of seminars and sessions at SMW here are some thoughts or summaries from the event:

1. Social media is here to stay
Social media is here to stay, fact. Whether we still call it social media in 2 years time, who knows, but brands/companies need to start assessing what’s happening in their social space and start formulating their social strategy, otherwise they’ll be left behind.

2. We are on a learning curve
We are still in the infancy of social media and we are all on a learning curve. Even self professed experts haven’t got all the answers to all the questions. We have to continually reassess our strategy to find out what works and what doesn’t.

As an industry we need to continually share and learn from each other. Social Media Week has been absolutely brilliant in facilitating this.

3. Online and offline must work together
It is very clear that the online and offline worlds need to work together more than ever to truly benefit from the ever changing shifts in consumer behaviour.

Social media isn’t just about what’s happens on our PCs it’s about what’s happening when we’re out shopping, when we’re at home, when we’re on holiday, in everyday live. Being social is offline and online and it is 24/7/365.

However, it is clear there is still a gulf between online and offline strategies and a cultural shift within companies and organisations needs to happen. Ultimately consumers want a seamless and consistent experience with the brands/services they engage with, whether it be online or offline.

4. Facebook is so dominant!
Facebook is such a dominant force in social media. In every seminar I attended Facebook was such a huge focus and the main talking point.

With the introduction of Facebook Deals, Facebook Credits, and the launch of FB Mail and now with the potential acquisition of Twitter it will wield a phenomenal amount of power.

Brands need to embrace all the benefits of working with Facebook but at the same time be mindful and weary about some of the issues that arise.

5. Social media does deliver an ROI
There seems to be a myth around not being able to track ROI on social media activity. This week I’ve seen several case studies and examples to demonstrate that Social Media can and is delivering an ROI, whether it is against brand related objectives or adding to the bottom line revenue.

Brands are using social media in different ways and they are using a range of different tools and methods to help them track ROI.

The ad created by Deutsch Inc http://www.deutschinc.com/ for the Superbowl features a mini-me Darth Vader trying to use ‘The Force’ and eventually using it to start the Passat, or so he believes. So why does this ad get it so right where many brands get it so wrong?

Firstly, Volkswagen have taken something we can all relate to….being a kid and the limitless bounds of our imagination. We’ve all believed we were astronauts and could fly to space or were pop stars playing at Wembley Stadium! So being Darth Vader and using ‘The Force’ is a great set-up for this ad and any parent will relate to their kids acting out similar scenarios at home. Volkswagen have got the emotional hook spot on!

Secondly, they’ve taken something we all love – Star Wars. The demographic who the Passat is aimed at (30+ males with kids I presume) are more than likely to be Stars Wars crazy having grown up with it in the late 70s early 80s (I’m actually one of them and I actually do own a Passat!). So that link creates immediate interest and a nostalgic hook for the target audience.

Lastly they’ve added a brilliant twist at the end, when the dad finally starts the car with key fob and the kid thinks he’s actually used ‘The Force’. His reaction is priceless (even though you can’t see his face) and is the perfect feel good factor for the audience and ultimately gives this ad viral potential.

While I’m not sure how much this ad would make me go out and buy a car but it does create an immediate likeability for the brand/car and the core values it represents.  More immediately it makes me wants to watch and share this video over and over again! With the video hitting over 20 Million views I’m not the only one that loves this ad. Good work Deutsch Inc!

As brands actively harness the ‘word-of-mouth-through-social-media’ power by encouraging employees to set up social media networks on behalf of the company and engage directly with its consumers, it also throws up a number of potential pitfalls for your brand.

A few questions to ask yourself:

How do the thoughts and actions of employees reflect your brand and are you in control of this? Are you team sufficiently trained to engage socially with your customers? Do you have a set plan of action if things go wrong? Are employers covered contractually to engage in this way?

There have been high profile examples e.g. Vodafone http://conversational-uk.co.uk/2010/02/05/vodafone-twitter-fail/ where brands sentiment has been negative due to their employees being negligent or don’t necessarily represent the views or thoughts and have created negative sentiment around the brand.

While this example was by a somewhat disgruntled employee it illustrates the issue of how empowering employees in social spaces can be dangerous. On the flip side, allowing employees to engage with a certain degree of creativity and without inhibitions is equally important.

Here are four things for employers to have in place:

1) Social Media Guidelines

Have clear social media guidelines put in place that employees are asked to read and also trained on. These guidelines include issues such as transparency in engagement, how to moderate content and what to moderate, how to engage with bloggers, how to add value to your brand etc.

Brands such as IBM and Intel have been early adopters of social media and have developed guidelines that encourage and educate their employees. Other great examples of social policies can be found at EConsultancy.

2) Crisis Management Strategy

Remember negativity can spread very quickly so have a crisis management strategy in place. The simplest way is to devise a flow chart which quickly allows employees to identify the paths to take in the event of a crisis. This should be widely available and shared across all relevant departments including marketing, legal and PR.

3) Brand Guidelines

Ensure your employees understand brand guidelines and how the brand should be represented in social spaces. This includes language, tone of voice, things they can and can’t say etc.

4) Employee Contracts

As social media becomes increasingly included as part of day to day marketing, it’s worth brands considering updating employee contracts to include social aspects. Some employment contracts may not sufficiently cover the rules of social engagement and being a representative of the brand in social spaces.

In reaction to the horrific happenings in Arizona last week, Sarah Palin’s Facebook page was hit very hard with comments. The site http://obamalondon.blogspot.com/ documented the comments that were posted and how they were dealt with by Palin and her team.

Comments that were seen by Palin’s team as derogatory to the Palin brand or Republican Party were deleted with amazing speed and efficiency. In some cases not more then two minutes had gone by before the comment was deleted.

However, a comment about the 9 year old girl victim which suggested it was o.k. for her to be shot because she would only turn into a democrat supporter was left on the page. While this comment was highly insensitive and offensive, it also highlighted an inconsistency in Sarah Palin’s moderation policy. Surely if Palin is deleting all negative or offensive comments this should also be deleted? You’d think so, but then again this is politics.

There are two main learning’s to take from Palin’s

1)     In the world of social media deleting unfavourable comments about a person (or product, service, business) only serves to enrage and fuel the fires of the user.  If brands think that users are going to keep quiet because they’ve had their comments deleted, think again. In fact they’ll shout louder and longer on another platform, making the issuer bigger than it was to start with.

A more engaged approach would be to provide commentary on the raised issues, helping to contain the debate within your social space and keep it from spreading . In this case:

The Guardian
AOL News
Reputation Online

2)     By not deleting or responding to comments that are widely considered as offence or derogatory effectively means that the brand/person is endorsing this comment. If you are going to employ a policy of deleting comments (not recommended) then at least be consistent with all offensive comments and not a policy of one rule for one and one for another. I’m sure we all agree that Sarah Palin doesn’t endorse the murder of a 9 year old girl. But allowing that comment to remain on her Facebook page, while disparaging comments about her are deleted at speed, certainly doesn’t clarify her position, help her reputation and only fuels the vitriol towards her further.

Brands and high profile individuals need to have a consistent and documented approach to dealing with these situations or they can do their brand a great deal of damage, as seen here.

The best free tools for a gaining a social snap shot of a brand/ campaign, are:
- Social mention
- Addictomatic
- Vitrue
- Tinker
- Net vibes

The best paid tools are:
- Trendrr
- Resonate
- Brand Watch
- Alterian

However I’m sure you can make your own mind up about what tools are best for you and your company’s needs. Enjoy!

Addictomatic http://addictomatic.com/
NMS (New Media Strategies) http://nms.com/
Alterian http://www.alterian.com/
Analytic.ly http://analytic.ly/
Asomo http://www.asomo.net/en/index.htm
Attentio http://attentio.com/
Awareness Networks http://www.awarenessnetworks.com/software/measure
Backtype http://www.backtype.com
Bantam Live http://www.bantamlive.com/
Beevolve http://www.beevolve.com/
Biz360 http://www.biz360.com
Blog Grader http://www.bloggrader.com/report/grade/onstartups.com
Blogpulse http://www.blogpulse.com
blueReport http://www.bluereport.net
Boardreader http://boardreader.com
Boardtracker http://www.boardtracker.com
BrandChats http://www.brandchats.com
BrandMetric http://www.brandmetric.com
Brands Eye http://www.brandseye.com
Brandtology http://www.brandtology.com
Brandwatch http://www.brandwatch.com/solutions
Buzz Manager http://www.sportsmediachallenge.com/buzzmanager/index.html
Buzz Numbers HQ http://www.buzznumbershq.com/
Buzzcapture http://www.buzzcapture.com
BuzzGain http://www.BuzzGain.com/index.html
Buzzient Enterprise http://www.buzzient.com
BuzzLogic Insight http://www.buzzlogic.com
BuzzPerception http://www.customscoop.com/products/buzzperception.php
BuzzStream http://www.buzzstream.com
Chartbear http://www.chartbeat.com
Cision Social Media http://us.cision.com/products_services/cision_social_media/overview.asp
ClipIQ http://www.customscoop.com
Clipit http://www.clipit.nl
Cognito Monitor http://www.expertsystem.net
Collecta http://Collecta.com/
Collective Intellect http://www.collectiveintellect.com/products/self_service
Context Voice http://contextvoice.com/applications/
Conversation http://www.ecairn.com
Conversation Miner http://www.converseon.com/us/services/services1.html
CoTweet http://www.cotweet.com
Crimson Hexagon http://www.crimsonhexagon.com/product/
Custom Scoop http://www.customscoop.com/
Cyber Alert http://www.cyberalert.com/
Cyveillance http://www.cyveillance.com
Dialogix http://www.dialogix.com.au/
Digimind Meta-Search http://www.digimind.com/products
Direct Message Lab http://www.directmessagelab.com/
dnaMonitor http://www.dna13.com/
Dow Jones Insight http://www.dowjones.com/product-djinsight.asp
Eavesdropper http://kaleidico.com/eavesdropper
Evolve 24 http://evolve24.com/products-services/the-mirror/
eWatch http://ewatch.prnewswire.com
Facebook Grader http://facebook.grader.com
Feedburner http://feedburner.google.com
Filtrbox http://www.filtrbox.com
Followthing http://followthing.com/
Gnip http://gnip.com/
Google Blogsearch http://blogsearch.google.com
Graph Edge http://www.graphedge.com/
HowSociable http://howsociable.com/
Hubspot http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-tools/
Icerocket http://www.icerocket.com
iCrossing http://www.icrossing.com/marketing-platform/
iMooty http://www.imooty.eu
Impactwatch http://impactwatch.com
Insttant http://insttant.com
Integrasco http://www.integrasco.com/
JamIQ http://www.jamiq.com
JitterJam http://www.jitterjam.com/
Jive http://www.jivesoftware.com/solutions/market-engagement
Jodange http://www.jodange.com/
Just Signal http://justsignal.com/
Kaava http://www.kaavacorp.com/kaava.html
Klout http://klout.com
Landau Media Monitoring http://www.landaumedia.de/en/products/
Lexicon http://www.facebook.com/lexicon
Linkfluence http://linkfluence.net
Livedash http://www.livedash.com
Looxii http://www.looxii.com/
Loudpixel http://loudpixel.com/
Maestro http://www.cymfony.com/Solutions/Cymfony-Maestro
Mamba http://www.mambaiq.com/eng/
Managing News http://managingnews.com/
Market Sentinel http://www.marketsentinel.com/
Market Voice http://www.attensity.com
Marketo http://www.marketo.com
Media Genius http://www.mediageniusapp.com
MediaMiser Enterprise http://www.mediamiser.com/products/enterprise.html
Mediasphere360 http://www.mediabadger.com
Meltwater http://www.meltwater.com/products/meltwater-buzz/
Mentionmap http://apps.asterisq.com/mentionmap/
Metatale http://www.metatale.eu/english
Meteor http://www.meteorsolutions.com
Metrica http://www.metrica.net/Whatwedo/Content2l.htm
Monitor http://www.statsit.com/monitor.php
Monitter http://www.monitter.com
Motive Quest http://www.motivequest.com/main.taf?p=1,2
My BuzzMetrics http://en-us.nielsen.com/tab/product_families/nielsen_buzzmetrics
My Reputation Manager http://reputationhq.com
netmind Sphere http://www.mindlab.de
Newsdesk http://w.moreover.com/public/products/newsdesk.html
Noteca http://www.noteca.com
Omniture http://www.omniture.com
Onalytica http://onalytica.com/
OneRiot http://www.oneriot.com
Open Mic http://www.overtone.com/product/open-mic
Optify http://www.optify.net
Positive Press http://www.iterasi.net
Post Rank http://www.postrank.com/
PR Newswire http://info.prnewswire.com/ewatch/logincontent/product_info.shtml
Radian6 http://www.radian6.com
Raven http://raven-seo-tools.com/
RBH Radar http://www.rbh.co.uk
Reputation Control http://www.reputation-control.de
Reputation Defender http://www.reputationdefender.com
RepuTrace, RepuTrack http://www.repumetrix.com
Resonate http://www.listenlogic.com/solutions/resonate.php
Revinate http://www.revinate.com
RightNow CX http://www.rightnow.com/cx-suite-social-experience.php
Samepoint http://www.samepoint.com
SAS http://www.sas.com/software/customer-intelligence/social-media-analytics/
Scanbuzz http://www.medimix.net/content/scanbuzz-services
ScoutLabs http://www.scoutlabs.com
Facebook Search http://www.facebook.com/srch.php
Sentiment Metrics http://www.sentimentmetrics.com
Silverbakk Briefing Room http://www.silverbakk.com
SM2 http://www.alterian-social-media.com
Smmart http://www.smmart.es
Snapstream http://www.snapstream.com/enterprise/
Social Media Dashboard http://www.ovrdrv.com
Social Mention http://socialmention.com
Social Radar http://www.infegy.com/socialradar.php
Social Too http://socialtoo.com
SocialMetrix http://www.SocialMetrix.com
Socialscape http://www.socialscape.biz
SocialSeek http://www.sensidea.com/socialseek/
SocialSense http://www.networkedinsights.com/products/
Socialtalk http://www.socialtalk.com
Spark http://www.spiral16.com/spark/
SpredFast http://spredfast.com
StartPR http://startpr.com
StatsMix http://statsmix.com/
Steprep http://steprep.myfrontsteps.com
StreamWall http://www.socialmediamonitoring.com.au
SWIX http://swixhq.com/SWIX.html
Symscio http://www.symscio.com/PR_Measurement/Dashboards/
Synthesio http://www.synthesio.com/corporate/gb_index.php
Sysomos MAP & Heartbeat http://www.sysomos.com/products/overview/sysomos-map
Systemone Radar http://www.systemone.net/en/products/radar/
Tealium SM http://www.tealium.com/products/social-media/index.html
Technorati http://technorati.com
The Search Monitor http://www.thesearchmonitor.com/
ThePulse http://www.echometrix.com
ThoughtBuzz http://www.thoughtbuzz.net
Tinker http://www.tinker.com
TipTop http://feeltiptop.com
Topsy http://topsy.com/
TraceBuzz http://www.tracebuzz.com
Trackur http://www.trackur.com/
Trendistic (formerly Twist) http://trendistic.com
Trendrr http://www.trendrr.com
Tribe Monitor https://www.tribemonitor.com/
TruCast, TruReputation http://www.visibletechnologies.com
TruReach, Video Engagement http://www.visiblemeasures.com
Twazzup http://www.twazzup.com
Tweet Satisfaction http://www.tweetsatisfaction.com/ts/content/demo.html
TweetBeep http://www.tweetbeep.com
TweetFeel http://www.tweetfeel.com/
Tweetlytics http://www.tweetlytics.com/
Twendz http://twendz.waggeneredstrom.com/
Twitalyzer http://www.twitalyzer.com
twitt(url)y http://twitturly.com/
Twitter Analyzer http://twitteranalyzer.com
Twitter Grader http://twitter.grader.com/
Twitter Search http://search.twitter.com
uberVU http://www.ubervu.com/
Umbria http://www.jdpowerwebintelligence.com
Viralheat http://www.viralheat.com
Visible http://www.visibletechnologies.com/products.html
Vitrue http://vitrue.com/smi/
Vocus PR http://www.vocus.com/content/social-media.asp
Voxtrot http://www.crimsonhexagon.com/product/
Wave Metrix http://www.wavemetrix.com/content/methodology
Web Clipping http://www.webclipping.com/
Webdig http://www.woollabs.com/Webdig.html
WebTrends http://www.webtrends.com/Products/SocialMeasurement
White Noise http://www.herdthenoise.com
Whitevector http://www.whitevector.com
Who’s Talkin http://www.whostalkin.com/
Woopra http://www.woopra.com/
Workstreamer http://www.workstreamer.com/social/
Xinu http://xinureturns.com/
YackTrack http://yacktrack.com
Yahoo http://developer.yahoo.com/social/rest_api_guide/web-services-intro.html
Zeta http://zetainteractive.com/what_we_do/zeta_buzz.aspx

Source: Social Muser blog

Anticipation and suspense was building as the private taxis carried everyone way from the Digitalis office, off to the unknown location. Several rumours were spilling out as to what we should expect, some were outrageous, and others were pretty much spot on.

When we eventually got on to the pier, where the mysterious activity was unveiled… An exhilarating boat ride with the Thames Rib Experience. We all had to don very fetching water-proof outfits, pirate bandanas and eye-patches, then preceded down to the water’s edge where the rib boat fast approached.

Everyone jumped aboard, and gripped tightly to the inflatable structure. The tour operator began to play theatrical pirate music as the boat pulled out, and eyes began to roll. The ‘pirate’ themed tour of the Thames was certainly of interest, even to the most learned Londoner’s. Once beyond the Canary Wharf barrier, we sped up to some considerable pace, the driver swerved and wheeled the boat around as we screamed, our eyes waters and hung on to the railing for dear life.

Once back on dry land we slowly walked over the road across the road to a nearby bar and had some food and beverages to warm the insides… and that’s when the fun started.

Photo evidence below:

Everyone getting ready…

The boat fast approaching…

Boat one… Lots of smiling faces

Boat Two… One very smiley face!

Dave’s article raises some important issues surrounding the power of the consumer within the online space and how brands need to address their online reputation management to ensure negative feedback is dealt with accordingly.

For example:

“In 2005, Jeff Jarvis, an influential blogger, created a blog, Dell Hell, to air his negative experiences with the computer giant’s products and customer care, he unwittingly set in motion a tsunami of customer ill sentiment towards the company. Within just a week Dell Hell received over 10,000 comments and thousands of visits a day from similarly disgruntled customers. As a result of the massive amount of content achieved on the blog, Dell Hell soared to the top of Google’s search listings.

The damage to Dell’s reputation was perhaps due to Jarvis influence as a respected and much followed blogger. His authority in web rankings and personal credibility enabled him to galvanise and give voice to a group of seriously unhappy customers.

The company ultimately addressed all of the negative issues raised by Jarvis and his followers. Dell revamped its marketing, and reviewed its product line and customer services. The company also learned its lesson and redressed its attitude toward the internet and its power to make or break reputation.”

Unfortunately, these days, it doesn’t take a blogger with high levels of influence and respect to alter the perception of brands online.

Do you want to find out more? Read the article in full – Virtual Death Trap by Dave King.

You will need to understand everything that goes on; why certain meetings are happening and what should take priority on a day-to-day basis. You will be busy and committed both in and out of office hours, managing a hectic diary, hosting and arranging meetings, preparing slick and faultless presentations and a wide variety of other functions.

Please apply with CV and a bespoke cover letter that answers the following questions:

- What hours did you keep in your last (or current) role?
- What makes an EA out of a PA?
- Which employer have you cared about the most and why?

Applications that fail to answer the above questions or that have not been proofread meticulously before submission will be rejected.

To find more about the position, click here – LinkedIn EA to CEO Job Description.

E-mail: info@digitalismedia.co.uk