“If you have a great established brand like Apple, or a great new product, like an iPod, then sure, let people run away with your brand, because most people will say good things about it and encourage other people to use it. But if you have a problematic brand like Wal-Mart or GM, where a lot of people think your product/service is socially irresponsible, for example, then letting people control your brand is going to perpetuate your image problem. The only real solution is to improve your product or service– which is a lot harder than vague notions of ‘conversation.'”
–Scott Karp, Publishing 2.0 blogger, ruminating on how the fact PR giant Edelman created a ” fake blog” for client Wal-Mart–and got caught–is symptomatic of a larger shift in corporations trying –and failing– to control popular opinion in an instant-communication world.
“If you have a great established brand like Apple, or a great new product, like an iPod, then sure, let people run away with your brand, because most people will say good things about it and encourage other people to use it. But if you have a problematic brand like Wal-Mart or GM, where a lot of people think your product/service is socially irresponsible, for example, then letting people control your brand is going to perpetuate your image problem. The only real solution is to improve your product or service– which is a lot harder than vague notions of ‘conversation.'”
–Scott Karp, Publishing 2.0 blogger, ruminating on how the fact PR giant Edelman created a ” fake blog” for client Wal-Mart–and got caught–is symptomatic of a larger shift in corporations trying –and failing– to control popular opinion in an instant-communication world.