For all the benefits they bring to business, social media and other communication technologies have created a major new challenge: responding to online rumors and attacks on a company's reputation. Consumers and other stakeholders can now communicate through blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, advocacy sites such as www.walmartwatch.com, community participation websites such as www.epinions .com and www.planetfeedback.com, company-specific sites such as www.verizonpathetic.com, community Q&A sites such as http://getsatisfaction.com, and numer ous e-commerce shopping sites that encourage product reviews. Customers who feel they have been treated unfairly like these sites because they can use the public exposure as leverage. Many companies appreciate the feedback from these sites, too, and many actively seek out complaints to improve their products and operations. However, false rumors and unfair criticisms can spread around the world in a matter of minutes and endanger company reputations. Responding to rumors and countering negative informa- tion requires an ongoing effort and case-by-case decisions about which messages require a response. Follow these four steps: Engage early, engage often. Perhaps the most im- portant step in responding to negative information has to be done before the negative information appears, and that is to engage with communities of stakeholders as a long-term strategy. Companies that have active, mutually beneficial relationships with customers and other interested parties are less likely to be attacked unfairly online and more likely to survive such attacks if they do occur. In contrast, companies that ignore constituents or jump into "spin doctoring" mode when a negative situation occurs don't have the same cred- ibility as companies that have done the long, hard work of fostering relationships within their physical and online communities. Monitor the conversation. If people are interested in what your company does, chances are they are blog- ging, tweeting, podcasting, posting videos, writing on Facebook walls, and otherwise sharing their opinions. Use the available technologies to listen to what people are saying. Evaluate negative messages. When you encounter negative messages, resist the urge to fire back im- mediately. Instead, evaluate the source, the tone, and the content of the message and then choose a re- sponse that fits the situation. For example, the Public Affairs Agency of the U.S. Air Force groups senders of negative messages into four categories: "trolls" (those whose only intent is to stir up conflict), "ragers" (those who are just ranting or telling jokes), "the misguided" (those who are spreading incorrect information), and "unhappy customers" (those who have had a negative experience with the Air Force). Respond appropriately. After you have assessed a nega- tive message, take the appropriate response based on an overall public relations plan. The Air Force, for instance, doesn't respond to trolls or ragers, responds to misguided messages with correct information, and responds to un- happy customers with efforts to rectify the situation and reach a reasonable solution. Whatever you do, don't assume that a positive reputation doesn't need to be diligently guarded and defended. Everybody has a voice now, and some of those voices don't care to play by the rules of ethical communication. CAREER APPLICATIONS 1. A legitimate complaint about your restaurant on Yelp also contains a statement that your company "doesn't care about its customers." How should you respond? 2. A few bloggers are circulating false information about your company, but the problem is not widespread-yet. Should you jump on the problem now and tell the world the ru mor is false, even though most people haven't heard it yet? Explain your answer Sources: "When Fans Attack: How to Defend a Brand's Reputation Online al Crenshaw Communications blog, 20 May 2010, http://crenshawcomm .com; David Meerman Scott, The US Air Force: Armed with Social Media WebinkNow blog. 15 December 2008,www.webinknow.com; Matt Rhodes, "How to React if Somebody Whites About Your Brand Online," Fresh Networks blog. 9 January 2009, www.freshnetworks.com; Matt Rhodes. "Social Media as a Crisis Management Tool," Social Media Today blog. 21 December 2009, www.socialmediatoday.com; Jack Neff, "What to Do When Social Media Spreads Marketing Myth," Advertising Age, T September 2009, 4, 24.