The Good
Book of
Badvo cacy
The Good
Book of
Badvo cacy
01 Introduction 02 A Brief History of Badvocacy 03 The Power of Badvocacy 04 Deflating Badvocacy
Intro duction
Today's World is Filled with Advocates...
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...people who talk or act on behalf of companies, organizations, issues, brands, causes and products. Sometimes quietly and sometimes loudly. They do it among friends and families. They do it at work. They do it in chat rooms and on blogs. They do it in their communities. Some have broad-reaching platforms; some are reaching just their own circle of friends. And some Advocates are simply BADVOCATES— people who passionately criticize or detract from companies, brands or products in all the above ways.
The Good Book of Badvocacy is a brief compilation of what we at Weber Shandwick have learned about BADVOCACY. We firmly believe that companies and organizations should be sharply attuned to their BADVOCATES who are enthusiasts driven to influence others.
The purpose of The Good Book is to provide background and context on Badvocacy. By calling attention to this new and spreading phenomenon, we want to help readers looking for guidance on protecting their good names from BADVOCATES.
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A Brief History of Badvocacy
...people had limited power to make their unhappiness with a company, product or service known. Nor did they have many options for evaluating the reputation of a company, product or service before making a purchase. People became easily frustrated and often felt they had no recourse when products or services disappointed them. Their voices often went unheard.
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...the Internet came along and
changed everything. In the beginning, people went to Web sites to research products, services and organizations. In time, Web sites evolved to allow visitors to rate products and services they bought and used. Customers could now scan the Internet to find the best prices.
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People soon realized they had influence like never before.
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Source: Weber Shandwick’s The New Wave of Advocacy™ study conducted with KRC Research
“Consumers have more power to influence company success or failure”...“It is easier to make my opinion heard today”...“Consumers have greater say in what companies sell now”...“It is easier to make informed decisions”...“Consumers ha more power to influence company success or failure”......“It is easier to make my opinion heard today”...“Consumers have more power to influence company suc failure”...“Consumers have greater say in what companies sell now”...“It is ea make informed decisions”...“Consumers have more power to influence company or failure”......“It is easier to make my opinion heard today”...“Consumers have m power to influence company success or failure”...“It is easier to make my opinio today”...“It is easier to make informed decisions”...“Consumers have greater sa companies sell Now”...“It is easier to make informed decisions”... It is easier to more informed decisions"...“It is easier to make my opinion heard today”...“C have more power to influence company success or failure”...“It is easier to make my opinion heard today”...“It is easier to make informed decisions”...“Consume have greater say in what companies sell now”...“It is easier to make informed decisions”...“Consumers have more power to influence company success or ...“Consumers have more power to influence company success or failure”...“I heard today”...“It is easier to make informed decisions”...“Consumers have gr in what companies sell now”...“It is easier to make informed decisions”...“Consu have more power to influence company success or failure”......“It is easier to ma opinion heard today”...“Consumers have more power to influence company suc failure”...“It is easier to make my opinion heard today”...“It is easier to make inf decisions”...“Consumers have greater say in what companies sell now”...“It is ea make informed decisions”...“Consumers have more power to influence company or failure”......“It is easier to make my opinion heard today”...“Consumers21 have m power to influence company success or failure”...“It is easier to make my opinio
Consumers’ newly found voices helped accelerate the use of online social media, where they could, with enormous detail and emotion, describe their positive and negative experiences and opinions while reaching mass audiences worldwide. People could act on their strongest beliefs and join others with similar convictions. Unprecedented power had been put into the hands of the consumer and the world was forever changed.
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Both Advocates Badvocates were unleashed. 22
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The Power
of Bad vocacy
We define Badvocates as people who stand on a virtual soapbox to criticize or detract from companies, brands or products. They represent a considerable segment of the global online adult population (20 percent). They are passionate enough to share opinions. Their influence reaches far and wide…on average, they tell 14 other people about a bad experience.
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Source: Weber Shandwick’s The New Wave of Advocacy™ study conducted with KRC Research
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Badvocacy comes in many forms
...from personal conversations to petitions to rallies ...from old fashioned boycotts to blogs ...from calling in to radio shows to creating podcasts ...from wearing a T-shirt denouncing a company to discontinuing loyalty to a brand.
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Just as Advocates find each other easily and quickly online, Badvocacy is now fueled by this new technology.
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“The pitchforks and axe-handles of the day are BlackBerries and iPhones.” — Advertising Age, March 18, 2008
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"It's not the actual complaints, comments or blog posts that hurt the most. It's the lingering Google search results that represent real death by a thousand cuts." — canada.com, February 7, 2008
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Badvocacy Has Staying Power
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Badvocates are often feared
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Nearly four in 10 global executives fear that a dissatisfied customer or critic will launch an online campaign against their company.
Source: Weber Shandwick’s Risky Business: Reputations Online™ study conducted with the Economist Intelligence Unit, 2009
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"Armed with little more than a Web connection and a keyboard, these detractors can do everything from irritate, via a scathing review, to causing serious business problems by using message boards to reveal company secrets or spread rumors of unethical behavior." — The New York Times, October 4, 2007
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Some Badvocates cause considerable material harm to a company's reputation and bottom line.
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psssssssst‌
the most dangerous Badvocates can sometimes be your employees.
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“Employees talk about their work. They have an opinion on your business, your management, your bra your products and services. When you were last at a bar, a function or barbeque, what did you talk abo Did many people bag their work places or companies? Did many people recommend their company’s services or products?”— Nudge Marketing Blog, “Employees…Advocates or Badvocates,” June 5, 20 More than one third of global executives know of a colleague who has written something negative abo “Employees their work. They haveOnline™ an study condu their company online. —Source:talk Weberabout Shandwick’s Risky Business: Reputations with the Economist Intelligence Unit, 2008. “Employees talk about their work. They have an opinion on opinion on your business, your management, your your business, your management, your brand, your products and services. When you were last at a bar function or barbeque, did you talk about?and Did many people bag their work places or companies? brand,what your products services. When you were many people recommend their company’s services or products?”— Nudge Marketing Blog, “Employe Advocates or Badvocates,” June a 5, 2007. More than third of global executives last at a bar, function or one barbeque, what didknow youof a colleague has written something negative about their company online. —Source: Weber Shandwick’s Risky Busin talk about? Did many theirUnit, work Reputations Online™ study conducted with thepeople Economist bag Intelligence 2008.places “Employees talk ab their work. They have an opinion on your business, your management, your brand, your products and s or companies? Did many people recommend their When you were last at a bar, a function or barbeque, what did you talk about? Did many people bag th work places orcompany’s companies? Didservices many people their company’s services or products?”— Nu orrecommend products?” Marketing Blog, “Employees…Advocates or Badvocates,” June 5, 2007. More than one third of global executives know of a colleague who has written something negative about their company online. —So — Nudge Marketing Blog, “Employees… Weber Shandwick’s Risky Business: Reputations Online™ study conducted with the Economist Intellig Advocates or Badvocates,” June 5, 2007 Unit, 2008. “Employees talk about their work. They have an opinion on your business, your manageme brand, your products and services. When you were last at a bar, a function or barbeque, what did you t about? Did many people bag their work places or companies? Did many people recommend their com services or products?”— Nudge Marketing Blog, “Employees…Advocates or Badvocates,” June 5, 20 More than oneMore third of than global executives know a colleague who has written something one third ofofglobal executives know of negative abo their company online. —Source: Weber Shandwick’s Risky Business: Reputations Online™ study condu a colleague has“Employees written talk something negative with the Economist Intelligence who Unit, 2008. about their work. They have an opinion on your business, your management, your brand, your products and services. When you were last at a bar aboutwhat their function or barbeque, did company you talk about?online. Did many people bag their work places or companies? many people recommend their company’s services or products?”— Nudge Marketing Blog, “Employe Source: Risky Business: Advocates or Badvocates,” June 5, 2007. More than one Weber third ofShandwick’s global executives know of a colleague Online™ study conductedRisky Busin has written something negative about their companyReputations online. —Source: Weber Shandwick’s with the Economist Intelligence Unit, 2009 Reputations Online™ study conducted with the Economist Intelligence Unit, 2008. “Employees talk ab their work. They have an opinion on your business, your management, your brand, your products and s When you were last at a bar, a function or barbeque, what did you talk about? Did many people bag th work places or companies? Did many people recommend their company’s services or products?”— Nu Marketing Blog, “Employees…Advocates or Badvocates,” June 5, 2007. More than one third of 39global executives know of a colleague who has written something negative about their company online. —So
Badvocacy against countries is increasing due to globalization backlash. 41
It did not take long for French pundits to elevate the Société Générale trader allegedly responsible for billions of fake transactions, Jérôme Kerviel, to the status of anti-capitalist folk hero. — The Economist, February 2, 2008 42
Some enterprising Badvocates find ways to use humor to draw attention to troublesome news.
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REMINDER: Badvocates can also make a difference for the greater good.
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But companies have little time to waste in curbing Badvocacy against their brands and products. On average, nearly one out of two global adults (45 percent) take one week or less to express their dissatisfaction.
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Source: Weber Shandwick’s The New Wave of Advocacy™ study conducted with KRC Research
“New consumer opinion gets posted about every five seconds.” – Rob Crumpler, chief executive of BuzzLogic
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Deflat
ing Bad vocacy
Companies now accept the harsh reality of Badvocacy and are developing strategies to counter and leverage it to their advantage. Here is our advice on what needs to happen.
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actions companies can take now Be prepared Defend yourself Embrace dissatisfaction Apologize Don’t ignore Inoculate
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Be Prepared Establish processes to minimize threats Monitor comments about your company Leverage SEO (search engine optimization) Establish employee guidelines for social media Register e-mail addresses and “gripe” domain names Trademark your company name
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Don’t wait around for Badvocacy to strike your company, organization or brand.
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Defend Yourself Stand up to Badvocates, but do it in a well-planned and non-combative or threatening manner. Hire reputation managers Respond rapidly Disclose communications with Badvocates Make the facts available Address myths head-on Enlist your fans
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Embrace Dissatisfaction
Open your virtual doors to the public, allowing Badvocates to comment directly. Invite transparent dialogue Ask Badvocates to “step outside” – host face-to-face events with senior executives Ask for ideas Solve problems together Respond thoughtfully
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Apologize
Admit when you’re wrong, hard as it is Don’t email or comment on a negative blog posting, pick up the phone Establish an advisory council of Badvocates
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If warranted, apologize directly to badvocates and seek a mutual solution.
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Don’t
Ignore
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Ignore Badvocates at your own peril.
Unacceptable excuses... “We didn’t know about the criticism” “They’ll go away eventually” “They just want publicity” “We don’t respond to bloggers”
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Inoculate
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Ensuring a loyal fan base helps protect your company from Badvocacy. Identify your Advocates Recruit your Advocates Reward your Advocates
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For more info on Badvocacy, or any of Weber Shandwick’s Advocacy services, please contact : goodbookinfo@webershandwick.com
©2009 Weber Shandwick