The groundswell trend is not a flash in the pan…Some thoughts about Digital reputation

 

  As Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff say in  Groundswell  "This is important, irreversible, completely different way for people to relate to companies and to each other [...] The groundswell comes from the collision of three forces: people, technology and economics." (10 Groundswell).

    Yes, people are on the Internet now and they became a really powerful force with the power of technology. Media can no longer be neatly tucked away in boxes of newspapers, magazines and televisions. People gain strength when communicating with other people and become more influential, more often they get access unbiased and undistorted information.

 I remember how it was 10 years ago, the surest way to "sell" was TV advertising. It was necessary to have not a boring idea, a slogan, more or less bright design and often broadcasts, and that's all. Basically, it all came down to:

 

• try, like, buy

• try, don't like, do not buy

 

      
       What has changed?

    Social media, blogs, forums, and portals opened the door for the formation of the brand. The network actually creates impression and changes it.

       Blogs, online communities, YouTube, online encyclopedias, review pages, and other social technologies can both benefit businesses and seriously undermine them.

   

   This example is from one review page about a home builder company. If I can easily find these reviews, I am willing to bet that your customer can find them just as easily.    Would you trust this company to build your home?

 

    The phenomenon of the groundswell already applies to absolutely all aspects of our lives. This is Wikileaks website that shook world politics. Another example is blogs, where users criticize worthless products of well-known manufacturers. Information is no longer under the control of those who produce it: a beautiful advertising poster when interfered can become a powerful tool for anti-advertisement reproduced in blogs, comments to articles, and who knows where else. 

     Reputation of a politician may be badly tarnished if an unwished video would get on YouTube, and nobody can prevent it. Scandalous article can be removed from a magazine page, but nobody can take away its copies from the Internet, if they were circulated by a huge number of readers.

   If Groundswell can not be stopped or reversed, the only thing we can do is to study its rules and try to reach desirable goals. "You can understand it. You can not only live with it; you can thrive in it. [...] we should care about the groundswell." (9 Groundswell).

     Why negative groundswell is so terrible on the Internet? After all, it's just someone's personal opinion, often biased, sometimes emotional and not always supported with actual facts. How can one negative review kill a reputation of a whole company?

    Turns out it can! Did you know that CompanyofHeroes2 game was banned in Russia after a single user's review? The whole game, which has been created during the years, the work of hundreds of experts, has been withdrawn from the Russian market because of one person's review. Corporation giant bowed to its user, and even made a formal apology..

 

  "Two days after the sale of Company of Heroes 2 was put on hold in Russia, SEGA and Relic Entertainment have issued a joint statement  in an attempt to quell the anger stemming from the game’s seemingly controversial content. SEGA and Relic are working closely with their Russian distribution partner Softclub 1C over claims concerning Company of Heroes 2 and the historical context of the game from a Russian perspective.  Whilst investigations in to these concerns are ongoing we would like to express our regret at any offence caused to those affected by these claims."

 

     Now thousands of managers all over the world are beginning to comprehend the essence of the phenomenon, which  Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff called "Grounswell"(9,10 Groundswell),  and trying to use it in  business. Grounswell is changing direction all the time, it is growing and has a significant effect on any sector of the economy.

    Groundswell is our personal Fort Knox  and  guarantee of success on the market. And if we learn how to control Groundswell and understand the importance of online reputation, it is possible for us to gain recognition in our industry.

   Michael Fertik, an American Internet entrepreneur and privacy advocate known for pioneering the industry of online reputation management, says that digital reputation is now your reputation, whether you like it or not. It's now the truth about you.

 

 

 

  

    Should companies pay so much attention to digital reputation and do you trust it? Are there other areas they better focus on?