Tag Archives: branding

Qantas’ Reputation Takes a Beating

Posted on 5 January, 2010 by Tom Petryshen

If you’re responsible for Public Relations at Qantas you’re either looking for a place to hide or hoping you could restart 2010. In the first 3 days of the year, the reputation of the Qantas brand has been pummeled in both the traditional press and on twitter and the blogosphere after a number of unfortunate technical glitches and delays. The first three news stories listed on Google News provide a quick glimpse of the carnage.

Whether you’re a large company like Qantas or a smaller outfit, a single negative story can have a detrimental effect on your brand and ongoing business. Online, these stories tend to linger and can easily be found on search engines such as Google. If you’re a restaurant, a single blog post about’ a bad meal’ or ‘rats in the kitchen’ can be enough to turn customers away, even after you clean up your act. For many businesses, ignoring a customer complaint, negative story or review online is no longer an option.

Having a series of negative stories over such a short period of time would be be devastating for most. While the Qantas brand will survive, there’s no doubt the business could do a much better job of managing its reputation and responding to these issues online. Here’s just a sample of some of the comments posted on Twitter over the past 24 hours:

And…

While it appears that Qantas has done a reputable job offline to answer some of the issues head on, they have been eerily silent online. To date…

There’s been no mention of any of the issues on their website. This would have been a great opportunity to make passengers aware of the current issues and prepare them for the wait (and to let them know what Qantas is doing about these issues…)
There’s been no mention of the problems on Qantas ‘ Facebook Page. As far as new fans of the airline are concerned, life is just perfect at Qantas.
The business is invisible on Twitter where most of the critical comments have been posted (there have been 1,000 mentions of Qantas in the past 7 days alone – the majority being very negative).

So how does Qantas tackle these thorny issues? Obviously, there are always going to be technical problems, weather, or uncontrollable events that cause delays and inconvenience travelers. It’s inevitable, if you’re in the airline space. Ignoring these issues and hoping that they go away is, however, not the answer. If this is part of the strategy then heads need to roll to make way for a new way of thinking. It’s just not acceptable for any business to ignore what their customers are saying and pretend that life is rosy.

If we were Qantas, here’s what we’d do:

Use the website (specifically the home page) to tackle the delays or technical issues that pop up alerting travelers of the issues before they arrive at the airport. At least then travellers have a chance to prepare both mentally and physically and might prove more understanding to the airline’s plight.
Update the Qantas Facebook Page with alerts. Don’t be afraid to mention when bad stuff happens. It’s inevitable, so be proactive. You will be praised if you tackle the issues head on.
Monitor the comments on sites such as Twitter and formulate a plan to provide feedback to your customers. V Australia does a great job of using Twitter for customer service and reputation management.
Hire knowledgable people who understand the online and social media space and get a plan in place quickly.
Create a long term PR strategy that tackles good and bad coverage in both the traditional and online forums at the same time (integration is key – it should not happen in isolation).
Fire your Public Relations company if they haven’t already brought up two of the five strategies mentioned above in the past year. If your agency isn’t up to date with the online world then it’s time to consider other options (we’ll even help point you in the right direction). Qantas has pioneered online sales in Australia so there’s no reason why the business shouldn’t take the lead when it comes to online PR.

Ultimately, there needs to be buy-in at the top starting with the CEO, Alan Joyce. As the brand ambassador, his input and support is critical for the business to take control of its brand reputation across all media. While it may be too late do much about the current crisis, there’s no reason to sit on the sidelines any longer.

What are your thoughts? What would you do if you were Qantas?

Posted in branding, Reputation Management | Tagged a380, alan joyce, branding, google news, Qantas, qantas brand, qantas passengers, qantas reputation, qantas trouble | 2 Comments

Going Viral – Amazon’s Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt

Posted on 28 May, 2009 by Marc

The holy grail for many online social media marketers is creating a true viral campaign that sticks with consumers and (Deity-of-your-choice willing) resonates with the kids and inbeds itself into pop culture . Enter Amazon’s Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt product review by B. Govern, a hillarious customer review which has not only gone viral but changed the North American fashion landscape for better or for worse… Most defintely for worse!

Video – The Tool of Choice for Viral Campaigns

More often than not, online viral campaigns rely on free-to-air videos (read: YouTube) as they can communicate emotionality in one ‘super sweet’ multi-sensory medium. You’ve got the high impact visual – think Carlton’s Big Ad or Guiness’ Evolution… And you have sound; recall Bud’s Swear Jar Ad (don’t open this at work!) or Terry Tate Office Linebacker (really a blend of visual and sound, but I like it…) And best of all, video requires very little effort to take this viral goodness in – it’s a fantastic way to quickly reach a great mass of people.

Universal Search – Video, Forums, Reviews…

With Google Universal Search (a blending of video, reviews, forums, local business ads and traditional web content) increasingly creeping into Google’s interface, getting something to go viral around a top keyword could prove an SEO goldmine for marketers who know what they’re doing.

Imagine for example if your brand occupied the top positions on Google for a very lucrative keyword like heatlh insurance through a savvy blend of viral videos, relevant customer reviews or customer forums, local business outlets , etc…

Enter the Three Wolf Moon Shirt Review

Now imagine if you had a hideous piece of merchandise you needed to offload, say a whole warehouse’s worth of atrocious looking shirts with ‘artistically drawn’ wolves howling at a full moon – the type of shirt you’d see on sale at flea markets, strip malls and mega discount stores. How would you go about drumming up interest for this unique product?

Amazon's Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt

Clearly you’d have your hands full… And that’s where a clever viral marketing campaign can pay off.

I don’t know how many Wolf Shirts Amazon has cleared off the shelves, but seeing how many mankinis I saw post Borat (don’t ask me where or how…), it wouldn’t surprise me if Three Wolf Moon T-Shirts were sold in the thousands following this review.

The Power of Social Media – Sales $$$

And that’s the moral of this story. Clever viral social media can get you sales. Just look at how many follow up (and absolutely hillarious) comments followed this review to end all reviews…

Another lesson to be drawn: viral marketing needn’t be all about video or require you to shell out an arm and a leg in production costs. A simple review, well-worded and witty, can start a revolution and even influence the course of fashion among meth addicts!

Have you bought your Wolf Shirt yet? Don’t be the last one in your neighbourhood to flaunt the power of the Wolf!

Posted in Social Media | Tagged amazon, amazon wolf shirt, branding, google universal search, internet sales, online sales, reviews, smo, social media optimisation, social media optimization, three wolf moon shirt, three wolf moon t-shirt, three wolf shirt, universal search, viral, viral marketing, viral online marketing, viral review, viral video, youtube | 1 Comment

Flight Centre Digs Deeper Hole for Traditional Shops

Posted on 27 May, 2009 by Tom Petryshen

The private war conducted by Flight Centre on major airlines such as Singapore Airlines to force them into higher fees will only quicken the demise for the traditional brick and motor shops. With empty seats in abundance even with the current deep discounting, this policy will likely drive consumers into the hands of airlines and other suppliers, especially as consumers realise their choice at Flight Centre will be dictated by the commissions the company receives from airlines.

More than ever, consumers want choice and they want to know that they’re getting the best value for their choice. With Flight Centre staff now directed to avoid certain airlines such as Singapore Airlines consumers will come to question the honesty and integrety of Flight Centre and whether they truly have their best interest at heart.

The traditional agent model is not sustainable and will continue to result in more closed shops, especially in tougher economic times. Bullying airlines to pay higher commission may increase revenue in the short term but will only drive the demise of the traditional shop. What the business needs is innovation, not short sighted tactics that place the customer worth off.

This stouch with airlines will only push more people online to get the best deal possible and the freedom to choose thier airline of choice.

Disclaimer: Amplify works with Webjet.

Posted in Reputation Management, Travel | Tagged booking flights, branding, cheap flights, commission, flight centre, flight ticket, flightcentre, offline, online, online reputation management, singapore airlines, Travel, travel agency, travel agent | Leave a comment

How to destroy your (brand) name online

Posted on 18 May, 2009 by Marc

Reading the HuffingtonPost one morning I came across a YouTube clip of WifeSwap, the famous American television program where two families swap their wife/mum with another family. As you would expect from a ‘reality’ TV show, the two families in question could not be more different… Typically you’re presented with your successful city slicker well-to-do yuppie and their counterpart down to earth country bumpkin. The experiment lasts two weeks. The first week the swapped wife/mum gets to know her new family and lives according to its rules and then in the second, she sets the rules. The idea is that both parties will grow from the experience. What invariably ensues are a series of personality/cultural clashes which make for great trash TV.

And so it was I came across a tubby kid rebelling against his new mom. It was a glorious moment of very bad television. New mom was objecting to the kid’s diet and was preventing him from indulging in one of his favourite morning foods; bacon! But I digress… Where this got interesting is that it led me to another WifeSwap clip and to the story of a man called Stephen Fowler.

Getting Owned by Social Media – the New Online Reality

Notice I didn’t add a link to the man’s name. I wouldn’t want to add to his considerable notoriety. I’ll leave you to Google his name and to take it from there – for our purposes we’ll label him Mr. X.

Discovering Social Media – How it Can Hijack Your (Brand) Name

So Mr. X and his well to do San Francisco family agreed to take part in the riveting social experiment known as WifeSwap. He’s a British bio-fuel entrepreneur and his wife is a personal self-help guru – both partners holding many degrees (although I don’t know how ‘accredited’ the wife’s degrees are…)

So here’s where it gets interesting: Country mum shows up for the swap and very quickly (oh surprise!) there’s friction. Mr. X resents her presence and begins to denigrate her character, personality, education, background… you name it! It’s classic WifeSwap goodness!

Managing Your Reputation – Remember It Starts Online

As he’s ripping into her, I’m thinking: “Is this guy for real?” In today’s world, I give this clip about 2 hours before it hits YouTube and goes viral. Beyond the millions watching this debacle on TV, millions upon millions will soon join them online. And sure enough… that’s exactly what happened.

Social Media – Once up it lasts a while!

This story is now ancient history. It happened a while back as media cycles go (2/12/09 but it still has plenty of legs on the Web.

Social Media Highlights

Mr. X thought he was being clever, but what he failed to grasp was the social media clusterf**** that ensued – and it got nasty!

A website was setup featuring his name and the word ‘sucks’ in the URL (that ranks number one on Google when you search for his name.
Blogs and Forums tore into him – most interlinking with the afore mentioned site
A Facebook group was created to further discuss Mr. X’s shortcomings
Yahoo News ran the story under ‘the world’s worst dad?’ heading with links a plenty to the ongoing media sensation
YouTube clips re-aired the story over and over…
His wife’s business website was ‘baconned’ (an image of a slice of bacon was superimposed on the home page and obstructed the user’s view. No doubt to upset Mr. X’s vegetarian wife…)
Etc

Social Media Damage Control

Yes, things got pretty much out of hand for Mr. X. He had to resign from two charity boards, his business and the environmental causes he supports likely didn’t win many fans, he hired security to keep vandals away from his home… and his ‘good name’ was completely trashed online. It was a complete fiasco.

Unfortunately for Mr. X, the contract he had signed with the WifeSwap prevented him from addressing the media to give his side of the story. He did issue a comprehensive apology on his wife’s site, but the damage was done.

Social Media – The Moral of the Story

And that’s the point of this post. It’s very hard to undo a coordinated social media onslaught once it’s begun. You could try to engage your attackers and explain your position, but odds are you would just fuel the hate.

Solutions to Cyber Bullying

One aspect of this story touches upon the phenomenon of cyberbullying, whereby anonymous online bullies seek to sully the reputation of their chosen victim online. Whether you think Mr. X deserved it or not, the tactics employed to denigrate his behaviour and character are reminiscent of the tactics employed by high school cyber bullies across this fair nation.

So what are the alternatives when your good name is being dragged through the mud online?

Most people likely give up. It’s easier to let time do its work than engage in process centred around damaging you personally. But indexed pages have a way of staying around and hurting you…
Prosecuting offenders is problematic as online trails aren’t necessarily easy to follow. Any legal proceedings might also attract more attention which could guarantee your little problem could grow to capture the attention of a much larger audience.
Posting positive stories about yourself or creating a blog would help, but then again these positive stories may inadvertently draw attention to your past problems and keep negative entries about you around well past their shelf life.

Keys to Managing Your Online Brand

In the end, there’s no easy way out of this mess and so it pays to have a prominent (and positive) social media presence online. After all, if you already have a strong presence on many social media portals such as your Google (Account profile), LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Twitter, or if you have your own blog, you can mitigate attempts by many cyberbullies to damage your brand.

Can you think of other ways you might protect your brand online? Send your responses in. Best one wins a can of V!

Posted in Reputation Management, Social Media | Tagged branding, facebook, online reputation management, reputation, search engine ranking, Social Media, social media optimisation, social media optimization, social networking, social networks, youtube | 1 Comment

Scammers use SEO to Commit Olympic Size Fraud

Posted on 5 August, 2008 by Tom Petryshen

What happens when you take bad people with a must buy item (that they don’t actually have), Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) knowledge and a thirst for money at all costs? Well if you’re the con artists behind an olympic ticketing site you stand to make millions of dollars from unsuspecting consumers prior to being found out.

When I first became aware of the scam on August 2, I noticed the website, www.bejingticketing.com was ranked 4th for the term “olympics tickets” on Google.

After all of the free PR and the buzz created from the scam becoming public and more importantly the hundred of new links from media sites published around the world, the website jumped to the #2 spot a few days later. Thankfully the site has been taken down, but not before the damage was already done.

From the first moment I saw the website it was clear very that SEO had been utilised to gain traction in search engines such as Google. The combination of highly targeted content and a professional design was a clear giveaway why it ranked so well and milked hundreds of people around the world out of their hard earned dollars.

By using and repeating keywords focused around tickets for the various sports and Olympic ceremonies throughout the content, Meta Title and navigation, it’s easy to see that SEO formed the base of their marketing strategy from the beginning. These guys knew what they were doing and utilised SEO and links from other websites to drive traffic to their website.

So who’s to blame? The scammers, the consumers for their lack of homework, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Beijing Olympics Committee (BOC) for not policing their own brands or Google for sending their customers to the site?

Of course the real culprits are the criminals who took people’s money without providing the product. But I also believe, The IOC and BOC have to take some responsibility for not policing their own brands and trademarks. In an age where tools exist to keep track of where a brand is being used online the IOC and BOC could have identified the website sooner and dealt with it accordingly.

While it’s easy to calculate the consumer loss, the damage done to the IOC’s and BOC’s brand is another story and ultimately very difficult to determine. Of course the IOC has overcome worse situations such as drug cheats, vote buying and corrupt officials so weathering this latest fiasco should be a breeze.

However, if the same situation was applied to a well know business brand, the consequences could be devastating for the business if not dealt with appropriately. Today, tools such as Adgooroo’s Trademark Insight and services such as Online Reputation Management can be used to keep a close eye on a brand or trademark and companies can learn firsthand what consumers or scammers are saying immediately rather than waiting until it gets out of control.

Blaming the consumer for not purchasing tickets from an official ticketing source is no longer the answer.

Nothing can be done’ for Olympic ticket scam victims – ABC Online
British fraud ran Beijing ticket scam – The Age
Beijing Games hit by Internet ticket scam – Reuters

Posted in Reputation Management, SEO | Tagged Beijing Olympics, branding, IOC, olympics, online reputation management, search engine optimisation, SEO, tickets, trademark abuse, trademark insight | 2 Comments

The Return of the Splash Page?

Posted on 15 April, 2008 by Marc

With Google’s recent statement they were going to give increased importance to the loading times of a website’s home page (and penalise accordingly slow loading sites), could we be seeing the return of the Splash Page?

Here’s a favourite Splash Page of mine - Ginko Gardens

Splash Pages – Counter to ‘Usability’ and SEO best practice?

Much like hard copy brochure covers, splash pages typically contain very little content. Instead what you find is Flash animation, a striking image, a fancy tag line or a brief intro spiel advertising what the site is about. Throw in a logo, a keyword optimised footer and you’re done!

From a user’s perspective, splash pages are just one more click to make to get to the content they’re after. So they’re a big waste of time.

Splash Pages = Low Exit Rates

For website designers and online marketers, splash pages aren’t necessarily all bad news. For one thing, they can load pretty quickly (which given Google’s recent pronouncements is good news) and they usually offer a low exit rate.

Assuming few users leave the splash page and pursue their journey further into a website, that could have some SEO benefit. Search engines are known to value positively websites with low exit rates on their top web pages…

Is Google encouraging the return of the Splash Page?

So could Google’s latest pronouncement in favour of fast load times further encourage the use of splash pages? And doesn’t that run counter to usability best practice?

Imagine the web populated by useless splash pages. They would no longer contain Flash (as Flash increases load times), but they would be extremely content light to upload fast and would likely require users to click on to get to the content they’re after.

With savvy web marketers around… That scenario is not so hard to imagine.

Your thoughts?

Posted in SEO, Web Standards | Tagged best practice, branding, google, landing page, online marketing, search engine optimisation, SEO, splash page, web design, Web Development, web site, website | 7 Comments