At General Motors, a social media team of six employees patrols the web, tweeting, updating Facebook, and sometimes commenting on personal blogs to combat negative comments on their company. GM, along with other companies, is also meeting with bloggers to diffuse issues. Some are encouraging brand fans to write positive blogs.
"Badvocates," or critics who regularly trash corporate reputations, represent 20 percent of the world's adult population online and each one reaches an estimated 14 people with their opinions, according to public relations firm Weber Shandwick.
At GM, one scathing post on WebInkNow.com by David Meerman Scott, former vice president of marketing for Knight-Ridder, drew over 20 comments from other GM bashers. GM wound up inviting Mr. Scott, who has 29,000 Twitter followers, to Detroit and encouraged him to log the details of the trip and post video clips of interviews with CEO Fritz Henderson and other executives. It's part of a plan to assure influential bloggers have accurate information about the car maker.
In July, GM also launched AskFritz.org, a site where consumers can leave gripes or ask questions for Mr. Henderson. The site provides an outlet for GM to respond to critics who might be posting comments elsewhere on the web.
Airlines, who regularly face online critics on trip-planning sites and Twitter, are likewise tracking social media. For instance, when New York's LaGuardia Airport terminal closed due to a bomb threat, American Airlines posted notices on its website and sent a tweet to its followers on Twitter. It also leaves information on lost baggage and canceled flights on its Facebook site.
Jack Leslie, chairman of Weber Shandwick, told Forbes that the key is to at least be aware of online criticism to gauge whether to react or comment before it mushrooms. United Airlines, for example, could have avoided a viral video this past July, when country singer Dave Carroll wrote a song about his guitar being smashed in transport.
GM blogger Mr. Scott said he now is more likely to talk to companies first to get information and comments and recommends that all big corporations respond to bloggers who bash their brands. "It's easy for a blogger to see a company as a faceless entity," said Mr. Scott. "We need to know there are real people out there."
Discussion Questions: What should consumer brands and retailers do about online badvocates? Is combating online bashing as critical an issue for retailers and consumer brands as industries such as auto and airlines?