I was interviewed for a piece in this month’s Research News from the Australian Market & Social Research Society entitled A research dilemma: Confidentiality breaches.
The piece explores the management of customer relationships when your information has been criticized and exposed online. In it, I express some views about how organisations ought to approach this sort of issue. In particular, the matter of being aware of online conversation about you:
I’d say you should absolutely follow up! But the fact is, you should have known this could or would happen… This kind of online criticism is a critical factor in business that any organisation should now be monitoring for. Reacting to it after the fact, rather than being a pre-emptive and positive player in the conversation about you online shows you aren’t adequately aware of the power of the online channel.
Enjoy!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Just had a look through that very article.
For mine, what you say makes perfect sense. Deal with it both personally and publically in a reasonable and considered way…and obviously ensure it doesn’t happen again internally.
But I’m astounded at the advice contained in the other two responses. For people I would assume are considered leaders in the Market Reserach industry to offer “respond on an industry website” and “don’t give him oxygen” is genuinely disappointing.
With researchers consistently claiming they understand the consumer better than anyone, I would think they’d be willing to actually talk to them. Maybe the naval gazing, self-absorbed researcher stereotype is true in the end…
Or maybe I’m just being a bit of a drama queen.
Scott, not at all surprised at your response, especially given who you work for. Like you, I was a touch surprised by the other interviewees. They seem to still believe that the notion of things like “true believers” and the giving of credence to a single voice don’t matter.
How wrong they are.