Internet Brand Management Ethics

Ethics of Online Reputation Management Presented by The Search Guru SMX West Conference February 10, 2009

Censorship

Misinformation

Vendetta

Consumer rights

Time sensitivity

Long term reputation

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Why are the ethics of ORM important?

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. “Which road do I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” was his response. “I don't know,” Alice answered. “Then,” said the cat, “it doesn't matter.” -- Lewis Carroll Image courtesy of Lenny’s Alice in Wonderland site http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net

Common ORM tactics – ethical or not?

Depends on how you use them and what is important to your company…

Creating profiles on other sites

Right way: http:// twitter.com/autorevo

Wrong way: http://www.facebook.com/pages/canadas-car-dealer/15701720777

Middle: http:// profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction = user.viewProfile&friendID =412101998

Contacting sites and trying to get negative remarks removed

Right way:

Dear Sir or Madam: This is a request for the immediate removal of the following comment from [commenter] on your website at [URL]: [comment] This person has made false, derogatory remarks about our company and owners. Please confirm the immediate removal of this comment to me as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact me. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Your name Contact information

Wrong way: http://thefrontsteps.com/2008/11/20/letter-to-editor-defamation-slander-law-suit-fun/

Middle: http://recycleinme.com/community/forums/t/162.aspx

Encouraging positive reviews

Right way:

Dear [Customer], Thank you for your recent purchase with [Company]. We hope you are satisfied with your purchase. We would welcome any feedback you’d like to share; please visit [URL] to post your comments. We value your patronage and hope you will shop with us again soon. Thank you! [Company] Customer Service

Wrong way: https:// www.mturk.com/mturk/preview?groupId =NWCTSDZNY9QJXXCX4ZGZ

Middle: http://dethroner.com/2008/05/05/ny-camera-store-offers-bribe-to-fix-amazon-rating/

Screenshot courtesy of Dethroner http://www.dethroner.com

There are truths on this side of the Pyrenees which are falsehoods on the other. -- Michel de Montaigne 1533-1592, French essayist Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org

Legal ramifications of less than ethical behavior

FTC: do reviews on other sites constitute “endorsement?”

No legal ruling on this

Legal ramifications of less then ethical behavior

Cease & desist: legal, but ineffective because websites are protected

Communications Decency Act – protects forums and blog comments

First Amendment – protects most personal posts

Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP)– used to quickly end libel and defamation lawsuits

Legal ramifications of less then ethical behavior

Libel & defamation

Case has to be proven and can be costly in court

Real World Example

RealSelf.com

hosts both patient positive and negative Lifestyle lift reviews

and over 1,000 comments to the RealSelf.com beauty forum

January ‘08 trademark infringement complaint filed by Lifestyle Lift Holdings against RealSelf

Mar 3, 2008 RealSelf filed counter-complaint - alleged Lifestyle Lift Holdings violated terms of use by posing as patients posting reviews on our site

resolution: 5/12/08 - “this matter was settled by the parties by mutually agreeable terms.”

Google using Pay Per Post

Japan pay per post campaign

Google is paying internet marketing company Cyberbuzz to post good reviews of their new keyword widget

posters admit to participating in a pay-per-post campaign

posts are showing in Google Blog Search Japan

Conclusion

The ethics of ORM should continue to be discussed. Create a corporate balance sheet of the kind of company you wish to be and decide if the tactic interferes with that balance.

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