Description
The Social Age brings with it a new approach to communication and collaboration across boundaries using technology. As with any new technology, there are great benefits and plenty of challenges as well.
One of the advantages for businesses is the ease of interacting with a large audience very quickly. But this also provides the temptation to react when negative things are written and posted about the company.
In Chapter 8 you read about Coca-Cola?s social media guidelines. One of the company’s guidelines is to avoid the temptation to react in defense of the company in social media spaces. However, not all companies have such policies, especially smaller ones.
Use
Strayer’s library
or the Internet to search for an example of when someone that represented a company or was known to be affiliated with a company reacted to something negative posted about the company.
In the discussion, describe the scenario and what happened as a result. If you were able to recreate this situation, what would you do differently? Why? Is there ever an instance where you should defend a company you work for? What if it is a company you own? Explain.
Part two on separate word document
- Write paragraph response to both student post respond to Brian Marshall and Steve Sticker paragraph response for both
- Brian Marshall
RE: Week 5 Discussion
Just recently Facebook came under more scrutiny as whistelblowers testifed that the company was placing profits over safety. What I researched actually showed FB employees at odds with these testimonies. Nearly half were in favor while the other half disagreed. Of course many of it’s employees quickly jumped on various social media sites to defend the companies stance, in an effort to “save face” as a whole. ?Some employees responded to the claims professionally, in manner that helped their argument, whereas others responded harshly with profanity, setting an opposite example. Mark Zuckerberg, the owner and founder of the company came to it’s defense as well, saying “many of these claims are easy to debunk” (nytimes, 2021).
If I were an employee of this company I would keep comments if any to a more proessional site like that of LinkedIn. Platforms like these, made up of professional networks condones championing for your company, and allows employees to shed light on current issues, but does so in a way that provides good learning lessons and takeways. I would never “rant and rave” on an open forum about the company that signs my checks and provides me with my livelyhood. Furthermore, I believe most situations, esepecially like that of Facebooks, should be handled by trained public affairs and media relations folks. I wouldn’t intervene ?unless the company came out asking for employees to go to it’s defense (professionally). As the owner of a company however, I wouldn’t expect nor would I suggest that my employes do this. Instead I too would call upon my internal media relations folks to do the heavy lifting on this type of stuff.
Isaac, Mike, et al. ?Facebook Whistleblower Fallout Prompts a Push to Calm Employees.? The New York Times, 2 Nov. 2021,
www.nytimes.com/2021/10/10/technology/facebook-whistleblower-employees.html.
Steve Stricker
RE: Week 5 Discussion
Hello Class.
I had a difficult time finding a real-world example that was 100% relevant. Then, I remebered Wendy’s restaurant getting into a Twitter feud with Mc’D’s that was hilarious and had to dig up examples.
In this article, the author gives multiple examples of where Wendy’s defended itself directly from negative comments and took jabs at McDonalds for their public failure..
Describe the scenario: Wendy’s was called out by online trolls looking who were looking to make fun of Wendy’s. Wendy’s immediate, sarcastic & witty replies went viral and shut down the converssation.Then, Wendy’s was directly poking at McDonald’s regarding failed ice cream machines (it made national news) and frozen beef. They capitalized quickly on the negative press and used it to highlight their processes and quality.
What would I do differently if I could recreate the situation: Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything differently. I’m a fan of biting sarcasm when warranted and Wendy’s anonymously posted versus the CEO posting for example. If people are going to project their ignorance online for the public to see, it can and shall be used against them when warranted.
Is there ever an instance where you should defend a company you work for?: This depends on the scenario. Corporations in general do not want employees posting anything but positive comments online. They also don’t want their employees getting into arguements online because everything said is public information. However, if I was having a discussion with a neighbor about the moral of my company based upon what they heard from a “friend of a friend” for example, I would defend it with positive examples and counter the perception if I believe their information to be innacurate. If it was a company I owned, I would stick directly to facts and be very careful what I post online because online trolls like to twist people’s words for the sake of negative publicity.
Iveta. No date. 32 Hilarious Twitter Roasts By Wendy?s That Will Make You Think Twice Before Posting.
https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-wendy-tweets-jokes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
.
LEARN
Readings
From Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World:
Chapter 7, “Email and Other Traditional Tools for Business Communication.”
Chapter 8, “Social Media for Business Communication.”
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Adapting Persuasive Message Skills to Social Media
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