Social media Week - Big brand social media & dealing with potential libel
Business & entrepreneurs
Event | 8 February 2011
One of the most frequently asked questions we face is how large consumer brands and well-known corporations deal with social media. In particular, there is often a perceived difficulty reconciling the benefits of using social media as part of marketing and communications efforts with the consequences of negative posts and campaigns.
The issue made for a particularly well-combined session at Social Media Week London this week. Hosted by TalkTalk and TagTribe and chaired by Phil Szomszor - head of digital at PR agency Citigate Dewe Rogerson - I was kindly invited to speak about how businesses can deal with threats to their reputation arising out of social media.
My fellow guest speaker, Madlen Nicolaus, the European Social Media Manager for Eastman Kodak, discussed how Kodak benefits from its involvement in social media output both as a part of its mix of marketing efforts and also as an instant barometer of customer feedback.
As usual it fell to the lawyer in the room to deal with the options available when things go wrong, so I gave a few insights into how we see social media impacting rights and reputations, what the legal tools available are and some of the factors that give rise to the rare occasions on which they should be used. We concluded by looking at some of the practices we talk to clients about putting in place.
My colleague and font of employment law knowledge Jessica Lovell had helpfully pointed me to research by Manpower showing just what a small proportion of businesses have the necessary policies in place. Anecdotal evidence suggests it won't stay that way for long.
For further details, please contact me or our press contacts.
