Thursday, 23 February 2006
Liability, Responsibility, Slander & Buzz-o-phone
« Buzz-o-phone Goes Boom! | Main | Buzz-o-phone Quote of the Day »Steve Rubel recently posted a quick blurb about Buzz-o-phone. In response, Robert French posted this comment:
No commentary on the value of this? Good or bad?
How will businesses deal with the WOM this may generate? How would you counsel businesses to approach this new feed of consumer backlash for their product(s), service(s), brand(s) or company?
I would like to hear your counsel on these issues. I bet others would, too.
While Mr. Rubel had no reply, I thought these were great questions. So, I emailed Mr. French and he email back and so on and so forth until today when Mr. French posted the whole conversation as well as some additional commentary. Topics discussed - What are the legal ramifications for Buzz-o-phone? Who is responsible for slander (or is it libel)? What I'm doing to mitigate risk? And what PR folks should be thinking about? A really good (if long) read.
Mr.French also mentions Buzz-o-phone in an interesing post on WOM Marketing. Also a good read.
Also thanks to John Moore of Brand Autopsy for the first non-Basement Buzz-o-phone post, AdRants for their look at Buzz-o-phone from the marketers side of the fence and Jason Whitman of Brand Love Hate for his thoughts.
Comments on this entry:
I've read Mr. French's comments and he seems a bit paranoid to me. Not to say that some level of concern should always be present when publishing opinions., but to say "scare the heck out of me" seems a little extreme.
DISCLAIMER: This is only an opinion - NOT A STATEMENT OF FACT. Please Mr. French, please don't sue me.
Laine, I'm sorry you did not get that I said, "As a PR practitioner, it scares the heck out of me."
That means that as someone that may represent an organization or business, and charged with the protection of their brand (or reputation), such sites may pose a threat to that brand (or reputation).
I have discussed this with Matt, and I believe he understands the difference. As for my comment that sites like Buzzophone might make me sad, that is because often people might state something on the spur of the moment when - after pausing and thinking - they would either (a) not say/write it or (b) reword their statements in order to make a point, not stick the point into someone.
I think most all of us were raised to try and always think of others first, before taking an action. One observation of the ease of online publishing (written or audio) is that sometimes things get said or written when, in another environment, they would never have been said or written at all.
Matt knows that I respect his work and his imagination. And, Laine, I also respect your right to state your opinion and would never fight against that right. What I would do, as a PR practitioner, is try and be prepared to deal with any fallout for my clients.
That is all my post was about. Take care and all the best.