Social media moves fast, and internet sleuths move faster. A seemingly private post made by an employee outside of business hours can easily escalate into a full-scale corporate crisis. When the public decides to hold a company accountable for the personal behaviour of its staff, the digital fallout is immediate and unforgiving.
The "Lake America" Case Study
Consider the recent viral photograph of a group of Americans travelling to Halifax. They were pictured in an airport wearing matching “Lake America” sweatshirts – a deliberate political jab aimed at their Canadian hosts.
The image was shared on a personal Facebook account. However, within hours of the photo going viral, internet users identified one of the individuals as an employee of a Credit Union in Michigan. The backlash against the business was swift and severe. The credit union was subjected to targeted review bombing, forcing them to remove their Google Business listing entirely, take down their LinkedIn company profile, and completely disable comments on their remaining social Facebook posts.
When your business is targeted by an angry digital mob over an employee’s personal conduct, you need a plan. Here is how you can protect your brand:
1. Establish an Ironclad Social Media Policy
Do not wait for a crisis to define your rules. Your employee handbook must include a clear social media policy that outlines expectations for off-duty conduct, particularly when an employee’s online presence can be publicly linked back to your business.
- Define the boundaries: Clearly state that public misconduct, harassment, or behaviour that actively damages the company’s reputation will not be tolerated.
- Enforce consequences: Ensure the policy details the disciplinary actions that will follow a breach of conduct, up to and including termination.
2. Lock Down Your Digital Assets Immediately
If a viral incident occurs, your first priority is digital triage to prevent permanent damage to your online reputation and brand.
- Pause reviews: If you are being spammed with 1-star ratings, contact Google Support immediately to report a coordinated review bombing campaign. They have mechanisms to temporarily freeze new reviews and scrub illegitimate ratings left by people who have never actually used your services.
- Restrict engagement: Turn off comments on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn immediately. Do not allow your business pages to become a battleground for public outrage.
3. Assess the Damage and Communicate Strategically
Do not offer a knee-jerk apology for something the company did not do, but do not ignore the situation either.
- Investigate the facts: Verify the identity of the employee and the context of the post before taking internal action.
- Issue a definitive statement: Publish a clear, concise statement on your website and remaining social channels. Distance the business from the employee’s personal views, state that an internal review is underway, and then remain silent. Do not argue with commenters.
A bad joke made on personal time can erase years of investment in corporate reputation-building. Make sure your team understands the weight of their digital footprint, and ensure your business is prepared to lock down its platforms the moment a crisis hits.
Sue Walker
Digital Media