Say it loud, say it proud!
At Schwartz we counsel our clients that they need to be actively engaged in social media. We also counsel them that transparency is crucial. You can have a point of view, but there is no need to hide where it is coming from. Transparency helps build brand credibility and trust.
Thanks to Twitter, I was made aware of a recent AdAge article that shows transparency isn't just a good idea, in the U.K., it will soon become the law. According to AdAge, "starting May 26, when it will become a criminal offense for brands to seed positive messages online without making the origin of the message clear.
This doesn't just impact U.K. companies, it would impact any company doing viral marketing or online public relations in the country.
There is no long term benefit for a business to hide who they are. There is long term benefit to engaging in conversations, listening to your customers and the market, and being an active participant.
Both the PRSA and Word of Mouth Marketing Association already have ethics guidelines that prohibit this type of activity. This is just another reason to slap down that whisper we occasionally hear from others.
Tags: ethics, social media
Posted by Mark McClennan on April 28, 2008 at 10:36 AM
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Comments
I'm all for the Tweets -- but a few hours ago I sent a tweet when I meant to send a text to a colleague about an interview I was setting up for a client. I don't recommend that. Look both ways before you tweet!
Posted by: margie | April 28, 2008 9:48 PM