A case of brand damage on social media
Updated | By Verlie Oosthuizen
A very large insurance company found out on Sunday how quickly social
media can damage a brand. Our social media law expert investigates.
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Listen: Social Media Law expert Verlie Oosthuizen weighs in:
South Africa is also a very tricky audience, and with our difficult
history, it is important that social media managers and teams have a very clear
understanding of the sensitivities that the population may have about
content.
One of the most powerful
aspects of social media is the immediacy of the medium. However, that is the
aspect that can get people into the most trouble. Any advertising campaign should be thoroughly examined and dissected before it is
sent out on behalf of a company.
It may also be that social media departments in companies are not as experienced as the advertising agencies that are hired to deal with a company’s conventional media releases.
Companies should be very careful about the
way that their social media departments are structured and the “signing off”
powers that they have to represent the company on social media.
Ultimately, the brand will have to take responsibility for the content that it posts and blaming a “junior employee” for mistakes is not really fair on anyone. A very clear social media policy should be developed before any companies decide to venture into the social media space.
Verlie OosthuizenShepstone & Wylie Social Media Law Department
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