“If you have any interest whatsoever in brand reputation, and the vandals who threaten it, beg, borrow or steal this book.

It should be your public relations bible.”

Francis Ingham – Director General, PRCA and Executive Director, ICCO

"The world is increasingly activist and atomised. Trust is both complex and fragile. Brands are are at risk like never before. There is a Tahrir Square moment waiting to happen for a business or a brand. Brand Vandals grapples with these new truths and tries to make sense of it all… suggesting what might in fact be done."Robert Phillips - Head of Chambers, Jericho Chambers and Honorary Visiting Professor of Public Relations, Faculty of Management, Cass Business School

"An uncontrolled Internet firestorm can destroy a brand’s reputation in days. This book will give communications teams a fascinating insight in how online attacks – warranted or unfounded – can best be managed."Jonathan Prynn – Consumer Business Editor, The Evening Standard

“With their follow up to Brand Anarchy, Stephen Waddington and Steve Earl once again provide sound advice in Brand Vandals about what can happen to your brand, due to social media and exactly what to do. This sort of advice would normally cost thousands, and they have also included multiple real-world examples of brand vandals at work. If you work in marketing, public relations or as an executive, this book is required reading.”Andrew Grill – CEO, Kred and leading social business blogger

#brandanarchy- and now #brandvandals

The story so far…@wadds@mynameisearl@bloomsburybooks

For review copies- tweet @sophiablackwell

www.bloomsburybooks.com

When #brandanarchy came out, the two questions we were asked most often were:

- How bad can it get?- What can I do about it?

#brandvandals is our response to these questions, helping you to understand your audience and protect your brand’s identity.

This book will also show you how to get your organisation battle-ready in just 90 days.

The writing is on the wall.

And it’s likely to be a Facebook wall.

Your brand has to get to grips with media change.

#brandvandals

Who are the #brandvandals?

#brandvandals

Media has changed a lot in the past 60 years.

Communication between an organisation and its audiences can no longer be one-

way.

(It never should have been, but it definitely isn’t now).

#brandvandals

Brand Vandals explores the dirtiest corners of brands’ audiences:

…the people who are mobilising themselves to cause reputational damage to organisations they dislike.

#brandvandals

Anyone can be a brand vandal.

Consumers have always shared their views of organisations.

But now these views are public.

#brandvandals

Brand vandals aren’t just members of your external audience.

Sometimes they’re employees.

A lack of robust processes in an organisation can endanger it.

#brandvandals

Brand vandals have the opportunity to wreak havoc with an organisation’s reputation..

Once a message hits a network any notion of control is immediately lost.

#brandvandals

Tackling the #brandvandals

This book will teach you how to…

#brandvandals

Develop an early-warning system

• Have bigger eyes, and even bigger ears• No right or wrong answer- some brands respond

with oversensitivity, some bravado• No two situations are totally alike • Judgement and data need to be baked into the

response process before it’s necessary• Digital content leaves a trail, so while there’s a

lot of information generated, you know what you’re dealing with

• Monitoring systems help sort this content

#brandvandals

When responding to an online attack

• Be agile and ingenious• Know what the process is for response- who in

your team is meant to be doing what• Treat it as a science, not an art- but remember

there’s still room for instinct and creativity• Analyse your response afterwards- what went

well, what might have been better?- otherwise you won’t learn from it

#brandvandals

Build a reputational shield

• Engaging your audience and setting reasonable expectations with them goes a long way towards protecting your brand.

• Just because there are a lot of people following or using your brand, doesn’t mean their support is passionate or consistent.

• They’re like an army of volunteers- they support you, but when it suits them.

• Finally, it’s a relationship like any other- invest in it.

#brandvandals

Keep your reputational shield polished.

Make it harder for mud to stick.

#brandvandals

Turn a negative into a positive

• Use the truth. If you’re in the right, you’re already coming from a strong position.

• If part of their attack is true, you need to evaluate the situation on its own merits or drawbacks.

• The bottom line is, transparency pays.• The important thing is not to take the bait- and

that your audience must always be at the epicentre of your actions.

#brandvandals

#brandvandals

Get your communications right first time

• You need a team, but one person has to be given the responsibility of handling a crisis

• Take the time to get to know your advocates• Tell authentic stories and generate real

conversations• Be prepared, and you can stand tall rather than

looking over your shoulder

www.bloomsburybooks.com

• Coming in October 2013• Brand Anarchy currently available• Read the endorsements for Brand

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