Behave unethically on social media at your brand’s peril

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if everything we read online was genuine; every review we turned to, every recommendation we read and every suggestion that was shared our way? Call me a sceptic, but I’m not sure this utopian aspiration matches today’s reality and research shows I’m not alone. The research undertaken by CIM and YouGov in the spring shows this wave of scepticism has the potential to change attitudes and behaviours towards brands. Almost half of consumers are likely to boycott a brand behaving unethically on social media. Today’s modern world presents a daily barrage of complex messages via multiple platforms; few more so than social media which has become embedded in our day-to-day lives. But the volume of activity as brands vie for our attention has not dulled consumers’ sense of what we think is right. Negative
reaction to high profile examples such as Mastercard buying positive tweets with event invitations and senior politicians – even the US state department paying for likes on Facebook has reverberated around the web.

The result – only 20% of people really trust what they see on
social media. This is a worrying picture for marketers keen to engage customers online. But there is good news. If we understand what is going on, see how people feel and match our behaviour to their expectations there is a wealth of opportunity to grow our businesses. To achieve that understanding, CIM and YouGov surveyed over 4000 consumers and marketers. The research found people are happy to engage with brands on social media – if they are honest and genuine. I will be exploring the research findings and insights at the event on 27 November. I will be joined with fellow speakers from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), University of the West of England and Actionable Insight to generate debate and build good practice.

Find out more: http://www.cim.co.uk/Events/64374

Keeping Social Honest
Bristol Aquarium
27 November 2014
14:00 -17:00