Major industry shakeup – new EU ruling aims to improve consumer trust in online
An EU ruling, which has thus far held a low profile, is about to be launched in the UK (26th May) – which brings with it extra attention from the industry.
The Unfair Commerical Practices Directive, which launched in Europe on 1st January, covers a wide variety of trading practices, to false advertising to the misuse of the word “free”.
But if we look at the small print, an unfair trading practice issue is raised which could well have a significant impact on current digital PR and viral marketing practices: “Falsely claiming or creating the impression that the trader is not acting for purposes relating to his trade, business, craft or profession, or falsely representing oneself as a consumer.”
This covers not only the companies themselves but also the Agencies managing and planning campaigns for them – offline and online. The Outside Line takes this to its extreme if logical conclusion: “it will outlaw creating fake profiles and identities online, whether to praise a product, badmouth its competitors, and could even extend to circulting viral videos, pictures and games”. The directive bravely looks to take on the trust challenges facing the net and ensure honesty is upheld – essential when users rely so much on review sites (eg. Trip Advisor) to make their purchase decision.
Examples of mistrust in Ireland have been plenty of late, with the most recent being the Just Nuts About ‘flog’ (fake blog for those with a puzzled look) with our beloved Glenda Gilson. Within the UK, Sony’s ‘All I want for Christmas is PSP’ campaign also did the media rounds – stimulating a far greater negative response than positive.
We’ve big fans of social media as a marketing vehicle, but in using it has to be recognised that it’s in the best interest of the brand to be open with the consumer. And done the right way, blogs can be used to enhance the campaign and act as a core component (as long as it’s openly a brand campaign). The current ‘blog’ for the Vodafone Perfect Choice campaign, featuring Joe Hughes (who signed a Vodafone contract that he can’t get out of!), demonstrates what can be done if approached from a creative angle. An open face policy on review and customer feedback sites, especially for travel, tourism and finance companies, must be adopted to ensure brand trust.
In this case of online PR and marketing, the old adage ‘all PR is good PR’ can be kicked to the curb.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:31 am
I think it’s extremely important to recognise the difference between using a blog as a marketing tool and just creating a fake blog. With the example of the Joe Hughes Vodafone campaign, a blog can be used as a positive addition to a campaign without ever trying to deceive anyone. It’s a narrative or story to be followed. There’s no attempt to illicit anything from the public except their time or a response – there’s no request for information or personal details beyond a first name, and certainly no call to purchase. The fake blogs which we’ve seen popping up have all tried to promote a brand or product and directly sway the public to purchase them. It is this subversive and deceptive approach which most certainly needs to be stamped out.
An interesting article on the subject has been published on independent.ie today. Marie Boran addresses the most recent high profile fake blogs which have come to light and discusses the barriers a business faces in setting up a blog. There’s also some excellent commentary from Social media consultant, Damien Mulley.
May 15th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
There are fakes everywhere and they can’t be outlawed. The Directive is looking in the wrong direction.
I think there’s a real and obvious tension between social media that are usable to deepen relations and social media that are used for companies to sell.
Equally people using blogs and networks have tended to be influenced by the numbers game – how many readers, how many friends – when the real value might lie in how good a set of relationships is this helping me to develop.
These problems are going to be less relevant as more companies take the lead of Philips and recognise that products and brand are both dead. What really matters is who you can cooperate with and for what reason.
May 15th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Christian, I’ll kick your ass if you call me a social media consultant again.
Good post!
May 15th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I better stop quoting the indo!
Ha ha…. I’ll do my best Damien
May 15th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Oooh, Marie called me that not you. Mea Culpa. I’ll hunt down Marie instead
“Social Media Consultant” makes me feel ill. I’m a teacher that teaches people how to communicate really.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:44 am
[...] Cybercom cover fakebloggers and how they could get done now for creating false blogs Ireland. [...]
May 19th, 2008 at 7:28 am
It’s good for people to know they’re being talked to by consumers when they hear or read about products discussed online but since the beginning of time, the real issue is awareness, not legislated behaviour.
Today’s cool new tools increase the banality in conversation. Sometime they enhance critical thought. I don’t think you’re going to see any changes percolate through blogging, viral videos or social networks just because the EU thinks it needs to make a mark.
In fact, the Unfair Commerical Practices Directive will be challenged enough to define what’s really “free”.