#brandvandals – the new book on the extremities of reputation risk today. And the world’s first book with a hashtag as its title. Join the #brandvandals conversation.

“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 (UK) and Executive Director, ICCO

"The world is increasingly activist and atomised. Trust is both complex and fragile. Brands are at risk like never before. There is a Tahrir Square moment waiting to happen for a business or a brand. #brandvandals grapples with these new truths and tries to make sense of it all."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

“There are lots of books on social media, many of which express pretty elementary thoughts. This one, however, provides important reading material for anyone working in corporate comms.”Alex Singleton - former journalist, BBC, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph

#brandanarchy - and now #brandvandals

The story so far…@wadds@mynameisearl@bloomsburybooks

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.

Who are the #brandvandals?

Media has changed a lot in the past 60 years.

Communication between a business and its audiences can no longer be one-way.

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

#brandvandals explores the dirtiest corners of brands’ audiences:

…the people who are corralling themselves to cause reputational damage to brands they dislike.

Anyone can be a brand vandal.

Consumers have always shared their views of organisations.

But now these views are public.

#brandvandals aren’t just members of your external audience.

Sometimes they’re employees.A lack of robust processes can endanger

reputation.

#brandvandals can wreak havoc with reputation..Once a message hits a network, any notion of control

is immediately lost.

Tackling the #brandvandals

This book will teach you how to…

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

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

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.

Keep your reputational shield polished.

Make it harder for mud to stick.

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.

Get your communications right first time

• You need a team, but one person has to be given the ultimate responsibility of handling a crisis and making judgement calls

• Take the time to get to know your advocates and nurture a strong fan community

• Tell authentic stories and generate/engage in real conversations

Be prepared, and you can stand tall rather than looking over your shoulder

www.bloomsburybooks.com#brandvandals

Availability:

October 2013 (UK)January 2014 (US/rest of world)

REPUTATION WRECKERS AND HOW TO BUILD BETTER DEFENCES