In today's online world, a solid online reputation is like money in the bank. It boosts your business faster than you expect.
But get a few bad reviews, often without much justification, and watch customers’ trust, sales, and visitors plummet. Business reputation is quite fragile, especially in the online world, where there is no face-to-face connection (like in the good old times).
Luckily, the legal system is on your side. Whether navigating data privacy compliance or tackling defamation claims head-on, retaining legal services specialized in adtech is a must-have for your online reputation management strategy.
In this article, we’ll explain why working with the right legal experts provides an edge in keeping and uplifting your business's digital reputation.
Common Online Reputation Issues - What Could Go Wrong?
So, you got a few not-so-flattering reviews; it’s not like you’re the only business going through this. There will always be unsatisfied customers; it comes with the job.
While all this is true, you shouldn’t ignore the impact harmful online content can have on your reputation. Negative reviews (true or fake), negative press, slander, and social media backlash can stop your growth and set your brand in a negative light.
Fake Reviews and Their Impact on Brand Perception
According to a recent survey, 99.9% of online users read reviews before buying. Plus, 96% of buyers will look for negative reviews specifically. So, reviews are quite a big deal, especially the negative ones.
They can skew potential customers' perceptions and impact sales. Some competitors use fake negative reviews to attack other brands. This practice works well against small businesses just starting to make a name for themselves since they don’t have a well-established base of loyal customers.
Big brands (some of them), on the other hand, use fake reviews to their advantage by posting glowing reviews about their own products, as happened in the case of Sunday Riley.
In 2018, Sunday Riley, a well-known skincare brand, found itself in hot water when the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged them for posting fake reviews online. Employees allegedly created positive reviews of their products on Sephora's website over two years. They even used VPNs to disguise their IP addresses and made their comments appear genuine.
This case and others show the risks and potential legal consequences of manipulating online perceptions through deceptive practices like fake reviews. However, it takes a lot of effort and work to prove this type of misinformation.
Lastly, if you’re a small company, proving a bigger competitor runs a slander campaign against your brand through fake negative reviews is quite difficult to prove without legal help.
Social Media Backlash
Sometimes, a spark is enough to light up social media against your brand like a Christmas tree.
This tends to happen around highly controversial subjects like cultural differences, LGBTQ+ rights (the Bud Light collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney comes to mind), political issues, and so on.
Consumers nowadays are opinionated and are not afraid to share their displeasure with the world. However, even though it seems like a new brand is in hot water every day, this sort of backlash rarely happens if you know your audience and market and have a good lawyer by your side.
Negative Press
Depending on the publication, negative press is probably the most damaging to your reputation.
If you get a bad review in a meaningful publication for your niche (akin to a restaurant getting a critical piece published in Zomato or The Infatuation), it can quickly influence public perception and trust.
Negative press acts like a magnifying glass on a brand's flaws, real or perceived. A single damaging article might dominate search engine results, pushing positive content down the page and leaving potential customers with a skewed view of your brand.
This impact extends beyond immediate customer reactions. Long-term effects include potential decreases in sales and tarnished industry reputation.
Legal Steps for Online Reputation Management
To safeguard your brand’s reputation, it’s essential to understand how different laws and regulations work. Also, tips from a lawyer specialized in marketing and/or adtech are extremely valuable when facing fake reviews, defamatory statements, or unauthorized use of your content - all threats to credibility.
From filing takedown notices to engaging in cease-and-desist communications, there are several avenues to explore for protecting and restoring your good name. Also, intellectual property (IP) is a complex subject you can’t hope to untangle without legal advice.
This is why adtech lawyers are so popular nowadays. They specialize in the legal aspects of digital advertising and marketing and can help you navigate complex regulations that govern online ads.
Here's how they can assist:
Ensuring Compliance
Ever since marketing became so much more data-driven, there have been data privacy concerns. To protect consumers’ data and online safety, we now have several legal frameworks that impact specific world regions.
For instance, there’s the GDPR in the EU and EEA, CCPA and HIPAA in the U.S., Australia’s Privacy Act, and so on. These legal frameworks have different specs and regulations, impacting different world regions.
So, you need to know which frameworks impact your business. This is crucial as customers and business partners want to make sure they are working with brands that care about the privacy of their data.
Plus, non-compliance can lead to hefty fines from regulatory bodies like the FTC or GDPR authorities, which could strain financial resources. Failing to comply also risks significant reputational damage since you are required by law to make a public announcement about any data breach.
Customers expect businesses to protect their personal information, so even the rumor of a breach can erode trust. Once lost, trust is quite difficult to recover.
Online Reputation Management with Transparent Policies
One sure way to build trust with your potential and existing customers and business partners is to be upfront with your data collection methods. You do this by designing different policies.
For instance:
Data Collection Policy: this policy clearly outlines what data is collected, how it's used, and who it’s shared with. It should also explain user rights regarding their information.
Cookie Policy: details the use of cookies on the website and any other online properties, including types of cookies used and purposes (e.g., analytics, marketing). Also, users should be able to express their consent.
Data Retention Policy: to ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR. This specifies how long personal data will be kept before deletion or anonymization.
However, each policy you craft must use clear language that reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings that could harm your brand’s reputation. This is why you need the advice of an experienced adtech lawyer who can help you design straightforward data collection and privacy policies.
They can ensure that these documents articulate precisely what information is gathered, why it’s needed, and how it will be used or shared.
Handling Intellectual Property Issues
You don’t need to be internet-savvy to know that some people would stop at nothing to make a quick buck. Using the clout and power of a big brand to fool customers into buying sub-par quality products is one of the oldest tricks in the book.
However, if you don’t have the same reputation as brands like Gucci or Louis Vuitton, unauthorized use by others of your brand's creative assets, such as logos, slogans, or unique content, may lead to confusion among customers and dilute your brand’s distinct identity.
This damage often manifests as reduced consumer trust or lost sales when competitors benefit from your intellectual property (IP) without consent.
An AdTech lawyer plays a crucial role in safeguarding these valuable assets. They help identify which elements need protection and assist with securing trademarks or copyrights to establish clear legal ownership.
This proactive approach acts like a security system for your IP, deterring potential infringers from capitalizing on your hard-earned work. Also, when violations occur, these experts provide guidance on how to enforce online reputation management strategies through cease-and-desist notices or litigation if necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do adtech lawyers assist with online reputation management?
AdTech lawyers help protect and enhance your online image by addressing legal challenges such as defamatory content, unauthorized use of brand assets, and compliance with advertising regulations.
2. What legal tools can be used to remove negative content from the internet?
You may use online reputation management strategies like filing takedown requests for defamatory or infringing material, utilizing privacy laws for unauthorized personal data exposure, or pursuing cease-and-desist actions.
3. Why is compliance important in digital marketing campaigns?
Compliance ensures that marketing efforts align with regulations, that potential fines are avoided, and that consumer trust is maintained.
4. Can adtech lawyers help prevent issues before they arise?
Yes. Companies can work with adtech lawyers to craft clear policies and conduct regular audits to ensure adherence to evolving data privacy laws and advertising guidelines.
Wrap-Up
Keep your reputation sparkly clean by acting swiftly against misinformation and unauthorized content. Also, ensure you stay compliant with privacy laws and have a well-thought-out online reputation management strategy that includes getting legal advice from lawyers specializing in adtech.
With these actionable steps, you can safeguard and uplift your business's reputation in the digital world.