University of Bedfordshire academic publishes book on brandjacking
Fri 12 September, 2014Quentin Langley a PR practitioner and Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Bedfordshire has coined the term ‘brandjacking’ in his new book, Brandjack How your reputation is at risk from brand pirates and what to do about it
The book highlights how brands can stay connected with its audience around the clock through digital media but can also become vulnerable to wilful or accidental misrepresentation. They can be ‘brandjacked’.
Quentin said: “The rapid rise and popularity of social media has caused the biggest challenges. Social media has put gossip on steroids and geographic boundaries are no longer limitations. Trying to maintain one reputation in one market and another elsewhere is increasingly a losing strategy.
“Most practitioners believe that you can control the message. They believe that a brand – a reputation – is whatever they say it is. But your reputation exists in the minds of other people. You do not determine what they think of you. That’s a collaborative process in which you are, at best, one influencer among many.”
One of the ways to avoid brandjacking is to scenario plan but Quentin advises to look beyond the obvious. Quentin who worked at Shell in the 1990s said crisis management strategies there centred on an oil tanker going down. Quentin explains that this is not enough and suggests companies train ‘brand ambassadors’ to represent them to the wider public.
telephone
University switchboard
During office hours
(Monday-Friday 08:30-17:00)
+44 (0)1234 400 400
Outside office hours
(Campus Watch)
+44 (0)1582 74 39 89
Admissions
admission@beds.ac.uk
International office
international@beds.ac.uk
Student support
sid@beds.ac.uk
Registration
sid@beds.ac.uk