As a new parent, one of my greatest pleasures is taking my daughter to a kid-friendly museum in Raleigh, NC called PlaySpace. Essentially, they get to touch and explore just about everything. She goes nuts running around and then takes a 3-hour nap. It’s a beautiful thing.

I’ve known for a while that they were planning to merge with another museum further downtown in Raleigh called Exploris. The good news is that they are increasing the amount of space for the kids. The bad news is that they are blending what is a fantastic experience with one that is sorely lacking.

What does this have to do with interactive marketing?

The best way to succeed on the Web is to be the absolute best within your space. Find your market, learn from your market and cater to your market better than anyone else in your vertical.

Case and point, I found out about PlaySpace through three unsolicited word-of-mouth experiences—all glowing. Exploris on the other hand spent a small fortune promoting a piece of crap.

In the pursuit of greatness, there is no room for mediocrity.

Let’s talk about online reputation management for a minute. The most important rule about protecting your reputation is to carefully examine who you are protecting it from. Only slightly less important, is determining whether any normal person would believe the accusation.

Admittedly, I’m more versed in Mu-shu than Kung Fu. I’ll also preface this by saying that I don’t want to spark a martial arts debate. Having said this, no one who read the ninja’s post (I can’t believe I just typed that) believes that an unarmed man defeated a whole temple full of monks who practice Kung Fu all day.

So, the monks are now ready to do battle. And how do Kung Fu masters do battle in 2007? They hire a lawyer, of course:

"The so-called defeat is purely fabricated, and we demand the Internet user to apologize to the whole nation for the wrongs he or she did," the Beijing News said, citing a notice announced by a lawyer for the Shaolin monks.

I’m sure the desired result was for this group to be taken seriously. Instead, I can’t help but laugh at the shear idea of a bunch of monks sitting behind their lawyer’s table in a crowded courtroom.

So what’s the right way to handle an inaccurate post that affects your online reputation?

1. Contact the Webmaster personally to explain the situation and request an updated post with the proper information. Ultimately, bloggers want lots of readers and a pat on the back for scooping a story. If you cater to their ego by helping them to get the story right, there is a better chance that they will update the post. Pick up a phone and call him/her if you can. Like any disagreement, a friendly conversation goes a long way. Hat-tip, Andy Beal.

2. Comment on the blog post to set the record straight. This should only be attempted if option one does not work. RSS feeds don’t show the actual comments, so it makes more sense to have accurate information within the post. But if your requests are denied and go unanswered, write an accurate version and post in comments. If there are certain portions of a story that are correct, be certain to point them out. For example, with our Kung Fu dilemma, maybe the whole clan was defeated, but instead of the ninja being unarmed, he showed up with some kind of super-weapon. Your version will be more respected if you give credit for providing an accurate portrayal if you are able to see the other side of the argument. Be honest about your identity and give readers an opportunity to contact you if they would like more information.

3. Post a rebuttal on your own blog. Again, this action is appropriate if the first two options are unsuccessful. An honest, fair assessment of the situation with full disclosure on your own blog is better than nothing. Make sure to include your contact information.

4. Don’t lose your head. Filing legal action is rarely the proper first step. The goal is to bury the story, not draw more attention to it. While the post might be temporarily contained to one rogue blogger, bringing in the lawyers is a great way to make a mountain out of a moll hill on a national and even global level. After all, do you think I really pay attention to Japanese ninja blogs on a daily basis?

If none of those options work, you can always “sweep the leg.”

Labels: blogging, online reputation management

I’ve not been AT&T;’s biggest fan over the last few months. IMO, they’ve been greedy, uncaring and they are guilty of not putting their customers first. But I’ll give them this, they have insight and they understand the potential of technology. And it appears that they have for a long time. Check out their “You Will” campaign from 1993:

I recall feeling very inspired by this campaign when it first aired. Part of it was the music in the background and a savvy ad agency. Mostly, it was the fact that technology was moving at a dizzying rate and the possibilities were absolutely endless. This is a company who appeared to be at the forefront, and would be able to deliver on services that would my make life easier and better.

They still have an opportunity to lead the charge with new technology to enhance personal and professional communication. So why don’t they inspire me anymore? Is it because I’ve seen all that technology can do? Far from it. Is it because there are more competitors out there who can deliver more efficiently? Close, but no.

It’s because AT&T is greedy, uncaring and don’t put their customers first. And that means that it doesn’t matter what they can promise or deliver. That makes me not WANT them to succeed. I want the smaller companies to find their niche and chip away at their armor. I want consumers to find ways to make it easier to vote with their feet and go to another supplier. And I want other innovators to get to new technologies first so that AT&T; remembers why they have an opportunity to develop new technologies…their customers.

The lesson here? When you don't put customers first, you become less "likable." And that means those accomplishments are worth much less.

Hat tip, Ted.