Read this “BS” story first.
WTF !!
That was my first reaction after I read the above story. I do not have any problem with the theme of the story, as much as, how some of the sentences and phrases are worded.
The Value Pitch CEO says:
There are also “cribbing websites” like mouthshut.com, complaintboard.com and customercomplaint.com, while content of a defamatory nature are also put up on the web. “We call them cribbing websites because they only contain negative content,”
He tends to overlook the fundamental human nature, which is that consumers tend to voice a strong opinion mainly when they’ve had a bad experience with a company. Seldom do users share positive experiences. Thats just consumer behavior 101. This guy fails to realize how Internet empowers consumers and that these disgruntled users have only sites like MouthShut to vent their frustration. Now, I’m not denying the fact that some percent of these reviews may be coming from competitors or even pranksters. But calling these sites “cribbing websites” simply goes to show how inadequately informed he is about the Internet and its potential.
Online brand reputation management is a bunch of BS, in my opinion. Just some fancy fluff concocted to dupe you.
If you are a company that hires an external agency for online brand reputatoin management, my first advice to you would be –
FIRE THE AGENCY !!!
With that said, in a follow up post next week, I’ll explain how you can take charge of your brand reputation yourself, without leveraging any external agency.
Meanwhile, as per the “BS” story, blogs that negatively critique a brand / service are “crazy blogs“. Going by that logic, StartupDunia, Pluggd.in, Medianama, WATBlog – all are “crazy blogs” then, eh ? 
Hi pranav,
Now you are a certified CRAZY Blog according to Value pitch! lolz..
I guess this show’s how these guys have no freaking clue how to do any online reputation management. If I were a client Id be very wary of guys who call my customers (especially the one’s who voice their opinions) CRAZY!
Its sad that one needs to look at negative feedback from these so called crazy bloggers negatively rather than positively.. Anyways.. great post..and you can add WATBlog too to the crazy blog list
Yea man… WTFing bullshit..
@Rajiv
added you as a crazy blogger too.. about how these folks interpret negative feedback, I’m gonna elaborate that in the next post on the topic.
-p
@Pranav:
Ah, but you shd not be too harsh on these online reputation protectors.. just another bunch of entrepeneurs jumping in with a business model and trying to make it work..
and, as for the brand managers.. the wise and their money are soon parted
@anindya,
I am not being harsh, but just realistic here. I have no qualms with folks trying to capitalize on this opportunity, but if they go about using phrases like “crazy blogs” & “cribbing websites”, some one needs to point out how wrong they are abt it.
@Pranav,
Point taken.. but, you missed my comment at the end about the “wise”and their money..
I guess my take on this is if a brand manager is “wise” enough to trust the protection of his brand in the hands of these folks, he will soon understand that the market has its ways of punishing those who step out of line.
The market and the average user understand these comments for what they are and it will not deter anyone from sharing their user experience (bad or good).
WTF cares for Value Pitch?
The market and the average user understand these comments for what they are and it will not deter anyone from sharing their user experience
Well said Anindya
Pranav,
I wouldn’t (entirely) blame companies like Value Pitch. They ’say’ what businesses want to hear. Instead of making the product/service less sucky, businesses try to weed out the ‘cribbers’ and the crazy blogs.
- Gaurav
@gaurav
couldnt agree more — companies need to take such consumer complaints as constructive criticism and make their product less sucky (as you put it)..
energy, effort and money being channeled in the wrong way.