ORM - Online Reputation Management

I just read an interesting article from Mutlifamilyexecutive.com.  While it raised many good points, there were two things that disturbed me.  Part one:

While other industries, such as consumer electronics, have for years engaged in online reputation management (ORM) to influence user-generated content and lessen the negative impact of that content on their brands, the multifamily space is just now waking up to this trend.

Just an idea - but I guarantee you’ll have an online reputation problem if you approach it from the goal of trying to influence user-generated content.  Why don’t you just address the issues?  If someone is blasting you online - address it.  Not because you want to influence  - but because it’s what needs to be done.  Approaching ORM through content management is a losing battle.  You cannot treat a symptom (bad press) and expect to cure the disease (people feeling frustrated or cheated).

Part Two:

In response to a question about ORM, the vice president of marketing at Houston-based Camden Property Trust (owner of more than 62,000 rental units nationally) said:

“As we go into budgets for next year, we’re looking at how much we want to allocate to the management of our reputation online and what the upside is versus the expense.”

As I see it, your reputation either matters or it doesn’t.  And if it does, shouldn’t you be doing everything possible to protect it?  It’s not like you need an ad campaign and bloggers for hire to manage a reputation - you just need to be willing to respond to your customers.  I would love to be in the room for this conversation:

Apartment owner: “We’re getting blasted online!  How are we going to turn this around?”

Marketing exec: “Let’s hold off til next year, we just don’t have the money in the budget - glossy pamphlets are expensive!”

The better question would be, can you afford NOT to manage your reputation?

Although this was originally written for rental owners - let me bring it home to our residentail and commercial developers.  Here’s my personal list of do’s and dont’s:

• DO engage with your customers
• DO engage with them where they are.  If they’re online, get online
• DO address issues about the quality of your product, service and promises made
• DON’T address comments meant to invoke an emotional response - “That lying son-of-a-bitch said the pool would be installed last summer” - Do address the pool timeline - Don’t address whether or not you’re a liar (…or a son of a bitch)

**all bolding is my emphasis