How to handle a negative UGC epidemic? : The impact of negative user generated content (UGC) toward brand image when it becomes viral and how company could respond

With current social media environment, where there is an increase in consumer empowerment through engagement and interconnectivity among consumers on the internet. User generated content (UGC) becomes a tool for consumers to express their idea, attitude, and perception toward brand. With similar characteristics to traditional word of mouth (WOM), but with greater reach and access range by consumers, UGC could create much larger damage to brand reputation. Develop from previous research, author suggests two possible strategies to handle with negative UGC; despondence and partnership. The main keys of both strategies are to develop trust with consumers and to encourage them to create positive UGC, in order to sooth down the negative one. 

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User-generated brand storytelling: pushing brand’s reputation towards the edge of the cliff

A powerful online community of arbiters, commentators and critics uses social media platforms as a setting to share and spread user-generated brand stories of disappointment and frustration, thus putting the brand’s reputation at risk.

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