Brand Marketers: The Wiki

"If you manage a brand of any importance, it is highly likely that the Wikipedia page pertaining to your brand is in the top search results at all the major search engines...

Brand websites exist to build and reinforce a carefully crafted brand message, create a vivid brand personality, educate consumers about product benefits, build brand affinity, increase consumption and facilitate the creation of a brand community. Wikipedia pages have the potential to screw up the message and muddy the brand image that firms meticulously try to construct online.", stated Mr.Sandeep Krishnamurthy.

A part of the above message made me realized that the Wiki, one of potential social medias, can affect the brand marketing both positively and negatively. Wiki can help you make PR professionals and marketing indirectly if you join this open community whereas your brand can also be affected if there is any unexpected event occurred in a negative way. That is, your brand's rumor or bad reputation from the situations affecting the negative brand image can be widely spreaded overnight because Wiki(pedia) is the unique open community and free to read, write, edit by public. That is what we should be aware.

Here below are some suggestions by him;

1. 1. Make a list of Wikipedia pages that affect you.
2. 2. Locate the RSS feed for each page.
3. 3. Subscribe to it using Google Reader.

First, make a list of every Wikipedia page that affects you. This is non-trivial. If you blow this, the rest will not make much sense. Include the following:
The main page for your brand.

1. 1. The main page for sub-brands.
2. 2. The main page for your competitors.
3. 3. Specialty pages focusing on your brand (e.g., McDonald's legal issues).

Second, locate the RSS feed for each page. To do this, follow these steps:

1. 1. Click on the History tab of the Wikipedia page you care about.
2. 2. On the left sidebar, you should see "RSS Atom."
3. 3. Click on RSS.
4. 4. Copy and paste the URL into Google Reader.
   

Third, in Google Reader, create a new folder that includes all the pages you want to follow. Refresh.

How to react to negative info. Before you do anything, remember the following:

1. 1. Wikipedia pages are fluid and can change many times a day.
2. 2. Wikipedia does not have a policy about how firms can participate.
3. 3. Page vandalism is to be expected for short periods of time.
   

There is no single "webmaster" that you can contact. Make sure you read the detailed policies of Wikipedia. He recommends these two links as starting points: The Five Pillars and List of Policies. If you find something objectionable or inaccurate on Wikipedia, you can do one of the following:

1. 1. You can participate in the forums related to the page and voice your concern.
2. 2. You can contact one of the previous editors of the page.

Wikipedia does not condone copyright violations or libel. If you notice serious violations, you can contact Wikipedia at info-en-q@wikimedia.org.

If Wikipedia does not respond to your emails, you can consider a press release or something low key. Do not simply go in and do massive deletions. If you are detected, the negative PR will not be worth it.

I think these ways can help you decrease the negative image and strengthen your brand in case there is a rumour in the social content site like the Wiki.