I just had a great weekend of watching football.

  • It started out with the Green Bay Packers displaying absolute dominance against the Detroit Lions while they continued what seems to be an unstoppable quest for an undefeated season.
  • Then came the thriller with the Dallas Cowboys beating the Miami Dolphins as time expired.
  • Then came the Texas Longhorns “kicking the Texas Aggies to the SEC” with a winning field goal as time expired.
  • Not to be outdone, the Denver Broncos took it a step further and kicked their winning field goal in overtime against the San Diego Chargers on the Chargers home field. Time for Norv Turner to find a new job, I think.

It was while watching the Denver Broncos that I became inspired to write a blog post about ball protection from a fumble standpoint (interceptions will come in a later post). Let’s look at some ball carriers…

Football
Ball carrier carrying ball in hand closest to tackler increases risk of getting ball stripped for a fumble. It was this play that prompted this blog post.

Brand Protection
Leaving our brand exposed to attacks without appropriate monitoring and engagement can be game changing – for the worse!

 

Football
Ball carrier is off-balance, and the ball drifts away from the body making it more susceptible to a fumble.

Brand Protection
Over-extending our brand promises or over-stating our capabilities leaves us vulnerable to a righteous and justified consumer backlash. Undersell and over-deliver!

Football
Ball carrier shields the ball from the tackler by carrying the ball in his opposite arm. He can now use his body and extended arm for ball security.

Brand Protection
Each department within our organizations (marketing, customer service, product management) should take ownership for brand protection while playing to their strengths. These departments act as the body shielding the brand from attacks. Through a collaborative effort, these departments can determine which is most suited to actively reach out and extend assistance to the consumer with customer satisfaction and brand protection (and possible brand advocacy) in mind.

Football
The ball carrier feels contact and tackler(s) attempting to dislodge the ball. He applies maximum ball security by keeping both hands on the ball. He doesn’t want an outstanding play to be nullified by losing possession of the ball to the opposing team.

Brand Protection
Reputations are built over years of good work and reputations can be destroyed in minutes with one bad YouTube video or caustic product review going viral. Ignoring or remaining ignorant of the danger does not make it go away. Monitor mentions of your brand, measure sentiment, and track trends. If sentiment trends negatively, or if a single incident provides enough explosive response, join the conversation immediately. While acknowledging the situation as quickly as possible, concurrently mobilize the appropriate resources within the company to devise the best strategy to defuse the situation and restore consumer confidence. Let Courtesy and Integrity rule the day…never spin it or get overly defensive.

I just finished reading Social Media ROI by Olivier Blanchard. I think he does a fantastic job explaining the importance of both (1) social media monitoring and (2) departments working collaboratively to support the entire organization’s goal of brand protection. Leave it to me to picture it in football terms . I do highly recommend you read this book if you are starting to outline your social media strategy and identify your resources to support that strategy.

Is your organization using social media monitoring yet? Are your departments working collaboratively, or do you feel your company is working in territorial silos? I would love to discuss in the comment section!