Post by hasina789956 on Oct 28, 2024 14:57:54 GMT 6
Fake news is getting closer to taking over the world. Although it may seem like a rather catastrophic conjecture, it is a reality that is recognizable at first glance. At a faster rate than one might expect, fake news has begun to spread like wildfire, especially thanks to social media (although Facebook and WhatsApp have begun to pursue them). And, at the same pace, it has shaken the foundations of the media, political representatives, entities and companies of all kinds.
Misinformation and loss of consumer confidence are the two main consequences of this triumph and proliferation of manipulated information. And all social agents are the most bulk email campaigns affected. Also marketing professionals who, on a daily basis, struggle between the fight against the spread of harmful fake news and the possibility of taking advantage of its social reach to benefit their business objectives.
Marketing and fake news : an explosive mix
Fake news is nothing new. In fact, it is similar to the content published at the beginning of the 20th century, which was then known as propaganda. The current danger lies in its potential for propagation : social media allows just one of these fake news stories to reach the other side of the planet in just a few hours.
One of the main risks for companies is precisely their ability to spread false information against them . But it is not the only one. Some companies, or rather, their marketing managers, have resorted to their techniques and have spread unreal content to achieve an unprecedented impact and a greater volume of clicks to their website. Oscar Wilde already said: “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
In Spain, one of the most famous recent cases was the alleged job offer as a delivery driver at Burger King. The company managed to make the advertisement go viral and received a massive response from the audience (including politicians and the media) although, perhaps, it was more negative than expected:
Fake News: Burger King
Beyond the echo achieved, the consequences of these fake news for companies are usually the same. And they usually imply a total loss of trust on the part of users. So, how should marketing professionals act in the face of fake news ? With all the truth .
Measures to combat fake news in marketing
In this era of fake news , the goal and mission of companies and their communication and marketing managers is to always tell the truth. Or, at least, not to tell lies in order to gain greater relevance. In this sense, and in order not to fall into the trap of fake news, it is enough to remember two basic principles: the dissemination of manipulated information can escape any control and the cost (in time, money and effort) of denying it is too high.
Staying on the path of responsible advertising and marketing, away from fake news, is possible. And, more importantly, regaining the audience's trust is also possible. All you need to do is take the following steps in each brand's marketing strategy:
Always tell the truth and differentiate between purely advertising content and informative or editorial content.