Lessons from Alan Jones for your own online personal brand

Alan Jones fame has been long standing for outspoken commentary, but his recent presence in the media has taught us valuable business and reputational lessons for all the wrong reasons. If you run a business, or a division, it is worth taking note.

Jones comments on Julia Gillards Father dying of shame at a private political function because of the political ‘lies’ his daughter had told since she became Prime Minister, have provided one of the most pertinent case studies of social media reputation, personal brand risk and public activism to date.  Jones comments have provided us with an unprecedented, new case history to learn from.

Some even say the social media campaigns against Jones marks a turning point in media and activism in all of us and it’s not just the talk back radio hosts that may have to be more cautious about what they say in future.

While Jones may have thought his comments were private, a journalist in the audience reported his retort. The comment went viral and the rest is history.

The fact remains, as little as ten years ago, whether in the playground or the office if negative commentary was spoken, it was heard by one or only a very few people. When commentary is repeated online it is potentially said to thousands.

With the rise of social media, the reputation of you and your business, is ever more at stake. Reputations can be destroyed in seconds.

So look at this personal brand crisis scenario

1. Say something offensive - even privately among friends - and you are overheard
2. Your comments are then reported to the public and other media outlets
3. Your enemies or dissenters rally on social media sites to exclaim their outrage at your comment
4. They build momentum – almost hysterically - and their numbers swell in a campaign against you
5. This puts pressure on public opinion about your brand image
6. Eventually those that pay your wages – in this case sponsors – are forced to withdraw their support of you
7. Which creates negative impact on revenue streams for your bosses
8. The result is a personal brand severely shaken and a new way of operating moving forward in spite of no law being broken
9. There is a fall out in terms of wasted time and money

The Alan Jones case history has had serious business consequences on a number of levels

• From a corporate governance and risk mitigation perspective
• To affect earning potential
• The ability to alter and influence public sentiment on a brand and/or  individual
• To create disharmony between management and ownership

So what is a personal brand and why is it worth cultivating or protecting?

I created TaurusProfile™ on the basis that personal branding is about ‘’being yourself on purpose and with purpose”.  It is about making sure people know what you stand for so they can make a decision about you and your company quickly and easily. In the words of a colleague, “Your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not around”.  It is what you are known for, your core value set, you skills, ideals and morals.

With stats suggesting we may have 12 jobs in our lifetime, our personal brand is ever more important.

Still not convinced? The fact remains, if you do not take responsibility for your personal brand, someone else will – ref Alan Jones.

With the rise of social media, your personal brand now sits online – your digital resume. Your online personal brand reputation today, is made up of what people can find about you when they tap your name into a search – and the search portals are expanding and improving constantly.

So why define your personal brand?

Because a strong personal brand allows you to:

•    Charge premium pricing and increase you or your companies bankability
•    Be exposed to a greater range of opportunity
•    Be seen as a thought leader and be sought after for comment
•    Handle the press and communication situations with ease
•    Build tangible brand assets
•    Increase employee morale
•    Attract the most highly skilled workers
•    Shine in the eyes of your target audiences eg Customers, prospects, suppliers, media, investors, partners and analysts
•    Increase awareness of your company or product
•    Feed the sales pipeline
•    Build personal, professional and corporate reputation

The risk of social media – what can go wrong to a company or personal brand?

The rise of social media has put news, commentary and activism in the hands of the average Joe.  It has given us new freedom and power of expression in a way we have never experienced before. This means that your staff, customers and competition can write about you from their perspective with immediate effect.

We have a new order. Power to the people

We have a new order in an unprecedented way.   The use of social media has become so pervasive that companies and indivduals are almost powerless to withstand mass campaigns run by activists IF they are not prepared.

The co-author of the government’s media review, academic Matthew Ricketson, admitted social media had exposed the practical limits of defamation laws. “The law is slow and media is fast. If you have been defamed, you need quick redress not slow redress. Social media shows up or exposes the limits of the way in which the laws of defamation operate in practice,’’ he said.

Politician Malcolm Turnbull, himself a user of social media, said new media had allowed ''thousands of Australians'' to speak ''for themselves, unedited, unmediated''  and the consequences have been ''without precedent''.

The Alan Jones case study

Jones comments sparked a massive social media backlash with calls for the public to boycott advertisers on 2GB radio.  More than 8000 Australians signed an online petition calling for advertisers and sponsors to terminate their arrangements with the 2GB show.  Some of the comments contained vitriol and Jones called it a "cyber bullying" campaign, costing the station up to $80,000 per day. Threats were made on websites, including Facebook, by email to the radio station and via the telephone switchboard.

"In the light of comments which I made, for which I've apologised, there are now comprehensive threats to destroy these businesses if they don't comply with the boycott," Jones told his listeners.

Macquarie Radio Network Executive Chairman Russell Tate accused the “cyber bullies” of threatening small businesses with thousands of calls and emails, crashing their communications systems. Tate said those involved in a campaign did not have the right to decide what 2GB listeners heard on air or to tell firms where they could advertise. More than 110,000 people signed the online petition to sack Jones. One Facebook site focusing on Jones' negative comments about women has 13,000 supporters.  Macquarie Radio Network announced it was temporarily suspending all advertising on the show and lost more than 70 sponsors and advertisers. The ad-free radio ended soon after with social media erupting on news of Jones' return. Users took to Twitter and Facebook vowing they would continue contacting advertisers and boycotting their products in "round two".

8 tips to prevent a crisis:

1. Define what you stand for - who are you? What are you good at, what should you be known for?
2. Unfriend inappropriate commentators - you wouldn't take it face to face, so don't take it online
3. Educate those around you that what is written on social media, stays on social media
4. Monitor all your social media accounts and audit your status
5. Address comments and reviews positively
6. Avoid sharing personal views on your business page
7. Have a social media policy for you and your employees
8. Take responsibility for your personal brand before someone else does

The Alan Jones saga started with a comment, that ignited a publican campaign, which influenced business operators to create action that initiated change.

Managing your personal brand is a must do, but take good advice and always proceed with caution.

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