Angry Mob 2.0: How to torch your reputation using social media and lawyers

As an attorney-turned-public-relations professional, I enjoy reading interesting legal cases involving PR and media.  Today’s article involving a dispute between a Chicago-area tenant and her landlord makes me cringe.

As reported in an article by Information Week, the tenant recently posted a tweet about the lousy conditions of her apartment.  The landlord’s decision: Immediately sue the tenant for libel.  

In public relations, this is what we call “fanning the flames.”    

Yes, a lawsuit will probably make future tenants hesitate before voicing a complaint. (Hmm, that fire-escape looks rusty, but I better keep my mouth shut.)  Never mind the legal merits here. Suing a disgruntled customer who posts her complaint online is a fantastic way to spark a firestorm of vociferous ire from a Web-torch-wielding public.

Angry Mob 2.0, if you will.

To illustrate the ramifications, as soon as I’m done writing this post, I will tweet my blog link to my Twitter followers and further publicize the matter and my opinion that the landlord is acting both heavy handedly and, as President Obama might say, stupidly.

There are so many companies out there right now that are doing an amazing job of trolling Twitter and other social media to learn about their market and engage customers.  They use social media to get feedback, and they use the information to improve their products or services.  

In turn, customers absolutely love when companies listen to their online rants.  Having a huge company respond to your 140-character missive can turn a negative opinion into a positive one at the flip of a switch.  And customers are usually more than happy to pass on a good review when companies make an effort to address their individual problems.  

Being proactive with social media presents a terrific opportunity for a company to bolster its reputation and earn the trust of its customers.  Clubbing Web-savvy customers with your legal team?   That’s not a smart (or inexpensive) strategy to generate goodwill for your brand.