How to clean up a social media mess
The story goes like this: In 2008 a prominent Australian surf journalist attended a public discussion fronted by the movers and shakers of the surfing industry. Prior to attending the meeting said journo canvassed members of a surfing website to ask what questions they'd like to hear the captains of industry answer. Our journalist subsequently asked those questions, which were confrontational and contemptuous of the industry, and the recipients were taken aback by the tone, apparently unaware of any ill-will from the surfing public.
The story is symbolic of the growing disconnect between the industry and the surfers that support it; the companies that supposedly reflect our culture have been caught on the hop by feelings of resentment toward them. Whether the anger is deserved or not is irrelevant, the point is they missed a shift in attitude.
At the time the oversight didn't particularly matter, it was pre-GFC so the economy was booming, magazines were unquestioning transmitters of company messages, and, most importantly, social media hadn't yet taken hold.
Now, with the proliferation of social media, the one-way relationship surf companies had with their audience has irrevocably changed. Social media has given voice to the once silent majority, empowering them with the ability to question authority or dissent from prevailing views. Some are happy to have their voice heard and contribute to civil discussion, while others are mad as hell.
Recently post-event pictures of the Rip Curl Pro Portugal competition site hit the internet. The pictures, which first appeared on Peniche Surf News and later on Rip Curl's Facebook page, showed the Supertubos sand dunes trampled, the vegetation flattened and rubbish strewn across the sand. The images aren't pretty, and for Rip Curl they have the potential to cause a minor PR disaster.
They are very similar to pictures that appeared on Swellnet following a competition on Hainan Island in China. In that instance a local cleaning contractor reportedly pocketed his tip fees and simply dumped the rubbish on the headland.
Without being told the context surrounding the shots in Portugal it's hard to know the full story – perhaps the situation is similar to that in China? Yet, the brutal truth is that it simply doesn't matter. The local contractor isn't having his name dragged through the online mud – Rip Curl is. They let themselves get caught in this position.
The surf companies didn't appreciate the message the journalist was relaying to them back in 2008 and it appears some still don't fully understand it. Surf companies need to understand that in 2012 not everyone is enamoured with professional surfing, nor with surfing's corporate dimension. At the manageable end are local surfers protective of their breaks and sensitive to environmental damage, while at the opposite end are militant surfers furious at corporate interests who'll do anything to knock a company down a few pegs. Social media now gives them that power.
For surf companies to avoid further PR disasters and media pain they're gonna have to appreciate the power shift and not let themselves get caught in compromising situations, because, like it or not, media perception is the new reality. Businesses now have to go over and above what is required to appear good corporate citizens. They need to learn it's better to cover your contingencies in advance than argue the subtleties in 140 characters or less later on.
And if because of the increased scrutiny best practices get adopted and environmental standards raised then more power to everyone involved.
Comments
Sure the pictures aint pretty but isn't that the same poster (or whatever it is) displaying the Ripcurl logo in shots 2 and 3?
It appears that in shot 3 the poster has been strategically placed to display the logo.
I think there was something about that in a former forum of the Quikky event in China.
@Zen,
The example you refer to was a story written by Clif Evers about a comp on Hainan Island (the link is in the above story). Clif took photos and someone pointed out that a poster appearing in one photo also appeared in another, the insinuation being that it was staged. Clif, who is a good friend of mine, admitted he moved an article of the dumped rubbish to include the presenting sponsors logo to prove where they were taken. Without identification it may have been a pile of rubbish anywhere.
The same thing may have happened at Peniche? It's not really the point of the article anyway...
That's true Stu.
I remember Clif being taken to task, but I have no grudge with him. I like his writing.
Nothing wrong with a little rage against the machine if it's justified. Would be a stark contrast to the apathy here. Beaches are treated like toilets in Japan.
You won't see no surfer spring uprises here when it comes to dodgy environmental practices.
There was a video being circulated around here that had footage of the rubbish but it's been pulled down from You Tube now. Now theres posts on Rip Curls FaceBook page of the mess but no explanation from Rip Curl. I know it's policy of big companies not to engage with muckrakers or negotiate with terrorists or whatever but this would be a simple thing to fix.
great article stu, but isn't this just the tip of of the ice burg, lets go back to, i think the green igaunor, when luke egan, said we need a change from petro chemicals, the surf industry, as a corporate entity is a shame, we no longer are grass roots, we all drive cars and drive far n wide, we use jet skis, as shmuck has confessed to, to anything over 3 ft, and in the name of promoting their brand they trample everything in sight so their highly paid sponno surf star can win the title by ooh .5 of fuck all to be crowned the champ, who the fuck believes anyone can win a heat by .fuck of fuck al, crock of shit, oops off track, until they can really have credibility in and out of the surf and fully back up where old school comes from, its a loose loose situation for the them.all of us old farts will die off soon, so who is there to take over, more greedy fucks, who knows i don't, i have a 4 yr old and 1 yr old, hopefully i can teach them the respect of what we really we have and to nurture it, corporate surf industry lost me years ago
good article stu the companys in the industry do cop a lot of flack but they do some good things as well. the way the bells comp was run and was left after woods for they grand scale that these comps are know as oposed to the old days were the judges were in a bus was all in all very good it may be only because its the birth place of that company but credit were it is due
when i was a kid pro surfers like kelly were my heroes. Now i look at corporate surfing with absolute disdain and disgust and certainly dont look at a pro surfer in the same light as i used to. Exposing breaks and locations especially sh*ts me. I love surfing more than nearly anything yet i find the side of surfing that the general public is exposed to as downright embarrassing and corrupted.
had to get out the old magnifying glass to confirm. but doesn't it look like the old Clif-alike guy who photoed the rubbish left behind at Surpertubos has possibly gone one "better" than Clif himself?
photoshopped out the "sea spray" on the oversized check left by Gabby Medina?
i thought rip curl were holding the last bit of creditability left amongst the "big 3" surf companies, not now.
Interesting point how pre GFC companies could do whatever and no one questioned anything because there was so much money flowing. Pre GFC if you bagged the stock market or progress you were nagative, now when evrything is not awash with cash the 'negative' comments seem to get more air.
I love the post GFC, because all the morons who couldnt go wrong in a booming world are now having to be more accountable.
The surf manufacturers moved all their shit overseas, exploited 3rd world labour, and still put up prices, then built massive shops everywhere (many with that earthy green appearance that actually does more environmental harm than good), and now they are all going down, karma is a bitch
Littering the beach and trampling the dunes I can't abide.
But as for the monster that is Corporate Surf: WE have the power folks.
Simply ignore them (in every respect) and they WILL go away.
In my final year of uni (2010) I did a big essay on the corporate social responsibility credentials of the big 3 - Quik, Bong, and RC. I went into that essay thinking Rip Curl would come out on top, and that Billabong would be the lowest ranked (I perceived a lot of their marketing as 'green-wash').
However, at the end of that process, my opinions were reversed. Billabong (at least in 2010) was comfortably out in front (due to some robust work on various environmental AND social issues - particularly with regards to their supply chain), Quiksilver coming in a respectable second (helped a lot by their marine protection work), with Rip Curl coming so far behind in third that I had hardly anything good to say about them. I can't remember what criteria I was using, but it was fairly comprehensive. Enough that my essay was 5000+words over the limit and I still got a HD for it.
@odie - what I find interesting re. your comment, and without me knowing all the facts on this particular Peniche issue, is that it's not uncommon for companies operating in Australia to implement best-practice (i.e. the RC Pro Bells Beach) but then toss all those lofty ideals aside when operating in a country that doesn't legally require (or at least enforce laws), or have as much public scrutiny, them to protect the environment the same way Australian authorities/public do.
Heh heh. Where to start?
How people use the language and colloquialism’s of their world indicates how they think.
This piece dinosaur shit on social media is probably the greatest indictment of how Stu really thinks. Every single opportunity he has to enforce his view, to express his disdain, to subject his authority to acclaim, to trumpet (modestly, of course) his delusional supposed attachment to it, to represent corporations positively as people and the second rate citizens of the world as less, he does.
And then some.
He even finds new ways, even within his limited lexicon, to lower the noose around humanity’s neck and kick out the chair for the entitled, corporatised and enlightened Stu Nettles of the world.
How surfy!
New forms of media. In their early days are always dominated by porn people. and penny stock hustlers.
Next to move, big bad corporations.
It's made for 'em, mate. Social media will be ruled by the stick swilling bucketeers. If it isn't already...
So, be sure to give yourself enough rope, Brew.
Even if tweets posted up by the HOLLYWOOD gliterattti suffer rapid fall-off, (as their handlers ban them from it. all because they can't keep their BF'ing traps shut, reveling their arrogance. their stupidity. their vapid morality. their uselessness. their dirty. muddy. feet of clay for all to see), thus negatively effecting the bottom lines, these business people at the balance sheet end of all are CONSUMMATE PROS.
Brewie, You Hollywood Handbag of all people should realize by now... Even a nut finds a blind squirrel now and then.
Enjoy your snacks, Mr Peanut.
Sounds to me like you're attacking the messenger Brewser. But you would never lower yourself to such hypocritical actions, would you?
Eh...?
Classic example of head in the sand marketing. use social media when it suits and ignore it went it doesn't. it must gall the surf co's to lose control of the surfing narrative they held so tight for so long, but guess what, just because they dont have outright control doesn't mean they dont have to try and manage it. Welcome to the world.
any and all purchase of products and or services would never happen if both sides of any given transaction did not individually agree that it was in their own best interest to make the trade.
the crisis of today. is the joke of tomorrow.
opportunity is now.
Good article Stu, well written