Between cases of study, theoretical panorama and practical reflections, this book gives brand leaders the means to defend their brand in a changing environment, where new technologies and manipulation techniques have rendered old defense schemes obsolete. Rather than suggesting a reflection from the point of view of the crisis, the authors deal with the question under another, broader theme: conflict.
Table of Contents
Prologue xi
Introduction xv
Chapter 1. What is a Brand? 1
1.1. The brand: a concept built from relationships 1
1.2. The brand is anthropomimetic 3
1.3. The brand as merchant 4
1.3.1. Exaggeration 4
1.3.2. Celebrity 6
1.3.3. A matrix for modeling celebrity? 7
1.3.4. Fallibility 9
1.3.5. Exaggeration, fame and fallibility: the trio from hell 11
1.4. The Brand exposed 12
1.5. All Brands are controversial 13
1.6. Leader? Tough luck! 16
1.7. The Brand is not set up for conflict 18
1.8. The Brand is not always agile (and that is an understatement) 19
1.9. The irrational reactions of the Brand 21
Chapter 2. Conflict 25
2.1. Etymology of conflict 25
2.2. What is a conflict? 26
2.3. When is there a conflict? 27
2.4. Conflict is complex 27
2.5. Experts of a small piece of the whole 28
2.6. Conflict can be an asset 29
2.7. The words of attackers are traps 29
2.8. The words you use are also traps 31
2.9. (Here) conflict is not 32
2.9.1. Conflict is not latent hostility 32
2.9.2. Conflict is not an accident 33
2.9.3. Conflict is not a judicial procedure 34
2.9.4. Conflict is not a game 34
2.9.5. Conflict is not a crisis 35
2.10. The characteristics of conflict 36
2.11. What do you think of when someone says conflict? 37
2.12. When someone says conflict, what should you think about? 38
2.13. What Sun Tzu has to say 38
2.14. What Simmel thinks 39
Chapter 3. The Players in Conflicts 41
3.1. The five agents of conflict 41
3.2. The “attacked” is the Brand 42
3.3. The attacker 43
3.3.1. Deciphering it in 12 points 44
3.3.2. Who are they? Are they isolated individuals, connected individuals or aggregate groups? 45
3.3.3. What is their level of cohesion, unity? 46
3.3.4. What are the official reasons presented? 46
3.3.5. What is their expected benefit? 46
3.3.6. What is their strategy: destroying confidence, preventing activity? 47
3.3.7. What are their beliefs, and how deep do they go? 48
3.3.8. How intense is their commitment? Are they ready to “go all the way” with it? 48
3.3.9. What is their history with the Brand? Among the critics, are there any who have been employees, customers or competitors of the Brand? 49
3.3.10. What is their level of interconnection or differentiation with the Brand? 50
3.3.11. What are their supports, their backers, their alliances? 50
3.3.12. What are their strengths and their means (financial, intellectual, media, etc.)? 51
3.4. The expected benefits 51
3.4.1. Weakening (winning is a failure) 52
3.4.2. Obtaining the recognition of harm 53
3.4.3. Obtaining reparations 54
3.4.4. Revenge 54
3.4.5. Correcting 55
3.4.6. Prevention 55
3.4.7. Destruction 55
3.4.8. What the attacker wants to damage 56
3.5. Allies 57
3.6. The audience 58
3.6.1. Immature humor, more than ever 59
3.6.2. Do not touch the nice ones 61
3.7. The arbitrators 62
Chapter 4. Hostility, from Yesterday to Today 65
4.1. The places, times and forms of conflict 65
4.2. The competition 65
4.3. The public square 66
4.4. The court 67
4.5. The borders of conflict: between separation and the contact zone 67
4.6. The temporality of conflict 68
4.7. What do the conflicts that engage the brand look like? 68
4.8. Guerrilla warfare and terrorism, excellent value for money 69
4.8.1. The fly’s strategy 70
4.9. Scandal 71
4.10. Alert launchers 74
4.11. The social dynamics of conflict 76
4.12. Skepticism and modernity 77
4.13. Conspiracy theorizing 78
4.14. The scapegoat 79
4.15. The mystery of herd behaviors 83
4.16. Rumors 84
4.17. The crowd 85
4.18. Lynching 87
4.19. Trust, the first victim of conflict 88
Chapter 5. The Techniques of Conflict 95
5.1. Old methods “botoxed” for the digital age 95
5.1.1. The trap hoax 95
5.1.2. Denigration 100
5.1.3. Petitions 101
5.1.4. Boycott and buycott 102
5.2. New digital techniques 105
5.2.1. Astroturfing 105
5.2.2. Persona management 110
5.2.3. Google bombing 110
5.2.4. Trolling 111
5.2.5. Denial of service attacks 114
5.3. Databases as a tool for scandal-mongering 115
Chapter 6. Preparing for Conflict 117
6.1. Building a strong brand 117
6.1.1. Brand ladder 120
6.1.2. Identity prism 120
6.1.3. The pyramid of qualities 120
6.2. The narrative scheme 121
6.3. Stabilizing opinions 125
6.4. The art of the reply 127
6.4.1. Managing conflict from the start 129
6.4.2. Knowing the forces in play: the absolute obligation 129
6.4.3. Organize yourself 130
6.4.4. You have a point of view... Say it, loud and clear 131
6.4.5. Train your teams 131
6.4.6. Take charge on social networks 132
Chapter 7. Acting in Conflict 135
7.1. Five possible reactions to attack 135
7.1.1. The silent expectation 136
7.1.2. Indifference 136
7.1.3. Negotiation 136
7.1.4. Commitment 137
7.1.5. Capitulation 137
7.2. Can we refuse to acknowledge that we are wrong? 137
7.3. Apologizing costs less than it pays 139
7.4. Apologies and low points 141
7.5. The Streisand effect 142
7.6. Are you going there? Keep zen and in control 143
7.7. Keep a conflict journal 145
7.8. Orchestrate engagement techniques 147
7.8.1. Public debate 147
7.8.2. One-upmanship – the fatal embrace 148
7.8.3. Exhaustion 149
7.8.4. Make jokes, not war 149
7.9. Tell a story that is stronger and more appealing than the attacker 152
7.10. Tweak and revise your actantial model 153
7.11. Imagine the actantial model of the attacker 154
7.12. Adopt your assertiveness, even by forcing yourself a little 155
7.13. Conflict is a theater of improvisation 157
7.14. Prepare to be spontaneous 158
7.15. Attention to detail 160
7.16. Seven tips and tricks to improvise without fear 162
7.17. The semiotic square: judo instead of boxing 163
7.18. Moving conflict onto new terrain 165
7.19. The merchants of doubt 168
Conclusion 171
Epilogue 177
Appendix 179
Bibliography 183
Index 185
Index of Brands 187
