“BRANDS MUST BE ACTIVE IN THE DIGITAL WORLD”

The founder of Sikayetvar.com, Dr. Ömer Deveci, noted that 28 million consumers make their decisions through the site, saying; “Sikayetvar.com, which acts as a bridge between brands and consumers, has become a resource not only for purchasing products and services but also for job applications. Around one million complaints are received annually about 38,000 companies. These complaints are an important tool for seeing where the market is shifting. Brands that react effectively manage their company reputation in the best way. Because 31% of those who visit the site follow up on the problems they experience, while 27% gain information about the company and its products. 23% of those who visit the site conduct research before making a purchase. Again, 20% use it as a resource to research similar problems they have encountered.”

Change.org Eastern Europe and West Asia Director, Dr. Uygar Özesmi stated that the site, which actively reaches 6.3 million users, is a significant area of ​​interaction, with 5,000 separate campaigns organized monthly. Emphasizing that one in three signatures creates the change they want to see, Özesmi noted that brands that value their reputation are taking action to meet the demand. Highlighting the need for companies to undergo a significant transformation, Özesmi mentioned that those who do not remain indifferent to reactions successfully manage their digital reputations, sharing recent successful and unsuccessful examples with the participants. You can watch the video of the panel moderated by Nuran Aksu here.

“BRANDS WANT TO COVER UP CRISES WHEN THEY FACE THEM”

Brand consultant Temel Aksoy, stating that sustainability and accountability are among the most important issues of recent years at the forum, said; “Previously, there was one-way communication. With the internet, communication has shifted to many-to-many. The difference in the new era for managing reputation is that everyone is now aware of everything. Everyone wants to interfere in everything. When we look at the crises we have faced in recent years, brands want to cover up the crisis they face. We are in a period where consumers manage brands. Brands that are far from transparent and sincere cannot make progress because they do not react.” You can watch the interview with Temel Aksoy and Salim Kadıbeşegil titled “The Digital Test of Brands” here:

“INFORMATION WINDOWS ARE BLINDING US”

Journalist – Writer, Head of Internet Teams M. Serdar Kuzuloğlu, drew attention to the fact that consumers live in a digital world where they can access a lot of information without knowing much about it, and noted the following;

“The tiny fragments in our minds shape our perception. The capacity of our memory limits the reputation of institutions and individuals. At the point we’ve reached today, developments that would normally discredit you can become insignificant. We share or follow many social media platforms throughout the day. The digital lifespan of photos we’ve kept for years is almost 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, we’re faced with another photo, another piece of content. Our only concern in recent years is ownership. In this age of digitalization, we continue our lives with our identities intertwined by tools, along with our ever-increasing responsibilities. People obtain information from screens of all sizes. Information windows blind our eyes. Brands and digital reputation are very important at this point. Although reputation is seen as a financial burden, what should be considered is not the material aspect, but the fact that a lack of reputation cannot be a means of saving money.” You can watch Serdar Kuzuloğlu’s presentation here.

“75% OF CONSUMERS SHARE THEIR PROBLEMS ONLINE”

The results of the 2016 “Digital Footprints Research” conducted by ZENNA Research and Consulting were shared for the first time at RepMan Forum 2016. The research, conducted among digital world users over the age of 18, revealed that participants spend an average of 3.7 hours online. While 83% of participants stated they accessed the internet for learning, 82% for entertainment, and 70% for shopping, it was determined that 96% are Facebook users, with each user having an average of 593 followers. RepMan Reputation Research Center Advisory Board Member Nuran Aksu stated that one in three people have experienced problems with a brand, and 75% of these individuals share their problems online, providing the following information:

“Negative news and information shared by friends through personal social media accounts cause consumers to abandon brands. In our research conducted in February, 41% of respondents said they would never buy products from a brand again due to negative news or posts they saw about that brand on social media, while 39% stated they would not be affected. A large portion of consumers share their problems with brands with their close contacts online. 63% of those participating in the research shared their problems on Sikayetvar.com, 45% on their social media accounts, 47% on the brand’s website, and 34% on consumer rights websites.”

Click here to watch the presentation “Our Digital Footprints” by Nuran Aksu, Advisory Board Member of RepMan Reputation Research Center, conducted by Zenna Consulting with field work support from Dor Insight.

RepMan Forum 2016 Our Digital Footprints