How Battling Brands Online Has Gained Urgency, and Impact – The New York Times
Until last week, Travis Kalanick, a founder of Uber and its chief executive, ruled his company absolutely. That was the Silicon Valley way; ever since Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple in the 1980s, tech founders have demanded, and been awarded, enormous deference by investors and corporate boards. So even as successive waves of scandal have hit Uber, Mr. Kalanicks position looked safe.Then, all of a sudden, it wasnt. Amid many reforms, Mr. Kalanick announced a leave of absence last week and late Tuesday said he was resigning as Uber C.E.O.It is the swiftness of the fall thats interesting here. In another time, Mr. Kalanick might have been able to hang on. But we live in an era dominated by the unyielding influence of social feeds.
Every new Uber revelation ignited a massive campaign against the company on Twitter and Facebook. A swirl of negative branding took on a life of its own and ultimately could not be ignored.The story is bigger than Uber. Online campaigns against brands have become one of the most powerful forces in business, giving customers a huge megaphone with whoch to shape corporate ethics and practices, and imperiling some of the most towering figures of media and industry. Look at how quickly Bill OReilly, the former Fox News host, was dispatched from the network after The New York Times dug into his history of sexual harassment settlements. The investigation inspired an online boycott against his advertisers, who, despite Mr. OReillys soaring ratings, began to drop him faster than day-old beef tartare.
Källa: How Battling Brands Online Has Gained Urgency, and Impact – The New York Times
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