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FIGURE 9
51% of a wide collection of people surveyed on social media said that they sometimes believe the information they read about a brand on social media with only 8% saying that they never do Survey Monkey (2020) Appendix 2. Consumers believe and pass
on what they hear through social media
without analysing the credibility
of the source and this can be detrimental for a brand. Millennials when asked how often they believe what they read on social media explained how although everything needs to be taken with a “pinch
of salt” Millennial Respondent 4 (2020), the reviews and comments that can be seen on social media are “More honest in some ways.” Millennial Respondent 5 (2020).
However, in opposition and also proving that consumers must understand and take responsibility for misinformation Joseph Isaac claimed in his 2020 Ted Talk “misinformation is most often
shaped by human error” and
also that “research gets reshaped every time it is shared by new outside parties.” showing that in many cases the information that is circulating about a brand can often originate from a misunderstanding.
The idea of responsibility is proven when looking at how over the
past decade the internet and social media have excelled to the point where “a disgruntled customer
can wage a full one person battle against an organisation” Patricia Swann (2019). This results in consumers having more choosing power when it comes to deciding which brands to shop with. “We have to take responsibility for the things we listen to and watch” Christiane Amanpour (2020). As a result of the access consumers have on the internet comes the responsibility of deciding what to believe.
“No matter how bad the situation is half the time, it is how the
brand respond and what they
do about it.” PR Professional 1 (2020) showing that although misinformation can be damaging if a brand reacts correctly it can be turned into a positive.
However limitations appear if it is considered that only the brand and consumer must take responsibility for misinformation, as arguably the largest contributor is the social platforms themselves as “with algorithms we are just seeing what we want to and more biased.” Christiane Amanpour (2020). If a consumer is shopping with a brand when they then move onto their social media they will be marketed to directly around that brand and therefore may be targeted with posts that contain misinformation. The company was “slammed” by Sasha Baron Cohen for the “role
it has played in misinformation spreading online.” Business Insider (2020).
FIGURE 10
THE AGE OF MISINFORMATION