When it comes to high profile lawsuits, it’s often been the plaintiff’s use of social media that makes headlines and wins those ever-important battles in the Court of Public Opinion. Blogs raise awareness of issues that could lead to lucrative litigation, and smart SEO and SEM campaigns can dominate the online conversation. Social media is used recruit potential class action clients. All the while, the target of the litigation — the defender — often stands mute, from a digital perspective. Commonly, the defender will cede control of the Internet's messaging high ground to adversaries.
But the "no comment" strategy has increasingly been cast aside in an age when instant impressions can cause lasting reputation damage. More and more companies are realizing the benefits of mounting a digital defense when plaintiffs come knocking. As evidenced by the recent lawsuit against Taco Bell — alleging that its "seasoned beef" doesn't meet USDA requirements for that label — defense messages are starting to compete for attention in the online space. Over the last several weeks, Taco Bell has written a template for digital litigation communications that — while certainly more aggressive than many lawsuits call for — has highlighted a number of best practices that every company playing social media defense should consider.
Use Your Peacetime Wisely
Prior to the lawsuit, Taco Bell already maintained a Facebook Page with nearly 5.7 million fans, a Twitter profile with nearly 80,000 followers, and YouTube channel with videos that have been viewed nearly three million times. Not only did this help to amass an audience t hat would be receptive to its messages...
