A Lesson in Brand Management, Courtesy of Bill Cosby

A Lesson in Brand Management, Courtesy of Bill Cosby The Internet is a powerful tool. Use it well, andyou can become the peoples champion. Just check out the eternally goofy and slightly anarchic Tumblr presence of Dennys. An elderly gentlemanhula hoops with an onion ringand receives the adulation of thousands of users.A goofball reference to Taylor Swiftfares similarly well. Dennys runs a very strong Tumblr game by embracing the platforms culture. The Dennys blog is not a staid corporate promotional tool its a gleeful little community, and Tumblr users have grown very, very fond of the Dennys brand. The diner chain has successfully turned Tumblr into a significantcustomer base (and maybe even a talent community) which might have something to do with why the company saw its earnings grow by almost 19 percent last quarter.Pulling a Dennys is no simple task. As freewheeling as the companys Tumblr page seems, its the result of smart calculation. Im willing to bet that whoever runs the account is a Tumblr native, or at least a damnobservantresearcher corporate behemoth or not, Dennys posts come across as authentic and believable, in tune withthe aesthetics, preferences, and sense of humor endemic to Tumblr.The Dennys triumph is especially laudable when you consider just how distrustful Internet communities tend to be of corporate entities. Recall how bitterly the denizens of Tumblr reacted when Yahoo bought the platform and now, many of those same users are reblogging Dennys posts left and right.mucksmuschenstill unconvinced that Dennys brand managers have shown exceptional prowess on the Web? Still think that anyone can dive headfirst into the Internet andgain legions of adoring fans by simply being random and hip?Well, then you and I need to talk about Bill Cosby.How Not to Manage Your Brand OnlineFirst things first I recognize that Cosby is an entertainer and personality not a company looking to attract talent so thecomparisons I make between his brand woes and the shining success of Dennys will be imperfect. That being said, Cosbys goals online are still fairly similar to the goals of any company. Regardless of whether or a brand is looking to attract fans, customers, or talent, theyre primarily looking to cultivate goodwill and a positive public image. Therefore, I think brands of all kinds can learn from Cosbys teams mistakes.For those who dont know, Cosby is the midst of a public image crisis hes facing 14 allegations ofsexual assault, according to CNN. I am not here to weigh in on whether or not he is guilty. I am neither judge nor jury, and my opinions on these allegations would require an entirely separate piece.I bring these allegations up because I suspect they motivated his (or his social media teams) decision to tweet a picture of him and invite other Twitter accounts to meme him on Monday. If my suspicions are correct, this was Cosbys f irst crucial mistake you will never, ever, ever deflect a scandal of this magnitude by trying to position yourself as a harmless jokester who wants the Internet to play along with you. Allegations of this severity will not be dispelled with a few goofy pictures, and to think this could be the case shows both a painfully tone deaf response to serious accusations and an underestimation of public morality.For Cosby to overcome these allegations if, indeed, he is innocent if he is not, I dont believe hell be able to overcome them, nor do I necessarily believe he should be able to overcome them requires a lot more than just palling around with Twitter. It requires serious, rigorous, direct engagement with the issue at hand.Cosbys legal team has issued a series of statements that attempt to refute the allegations, but his (or his social teams) decision to play it casual in the midst of the firestorm was a serious misstep. It made Cosby come across as oblivious to think he could invite m emes at a time like this shows very poor judgment.And so, it should come as no surprise that the memes Cosby received were all sarcastic and venomous, with many outright accusing him of being a rapist (see the above-linked CNN article for examples). Cosbys (or his teams) decision to play it cool in the midst of such a situation only served to further lower his esteem in the public eye.This is because the meme me tweet lacked the very same authenticity that makes the Dennys blog such a success. Dennys is obviously in tune with the thoughts and emotions of the people it interacts with. The Cosby Twitter account, on the other hand, tried to not-so-slyly manipulate fans and followers into serving its own agenda. The Cosby brand wanted people to ignore a very serious reality. Such a move is offensive it underestimates the agency and beliefs of the very people it seeks to win over. Why, then, would anyone fall in line? Why wouldnt they fight back and express their disappointment and disgu st?The point is this no brand will ever win adoration or loyalty by treating its target audience like a bunch of easily swayed suckers. Authenticity, honesty, and mutual understanding are crucial to brand success in the Internet age. If you cant address your audiences concerns directly and truly, youd best keep your mouth shut until you can.Your brand may very well never face allegations as serious as the ones Cosby currently faces, but the point still stands your consumers the people who follow you, buy your products, enjoy what you do, and pay attention to your moves are human beings. Dont try to manipulate them into seeing things your way rather, try to earnestly connect with them.Cosby and his team did not do this. They were hoping to distract the people with what amounts to digital bread and circuses. It certainly doesnt win them any goodwill. If anything, it makes us all a bit more skeptical about Cosbys innocence.