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October 10, 2004 March 20, 2003
March 7, 2002 |
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NSI Partners' Trade Association Work Expands Overseas to Combat 22 False, Health-Related Internet Rumors GAITHERSBURG, MD - MARCH 20, 2003 - False Internet rumors, spread like wildfire through e-mail and websites, are responsible for millions of dollars in lost sales, hampered worker productivity and tarnished public images. As a result, corporations and non-profits alike are discovering the need for specialized expertise to understand how rumors are spread through digital communications, the best means for tracking them, and how to develop strategies that provide factual information for both mass and targeted audiences. One trade association, seeking to combat health-related rumors circulating throughout North America, Europe and Australia, has enlisted Gaithersburg, MD-based NSI Partners to help track and stem the growth of Internet-propagated rumors. In 2002 the trade association asked NSI, an online-technologies consulting firm, to begin tracking Internet rumors in the United States. The association recently asked NSI to widen its search to include a total of 22 separate rumors transmitted worldwide through websites, email and online bulletin boards. Combining industry expertise and Web technology in its proprietary Internet Rumor Management service, NSI Partners has successfully tracked the origins and permutations of many alarming rumors containing misinformation, and crafted effective response strategies. The rapid growth of Internet-based communication tools, including web sites and email, has allowed individuals and groups to spread rumors with little effort. "Microsoft currently averages five inquiries per day from recipients of the long-running 'Bill Gates Giveaway' software-testing rumor," says Tom McClintock, NSI Partners' Chief Operating Officer. Throughout its five-year life, the rumor has evolved over a dozen active derivations. Another seemingly innocuous hoax, targeted against clothing retailer J. Crew, reached thousands in 1999 after a Massachusetts teenager concocted and sent an email to a list of just 27 recipients. More recently, the doctored "Tourist of Death" photo - purporting to show a man posing at the World Trade Center seconds before the jetliner attack on September 11, 2001 - reached millions via email soon after its release. Since 9/11, Internet-borne rumors have gained growing importance in public policy debates over anti-terrorism policies and the prospect of war with Iraq. NSI Partners' research has confirmed that such hoaxes and unproven assertions are not confined to amateurs. One Internet rumor, which alleges health risks of a popular cooking product, was actually started by a rival manufacturer. The company deliberately spread obsolete medical data to imply that other, more popular brands were dangerous to consumers. "Proving a negative is difficult," says Ron Barnes of the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association's Public Affairs division. When countering health rumors surrounding cellular telephone usage, Barnes's strategy has been to gather a preponderance of evidence that reveals the fallacy of the assertions, but the efforts are time-consuming and rarely fully conclusive. Internet rumor management has moved into the public-relations spotlight with acceptance of the Net as a mainstream communications medium. While Internet rumors exhibit similar transmission patterns to those of their traditional, word-of-mouth counterparts, Web hoaxes and assertions spread at significantly accelerated rates, mostly due to the ease with which emails can be forwarded to hundreds of correspondents. Similarly, just as cross-media advertising tends to generate higher response rates, rumors traveling through both Web and traditional media tend to gain significant public attention and an aura of legitimacy. "There are key differences that make Internet rumors more dangerous, though," says Tom McClintock of NSI Partners. "These include negligible publishing costs, minimal editorial control, nearly instantaneous delivery, a massive potential subscriber base and email's 'push' communication format." NSI's research indicates that, while Internet rumors are occasionally propagated for slander or notoriety, the most common rationale for rumor-mongering is recipients' benign desire to raise public awareness of health hazards and other important issues. But even though false allegations tend to be exposed and refuted in the long run, more complex issues require careful, time-consuming analysis in order to uncover and weigh the available evidence. "When you contrast the time it takes to conduct careful research with the instantaneous, one-to-many nature of Internet communications, even simple fact-checking seems cumbersome," says McClintock. "Truth can be short-changed in the well-intentioned rush to spread the word to as many people as possible," he says. When confronted with Internet rumors - many of which appeal to common fears or desires - recipients often suspend research and verification in favor of forwarding the rumor to their friends, family and associates. Deleting an email rumor becomes a de facto negation of its importance to the community, while forwarding the information pushes the opportunity and responsibility of determining its truthfulness to each recipient. In this way, the ease and speed of Internet communication subtly encourages individuals to rationalize sidestepping civic responsibility, in favor of serving as an electronic town-crier or "Paul Revere" to trusting personal communities. Once a rumor is identified and its origins are tracked, however, organizations have a variety of tools available to alleviate its impact. Several trade associations, business and political organizations, for example, utilize search-engine marketing (SEM) methodologies as part of an overall Internet rumor management campaign to develop highly targeted responses that address issues without expanding their reach. "Many organizations have found our SEM techniques helpful for disseminating factual information to consumers and constituencies," says NSI's McClintock. "By using the web itself to convey documented evidence and counterpoints, organizations can help consumers and build their public images by fostering transparency. Over time, an organization can transform a costly, negative situation into one that educates customers while generating goodwill," McClintock says. # # # About NSI Partners: NSI Partners is a Maryland-based, online strategies consulting firm dedicated to leveraging new technologies and sound business practices. NSI Partners brings bottom-line focus to maximize the effectiveness of clients' web- and network-based sales, marketing and support technologies. The company specializes in providing services relating to business strategy, website production and application hosting, search engine marketing, technology marketing and public relations. More information is available at www.NSIpartners.com. Contact info: Don Baker |
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