Client: Undecided Agency

Undecided Agency is a full-service marketing firm solely focused on leveraging the power of Reddit for its tech clients.

Challenge: Misinformation and a lack of engaging counternarrative

Unforeseen performance issues with a client’s new laptop charger were creating computer issues among a highly vocal group of users – gamers. The confusion and lack of official information created an unwanted negative buzz in many of the platform's large and very engaged gaming subreddits. r/gaminglaptops, for example, has 173,000+ people in it and is in the top 1% of subreddits by size. Getting ahead of a trickle of bad news before it turned into a torrent was critical.

Solution: Taking charge of a charged situation – owning the issue

In order to address misinformation, improve information sharing, and stem the tide of negative sentiment, Undecided Agency took a proactive and transparent approach shaped by CulturePulse community insights.

The strategy involved the following steps:

1. Identification and acknowledgment: The company quickly identified the misinformation circulating on Reddit regarding their new laptop charger and acknowledged the concerns raised by users. They even thanked users for helping them find the root cause of the problem.
2. Detailed explanation: A comprehensive post was created, guided by CulturePulse audience analysis and posted to multiple subreddits, to explain why the issue occurred, including technical details about how the new charger affected computers.
3. Client support and engagement: The company shared information about how they assisted clients affected by the problematic charger, including replacement and repair options, and replied to Redditors.
4. Mitigation measures: The post detailed the steps to mitigate the issue, which involved recalling the faulty chargers and implementing firmware changes to prevent similar problems in the future.



Result: Positive sentiment, higher engagement, and improved brand reputation

The impact of Undecided’s approach was substantial:

1. Community acceptance: The various Reddit communities responded positively to the transparent and detailed post, as well as the company's willingness to address, own, and resolve the issue.
2. Misinformation reduction: Providing accurate, audience-aligned information helped counteract the misinformation that had been circulating, leading to a reduction in misconceptions.
3. Improved brand reputation: Openly owning the problem ensured customers, old and new, were well-informed about potential issues; this transparency built trust and strengthened customer relationships.



• Brand evangelism: Enthusiastic customers, now armed with accurate information, became brand spokespeople, sharing and amplifying the message and increasing its reach.

• Increased engagement: The post – shaped by CulturePulse analytics – resonated with the Reddit community, getting high engagement across subreddits and sparking discussions that elevated the company's credibility.

As Oxford's study on fact-checked Reddit posts notes, “posts eliciting comments that include fact-checks indicating the information is true tend to receive more engagement across a variety of metrics than do posts eliciting comments that include fact-checks indicating the information is false.” While not exactly a “fact-check”, this speaks to Redditor's relentless pursuit of the truth and the engagement that providing it can create.

Conclusion

Based on CulturePulse's comprehensive understanding of subreddit preferences, concerns and communication style, Undecided was able to tailor the ideal content. Prioritizing community dynamics and setting itself apart from others. There’s immense reputational power in open and transparent communication, both when addressing misinformation and owning an issue. The right response can increase community engagement on social media platforms like Reddit for the better. By sharing detailed information and engaging with customers authentically, Undecided Agency effectively mitigated its client’s issue, fostered a positive relationship with their customers and maintained positive brand sentiment – setting them up for successful product launches in the future.

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