The internet can work ‘for you’ or ‘against you’, whether it be marketing, PR or social media. In Prince Harry’s case and the recent debacle of the Las Vegas Photos, showing Harry naked in a hotel, this negative PR has undoubtedly not been favourably received by palace officials, or done the reputation of the Royal Family any good from a PR stand point.
It’s nigh on impossible in the digital age we live in to prevent pictures like this being published and shared online, (I wonder how many times it’s been Pinterested already) but since the recent Leveson Inquiry some of the more credible broadsheet newspapers decided to restrain from printing the salubrious pictures, and considered this an invasion of privacy. It’s quite typical of the The Sun (and media mafia owner) to come out in this maverick fashion and publish these pictures, but the debate remains, is this a private matter or is it in the interest of you and I, that these photos are propagated into the public domain to satisfy the voracious public appetite for scandal. It said it was acting in the public interest as the images raised concerns about security arrangements of Prince Harry’s, or rather the lack of it.
The big question remains, is Prince Harry entitled to a normal private life like all of us, even as a well known public figure? The Prince knows the potential for these types of shenanigans to get out into the public arena is very high, but in the cut and thrust of the moment after a few too many cocktails, can understand how the potential danger of a ‘quick snap’ would be relegated to the back of his mind. He’s just a young man letting of a bit of steam, knowing he has to soon return to his military duties. I agree with one observer that he probably needs to vet the crowd he’s with, and instruct his body guards to confiscate their mobile phones and cameras before hand.
How will this affect the free press as we all know so well in the UK. The debate will go on and on…!
Prince Harry’s naked photos in Las Vegas are widely available to see online, and have already been viewed by millions of prying eyes and those of a voyeuristic nature, but should there be a global wide law to prevent this from happening in the future? Is it possible to police online media to this extent?
What’s the actual damage done to Prince Harry’s reputation?
Well according to an up to date survey, the bulk of people believe the press were wrong not to publish the photos, and that Harry and the Royal families reputation has been duly damaged somewhat. Read more at the Drum, on why they decided to publish them.
Can Anything Be Done for Online Reputation Management?
Well in the above case, not a lot, but if you’re just an average Joe Bloggs or a business owner and are getting a hard time from a few negative reviews, from forums or blog posts from ex employees or rival competitors, there is preventative action you can take to prevent or reduce them from rising to the surface of search engines, causing a negative impact on your potential customers.
We use real time social media monitoring tools and have the ability to track your brand sentiment, and act on these immediately.
For further information on how Rankability can help you, view our brand reputation management services here >>
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