HHIT POV:

Digital (R)evolution - Advocacy/Gadfly Defense

My clients often find themselves under attack from outside advocacies or pressure groups. Sometimes these groups are little more than an individual Gadfly with strong digital organizing knowledge. Often, my client has previously underestimated their opposition, to their detriment, before calling me. 

Effective management of these situation is based on a multiplex analysis of the opposition's business and reputational influence power, the strength of our position vis a vis our opposition, opposition research for motivation and weak spots, and a number of other factors. 

But in most of these situations, several elements are typical:

-In digital insurrections, the upstart or outsider advocacy starts with significant advantage, because it is able to move quickly and decisively, based on either a single individual or large numbers of individual decision makers acting voluntarily in concert.

In contrast, the target (us) is often a large organization with unclear or diffuse decision making apparatuses, conflicting goal sets, and a perception of greater risk in varying from the status quo. We move much slower, and our messaging is less direct. Finally, defense is innately a weaker posture than offense. 

-One man with one website can undo millions of dollars of advertising, and billions of dollars of goodwill. Google levels the field between individual actors and the enterprise. Do not underestimate a motivated gadfly. The public loves an aggrieved underdog.

Defeating the corporate gadfly requires deep knowledge, sharp strategy, and careful implementation to make things better rather than worse.

-Who wears the White Hat? Every successful advocacy is defined by a fight between good and "not-so-good." If you want to win, make sure the White Hat is on your head. And remember, when two Black Hats fight, only their shareholders and employees care. Don't count on outside support.