FAKE MESSAGES TO SHARE OR NOT TO SHARE?

Consumers’ use of social media to share and seek information about products/services has grown multifold in the last few years. An unfortunate consequence of such behavior is the unprecedented rise of fake or misleading information. Misinformation is fabricated information created to harm or malign people, organizations, products, or brands.

You must have received messages about Kurkure having plastic, Ashirwaad atta being made of rubber, and the infamous use of electronic chips in the new INR 2000 note. The first question arises as to why people share such news. Why don’t they verify the claims? The easy answer is laziness and trust in the sender.

Sometimes, people think whatever messages they receive from a colleague or a family member must be true. Generally, the fake content is shocking and novel in a way that persuades people to share it further to tell the world. A few times, people share messages to help others (fake messages about healthcare or handling coronavirus).

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In the end, mostly, people want to build a positive image among their social networks. However, that’s where the catch is! While senders may believe that they are helping the world, receivers on the other hand, do not like such messages. As time goes by, it affects the image of the sender. You may have experienced in your WhatsApp groups or Facebook/Instagram conversations that either people counter-attack the posts with arguments, or mostly, they simply leave the groups or unfollow the person.

Hence, if you want to save your social image, beware of sharing unauthentic messages. Now, how can one identify such messages? In these busy times and information explosion age, realistically, it is impossible to check each message.

So, the rule of thumb is, if the message sounds like ‘Ripleys’ Believe it or Not’, it’s safe to ignore it. If the content makes tall claims or blames a person/brand, keep a distance and avoid sharing. These rules of thumb will ensure your social image is not dented.

What about brands that are the target of these malicious campaigns? Prof. Anubhav Mishra, in this research, has specific recommendations. First, if the brand is strong and well-known, panic is unnecessary. The brand image will be able to take care of short-term fads. Brands may launch an awareness campaign to educate users to act responsibly and avoid making irrational decisions based on misleading news floated on social media.

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Companies should use references from websites such as FactCheck.org and HoaxSlayer, which regularly track fake news and provide correct explanations and facts online. In short, brands should craft their response to prove that the content is bogus and does not merit consumers’ attention.

The full research paper can be accessed here: Mishra, A., & Samu, S. (2021). Impact of fake news on social image perceptions and consumers’ behavioral intentions. Journal of Consumer Marketing.  DOI: 10.1108/JCM-05-2020-3857.

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