It has been a week since the brand hijack of TrustyPig occurred after a Romanian-based company revealed its new web site, which was a complete and total copy from a local Des Moines company called SmartyPig.   The dust has settled and we have been given an “explanation” of sorts from TrustyPig, so I thought it would be a good time to sit down and really look at some lessons that other companies could learn from this incident.

Transparency

The first and arguably most important issue is one we have been hearing about a lot lately – that of transparency.  Where once it was acceptable (and encouraged) for companies to “hide” behind their web sites and online presence, with tools such as Twitter and Blogs, being able to “peek under the curtain” is no longer an option – it is a must.

Throughout the week, as bloggers began creating posts about TrustyPig stealing a new design from SmartyPig, there was no clear outreach from TrustyPig to counter the issues.   Later, TrustyPig would say via a third party that they were not given enough time to react, and that nobody contacted them directly from SmartyPig to discuss it before brand loyalists began their hijack.

But this is not entirely true.  There was no direct way to contact the owners of TrustyPig on its web site.  No email address, contact form, phone number – nothing.   Their blog comments were (and still are) moderated.  Many of us posted messages on their blog demanding an explanation and none were ever responded to.  In addition, the owner posts on several web sites, and no real name was ever given, only an alias called “Costy.”

Brand Loyalty

This has become an extremely powerful force in today’s business world.  How many of us would rise up to the defense of Wal-Mart or Taco Johns if they were manhandled in the media or even by another business or blogger?  Not many.  But SmartyPig is involved in the community in Des Moines and is becoming a national figure with its unique social saving program, bringing more attention to the Des Moines technology community.

This relationship with bloggers and fans on twitter resulted in an almost instantaneous call to action to use social networking sites and technologies to get the word out on the site design theft.  Through blogging, twitter, message boards and more, the tech community responded as one, populating google results for TrustyPig with results that mentioned the design theft.

Don’t Ignore Your Critics

Donald Trump preaches to not only address your critics, but to smash them and destroy them.  The owner of TrustyPig later claimed they were not contacted before the social hijack project began, however many bloggers, including myself, posted comments on their blog several hours in advance of the beginning of the real effort.  Had TrustyPig merely responded to the posts instead of hastily deleting them, they may have saved some face.

So What Could Have Happened Differently

First, the Des Moines tech community could have let smartyPig know of the site theft, and then waited a day or two for a response instead of launching the hijack within hours of it appearing on twitter.   This “rush to judgment” is very harzardous and even had me uneasy.

Next, the owner of TrustyPig could be more transparent.  Proper contact information, especially on a money-making site is an absolute must.   Email, Real Name, Phone Number, Address – anything.   There was absolutely no clear way to contact the owner – enforcing the idea that it may be a shady company.

Third, a real apology.   TrustyPig issued a statement not from their own web site, but that of a “reviewer” and advocate of their services.   Why wouldn’t they contact people directly?  TrustyPig needs to take responsibility for what they do, and act accordingly and not through a third party.

These things happen.  And in the end, perhaps TrustyPig was as much ripped off as SmartyPig felt.   The best thing I can suggest for any company looking to redesign their web site is to find somebody locally.  Don’t go on the web, issue a request for proposal or work for hire on the Internet and expect legitimacy.    If you are even close to a major city, you will find many different designers and firms to get the work done for you.   Going with somebody you have never met, requires a bizarre payment method, and returns a full site in less than 2 days should be met with extreme skepticism.

Final Thoughts

It is hard to just plain initiate brand loyalty, but in order to do so in today’s world, you need to be have a good product, be transparent, and be actively involved in the sectors in which you are trying to break into.  TrustyPig wasn’t even on Twitter, much less following their brand on the service.   Had they been, the entire incident may have been avoided.

[TAGS]smartypig,trustypig,brand hijack,twitter,transparency[/TAGS]