How reliable is social media information?
Globally, the emergence of social media has given drive to citizen journalism, but the question of credibility of much information on social media platforms still remains an issue. This leads many concerned consumers of information on social media to cross-check those information with traditional media’s online or offline sources for authenticity.
Odion Aleobua, CEO of Modion Communication, a PR agency based in Lagos supported this when he told BusinessDay that though “digital deployment would continue to grow in the dimension of tactics and budget but with the social media space still grasping with the issues of credible information dissemination – especially as fake news assume a new normal – the traditional mainstream media will be relied on for validation. This will help them gain ground hitherto lost to social media platforms”
When any information on any social media without proper address is false and especially damaging to a brand, it raises concern. This is because some consumers may not have the patience to cross check, believing the information out rightly which has great consequences on the brand. Before the owners of the brand could react, the information must have spread widely as the amount of information shared on various social network sites is simply enormous.
Ordinarily, social media has become a platform for spreading information fast but the challenge is that the average news’ consumers don’t really verify the facts before posting or re-posting them online.
This is exactly what happened recently when some unidentified individuals or group of individuals used a social media platform to spread some damaging information about Amstel Malta brand produced by Nigerian Breweries.
Miffed by this development, Kufre Ekanem, Nigerian Breweries Plc Corporate Affairs Adviser told newsmen that some yet-to-be-identified third parties have been spreading falsehood about the brand through a well-funded and coordinated public campaign. “One of the smear campaigns is that there is ‘fake’ Amstel Malta in the market which has a fake NIS logo which is not approved by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON. The activities of these third parties include the production and circulation of videos, news stories and photographs amongst others on social media”, Kufre said.
“Initially, we chose to ignore these messages believing that it was an uninformed consumer sending out a message. However, from all indications, the purveyors of these lies have not relented and the falsehood has not abated. Those behind this campaign of calumny have possibly relied on our collective silence to perpetuate and intensify their damaging tale”
Kufre believes that their aim, “obviously is to unnerve our consumers, defame the Amstel Malta brand and cause panic amongst the public. These actions are clearly against the ethics and norms of responsibility and should not be allowed in any society”
Kufre further sounded it clearly that the videos, pictures and rumours in circulation in the social media sphere are obviously false. “We have reported this defamation attempt to the Police and we are grateful that the Police authorities are investing further. We appeal to our teeming customers and consumers to please ignore these falsehoods and smear campaigns, no matter what form they mutate to”
Kufre reminded consumers that Nigerian Breweries is world class multinational company that has operated in Nigeria for over 70 years. “The high quality of our brands has been one of the key success factors of our company across decades”, Kufre confidently said.
The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the statutory body that is vested with the responsibility of standardising and regulating the quality of all products in Nigeria, also debunked the claims of a fake Amstel Malta in circulation.
Fred Akingbesote, Deputy Director, who represented the Director General of the organisation at media briefing on the development last week explained that Nigerian Breweries has met all SON safety and quality requirements and have complied with all requirements of the new National Industrial Standard (NIS) logo.
In August 2016, Amstel Malta, the premium, low sugar formulated malt drink from the stable of Nigerian Breweries, launched a new credential campaignWhyAddMore.Shortly after the campaign, a picture went viral that a fake version of the Amstel Malta is in circulation. This was because the new packaging wore the new NIS logo while the old packaging had the old NIS logo of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria.
Akingbesote confirmed that the NIS logo on Amstel Malta is the highest mark of quality from SON and commended the management of Nigerian Breweries for its commitment to the highest quality standard. He stated that Nigerian Breweries is one of the first companies to adopt the new NIS logo which was launched in September 2015.
He maintained that the people behind the defamation are just playing on the intelligence of Nigerians. “We have a web site (www.son.gov.ng) which contains all information on our standards and quality regulations. Every Nigerian who has doubts about any product certified by SON should crosscheck the facts”, he said.
Daniel Obi and Kairmee Tayo