Nestle Discovers The Streisand Effect… But Only After Making Things Worse And Worse… And Worse
from the how-not-to-do-things dept
Earlier this week, reader Jorvay sent over the news of how food giant Nestle had massively overreacted to an (admittedly disgusting) anti-Nestle video put together by Greenpeace and posted to YouTube. The thing was, this video was getting no attention. It had less than 1,000 views… but someone who should have known better at Nestle filed a bogus copyright claim to take down the video. There is no copyright issue in the video at all, so it was a bogus takedown. Even if there had been a legit reason for the takedown, doing so only drew much more attention to the issue, and the video quickly went back up on Vimeo, where it started getting even more views, a lot of which came because of the takedown.
Okay, bad enough, right? I was going to post that story, but before I had the chance, Nestle decided to make things worse.
Because of all this new attention, a bunch of anti-Nestle people went to Nestle’s Facebook group, and started posting messages that were certainly anti-Nestle. Now, there are lots of ways to respond to such things. The one thing you don’t want to do is respond the way Nestle’s “moderator” did. First, they threatened to delete comments from anyone using a modified Nestle’s logo, claiming that this infringed on trademarks (which is an interesting claim, but unlikely to hold up in court, where countless times the use of a logo in protest has been upheld). This resulted in some pointed responses from group members, such as “It’s not OK for people to use altered versions of your logos, but it’s OK for you to alter the face of Indonesian rainforests? Wow!”
Nestle then didn’t do itself any favors by having its moderator respond sarcastically (“Oh please…it’s like we’re censoring everything to allow only positive comments”) and then go with the foot stomping response as well (“it’s our page, we set the rules, it was ever thus.”)
Eventually, Nestle admitted that it was wrong and apologized, promising that the moderator would be a lot friendlier. However, by then the damage had been done. An issue that very, very few people would have noticed turned into a huge ordeal thanks to repeated mistakes in handling them. The company attempted to stifle speech with both bogus copyright and trademark claims, and then when called on it failed to realize that it was only making things worse.
Filed Under: copyright, streisand effect, takedowns, trademark, videos
Companies: greenpeace, nestle
Comments on “Nestle Discovers The Streisand Effect… But Only After Making Things Worse And Worse… And Worse”
Why dont they just stop buying palm oil, certainly there are alternative ingredients.
So here’s the theory. Nestle’ has too many lawyers. Where I work, we don’t get around to this stuff that fast. We get Alarmist Emails, then it dies down, everyone forgets about it, and it goes away. Too many lawyers. Spoken by one.
Turned me off of Greenpeace
Turned me off of Greenpeace more then Nestle
They got no...
Nuf said
Grammar Nazi Alert
@Mike,
“It had less than 1,000 views”
fewer
views are discrete events
continuous – less
discrete – fewer
4th grade
,dave
Re: Grammar Nazi Alert
Thank you for your nonsensical post. What does this mean, anyways? Are you really that big of an ass?
Re: Re: It means that Mike should pay attenton to grammar
Re: Re: Re: It means that Mike should pay attenton to grammar
sheesh
Re: Re: Re:2 It means that Mike should pay attenton to grammar
Here’s a thought, Nestle has an “old school” corporate culture. This is nothing new, but some people need to remember what a real old corporate culture is like.
I suspect the moderator is simply acting the was he sees the corporate culture around him reacts to this. If you’ve ever been to a Swiss hotel school it still is very “top down oriented” and restaurant kitchens? Oh please…
The sad thing is they see the world in those same terms. Nestle sells boxes, they put things in boxes, they measure success on how many boxes they sell…. so I think, it’s hard for them to… yeah, you guessed it… “think out of the box…”
Re: Re: Re: It means that Mike should pay attenton to grammar
You didn’t even capitalise your own name you fool, and what’s going on with that final comma “,dave”?
Love and cuddles,
Arthur
Re: Grammar Nazi Alert
Next time you wish to correct others on grammar, please use complete sentences to make yourself appear less foolish and petty. Also, avoid using a comma as the closing before your name.
Thanks,
Better Greek Grammar Nazi
Re: Grammar Nazi Alert
On the less/fewer debate, this has been done over a thousand times and most people now admit that the two are interchangeable and are understood either way. Please, let’s focus on the actual content of the post.
Re: Grammar Nazi Alert
I learned less than and greater than in third grade math. Given that this is a tech blog math out weighs language arts.
I guess all that palm oil makes people dim.
Re: Grammar Nazi Alert
@Mike,
“It had less than 1,000 views.”
fewer
Well, given that tomorrow is "Meat Out" day
I am going to have a KitKat after my burger.
Palm oil = Tasty
Rainforest = not so much
Re: Well, given that tomorrow is "Meat Out" day
Did you forget your meds today?
Re: Well, given that tomorrow is "Meat Out" day
I guess you wouldn’t understand unless you saw it first hand like I have.
Large swathes of flourishing Rainforest are being chopped down in favour of line after line of Palm trees.
The native animals are being killed and replaced with Palm plantations, sterile places where nothing else lives.
The thing is, Palm Oil isn’t an essential ingredient. We’re trading our planets rich diversity for a biscuit. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can have both.
Re: Re: Well, given that tomorrow is "Meat Out" day
Dear AC,
Please get down off the cross someone needs the wood. Thank you.
Kind regards ,James (mis-placed comma added for dramatic effect)
Re: Re: Well, given that tomorrow is "Meat Out" day
Good. Rainforests suck ass.
Re: Re: Well, given that tomorrow is "Meat Out" day
Spiders, snakes, ebola, malaria… all in rainforests. Fuck ’em.
Re: Re: Re: Well, given that tomorrow is "Meat Out" day
I hope you’re not serious about wanting our rainforests to be destroyed. I suspect that those on techdirt are not serious, but I really hope the people here at least have some regard for the environment.
Re: Re: Re:2 Well, given that tomorrow is "Meat Out" day
I am in favor of some of our rain forests being destroyed. Not all, but some to provide some use besides a mosquito habitat. And at least they are putting trees back up. If it was a mining effort then you would definitely be looking at scorched earth.
It means that Mike should pay attenton to grammar
Shhh! Don’t say that anything about teh grammah, it will get you labeled as a troll!
http://xs.to/image-0615_4BA42742.jpg
“”it’s our page, we set the rules, it was ever thus.””
And that’s fine, but it’s our planet, WE set the rules, and you don’t get to file for bogus IP claims and tell others what they can and can’t do outside of your website through our broken court system.
Nerds are fucking stupid
That’s right everyone, keep arguing about grammar. That’s the real injustice.
muahahahaha
Many people passed up a much higher salary job from a much more prestigious company and a position with more responsibility because of the corporate climate.
”The YES Movie” produced by Louis Lautman
http://www.TheYESmovie.com
Suicide
Reading the article above, that really looks like a business suicide…
Ugh
Of course rainforests are important, but it isnt appropriate to throw this in the face of Nestle, who is using the cheapest and most available source of the ingredient.
Instead of whining, solve the problem, and propose your solution. Better yet, dont eat things with palm oil. Thats the democratic way of doing it.
Obviously people dont care about palm oil or rainforests, of else Nestle wouldnt be a GIANT.
Re: Ugh
While I am strong on free market capitalism when it comes to issues of promoting the progress of innovation (ie: fewer and less restrictive intellectual property laws) and when it comes to good economics, I do not see free market capitalism as a good solution to environmental concerns.
Ugh...
Stupid, anti-capitalist liberals. Don’t they have anything better to do with their time than demonize companies? You can’t please everybody, and unfortunately you can’t shut them up either.
Stupid, stupid people.
I'm Starting To Think
That this whole Streisand effect is I think, threat mitigation.
Some of the more fringe Eco types take direct action like the ELF (Earth Liberation Front) using directs acts of terrorism like arson and bombings.
By making sure that these groups get some attention, it might reduce their angst. Reducing the acting out actions of the more fringe elements.
Just a thought.
While I am strong on free market capitalism when it comes to issues of promoting the progress of innovation (ie: fewer and less restrictive intellectual property laws) and when it comes to good economics, I do not see free market capitalism as a good solution to environmental concerns.
Its sad to hear that companies like Nestle, who already have the good will in the market will be in such a situation, I am still interested in knowing more about the Streisand Effect, to understand really if its going worse, or is improving!
Good to Comment
I hoped that companies with good opinion among people are too good but its wrong.
While I am strong on free market capitalism when it comes to issues of promoting the progress of innovation (ie: fewer and less restrictive intellectual property laws) and when it comes to good economics, I do not see free market capitalism as a good solution to environmental concerns……fine………
Large swathes of flourishing Rainforest are being chopped down in favour of line after line of Palm trees.
The native animals are being killed and replaced with Palm plantations, sterile places where nothing else lives.
The thing is, Palm Oil isn’t an essential ingredient. We’re trading our planets rich diversity for a biscuit. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can have both.
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This is my first time i visit here. I discovered so numerous interesting stuff in your weblog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all of the enjoyment here! maintain up the great work.
i agree with it this was a better then others site and this was a useful site.
Its sad to hear that companies like Nestle, who already have the good will in the market will be in such a situation, I am still interested in knowing more about the Streisand Effect, to understand really if its going worse, or is improving!
Comment
There is no copyright issue in the video at all, so it was a bogus takedown.
I think to prevent this incident they must conduct review ratings for the products who copy the logo.
Comment
There is no copyright issue in the video at all, so it was a bogus takedown.
I think to prevent this incident they must conduct review ratings for the products who copy the logo.
Great post!! Keep up the good work – I’m sure someday soon, someone will be doing an Ada Lovelace post about you!
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