NBC Universal, parent company of the newly-rebranded SyFy Network, realized there might be hecklers that didn’t approve of the station’s new focus or look.  The executives bought SyFySucks.com to combat this, leaving Internet trolls and detractors one less avenue to damage the company’s reputation or marketing campaign.

This was a smart move for the company, especially since they knew a majority of their viewers were avid Internet users. If fans were unhappy about something, they would most likely find an avenue on the Web to address it. Some places like NoSyFy.com got through, but the damage was minimized.

Eliminating potential attacks isn’t a bad idea for all companies to model.  Sites blasting companies like Farmers Insurance Group, Allstate and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation all come up in search engine listings when looking for generic company information. Examples like these could persuade a potential or current customer to go with a competitor.

Finding URLs for attack sites isn’t hard and some domain names cost as low as $10. The ROI of addressing the potential problem before it happens far outweighs having to manage a crisis that’s hard to push away.

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