If you type 'UC Davis' on Google Search, it is likely to come up with pages of pepper spray university - an incident occurred in 2011. This is the reason why Chancellor Linda Katehi is planning to hire a SEO company to rewrite history.
PR Firm Nevins and Associates is said to be paid $15,000 dollars a month by the university with the hope to remove an incident of a police officer pepper-sprayed students in a peaceful protest in the campus. An image found all over the internet has become the university's 'identity' which the chancellor thinks, must be erased.
The SEO firm was hired to change the game by removing bad posts and comments from the internet and replacing it with more positive news and information regarding the university. This is translated to 'boosting UC Davis image with the help of Search Engine Optimization'.
The BBC reported that the campus wanted to have a good reputation image on education and public service instead of the regrettable incident that already happened a few years ago. The strategy is to clean up negative attention of which Chancellor Katehi received bad reputation relating to the news. Nevins and Associates is also ready for branding campaign using aggressive and comprehensive techniques.
UC Davis official website published a statement from the Chancellor herself, stating that "some were my own doing" and for that, she apologizes. She also mentions about the hyperbole happening in the industry that has caused bad reputation of the higher education. By hiring communication strategists, she assures the public that she does not mean to rewrite history or any content related to the university. Rather, bury down the negative publicity.
The pepper-spray incident that occurred in 2011 happened after peaceful protestors were sprayed by former police officer, John Pike. The demonstrators were then compensated with $1 million by the campus as a settlement.
