All brands make mistakes from time to time, even the most popular and beloved. Most negative situations can be rectified – take a look at how Domino’s Pizza rebranded itself with immense success after receiving endless criticism from its consumers.
That being said, in some cases, a brand crisis can quickly spiral out of control, leading to a very sour brand image and immeasurable damage to your business. This is the last thing any business wants to experience, so with that in mind, we bring you our 4 top tips on how to manage a brand crisis, in any situation:
Be swift and decisive…
When a brand crisis hits, it’s important to be swift and decisive. Every second spent hesitating is another opportunity for the situation to spiral out of control, so be quick on your feet to rectify the situation, before it blows out of control.
…think carefully about your response
Many managers pride themselves on being quick on their toes in any situation, but a flippant response to a brand crisis can easily backfire, which will rapidly diminish your brand’s image. Although we said above that it’s important to be swift and decisive during a brand crisis, you still need to think carefully about the best way to handle the situation, acting with dignity, confidence and passion. People will respect you more for taking the time to think your response through and providing a meaningful answer that will improve the situation.
Face the music!
As tempting as it is to cut off all communication with the outside world during a brand crisis, this will lead to a media circus. With the prevalence of social media enabling people to learn information quicker than ever before, it’s essential to tell your story as quickly as possible, explain the situation and make things right again. If you cut them off and hide away, people will fill in the gaps on your behalf, which could easily be filled with negative comments.
Talk directly about the problem
So, you’re about to step onto the podium to speak to the public about the current brand crisis, so what is it that you need to talk about? It can be tempting at this point to talk around the problem, but this will lead people to distrust you, which will automatically lead them not to trust your brand.
Instead, if you want to be perceived as a trustworthy brand, you need to speak about the exact issue at hand. Don’t speak about unrelated issues – the public will quickly pick apart your statement, which will lead to even more damage. By being honest, you stand a far better chance of being respected, which will quickly get your brand back on track.
How can we help?
Are you seeking out a creative branding agency to do the hard work for you? Then you’ve come to the right place. 8 Ways Media is your leading branding and web design agency with a special focus on creative, contemporary services guaranteed to get your business noticed by an even wider audience. Contact us today to discover how we can create a unique branding package especially for your business.
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