3 Situations That Can Negatively Impact Your Brand

Brand management is a crucial part of a business’s marketing strategy. As found in a study on brand image, consumers not only factor in product price, functionality, and quality when evaluating products, but also the brand image before purchasing from the business. If a brand is in-line with a consumer’s preferences, they are more likely to have a positive experience and repurchase products/services, which can significantly increase a business’s success. Our previous article covered how businesses can build a successful brand: having the right audience, purpose, consistency, and defined brand personality can help you better establish a brand within your community.

However, if a company or organisation is negligent in running other aspects of the business, all the work done to build your brand can be erased overnight. Rather than wasting effort and resources, companies must stop harmful practices that would otherwise ruin their reputation. Listed below are three situations that can negatively impact your brand and how to avoid them.

Managing employees poorly

Sometimes companies and organisations are so focused on external risks and issues that they forego internal problems. This is especially true when handling employees, whose involvement with the business can significantly affect a brand’s perception. Case in point, chaotic redundancies can cost you your brand reputation. If poorly managed these can lead to reduced morale, employee turnover, and a mistrust of management — not only among employees but among investors and the general public as well. There have already been several cases where company leaders made insensitive remarks or poor disclosures on redundancies, resulting in negative impressions of their businesses.

Although it may be practical to lay off redundant employees, companies and organisations shouldn’t underestimate the human impact of this action. Businesses can provide outplacement support, encouraging outgoing employees to think better of the company and reduce the risk of legal problems. It’s also crucial to extend the same care to existing employees and ensure continued employee satisfaction.

Publishing inconsistent or low-quality content

Another well-used strategy in digital marketing is content marketing. While it’s crucial to post content in the digital space like social media regularly, publishing content that isn’t in line with the brand’s image or is of a lower quality can ruin your overall viewership instead. Without consistency or domain authority in your niche, your consumers will struggle to trust your brand and may seek more reliable sources elsewhere.

Instead of optimising your content purely for digital algorithms, it’s best to consider the preferences of your target audience. It can be tempting to chase the latest trends, but sometimes, following your existing brand identity and specialty can be more effective. To ensure everyone in your company or organisation is on the same page, you should develop brand guidelines that include your values or mission statements, imagery, layout, and copy styles.

Ignoring negative reviews

Online reviews often serve as the basis of a company’s reputation and quality of service, which is why it is unsurprising that as many as 86% of consumers consult reviews for local businesses. Given this outlook, it’s vital for companies to respond to both positive and negative reviews. Many legitimate comments often come from customers that have used a product or service from your company or organisation. Negative reviews often stem from the lacking features of your business, which can potentially dissuade future customers from investing in the same products or services.

Rather than ignoring these comments, businesses can respond constructively and even potentially raise their firm’s rating with the public. Providing a little sympathy can go a long way to defuse hostile situations such as complaints about bad service. Reaching out to the reviewer can show that you care about their experience and unique situation, enabling you to take action and correct the problem.

If you need any help with your brand’s positioning strategy, are not sure where to start with positioning or are struggling to re-position an existing brand schedule a brand discovery call to talk to one of our experts – https://calendly.com/elementsbrandmanagement/discovery-consultation-call