Branding is no less than the soul of a business and this is the reason why almost all the companies spend a fortune on making the brand image of their companies however there are instances when there is a crisis like situation when the wide aspects of branding are not up to the mark.
When wrong things happen then companies require the right strategy for talking their way out of a mess and avoiding the disastrous sinking of their ‘goodwill’ image. Remember branding isn’t just about color scheme and logo. It’s developing an identity for your business that expresses the core values by which your company operates. So choosing the best suitable response, one can tell the difference between a brand’s survival and enhancement for flourishing future prospects.
Here are some of the tips that will make branding an easy task for you:
Open up your communication channels
If a brand is truly at fault and the crisis is severe, the only suitable option is for management to apologize and express sympathy with the grieved parties and accept responsibility. Accepting responsibility shows that you genuinely care about your loyal customers which may further have positive long-term effects on the brand’s restoration. All the bad news needs to be communicated quickly. So, it is always better to keep your audience updated with latest happenings, by appointing a spokesperson on behalf of the company.
Be crystal clear about your own Identity
In times of crisis, people tend to get confused about what your brand stands for and who you are in reality. When a brand isn’t sure that for whom and what it stands for, it’s likely that its customers won’t either. So conjure your message instantly, thereby enhancing your credibility which may further help in restoring the faith and loyalty of your customers again. Remember poor resonance with your audience may dent your market value too.
Being Consistent
Another key component in dealing with brand identity crisis is consistency. You need to know your value and brand identity so that you can stick to them with utmost honesty. To avoid confusion, there are little things that you need to keep consistent throughout your content such as press, social media, and beyond. Make sure to pay close attention to your voice and tone – Use the particular language that your audience is familiar with. Be simple and straightforward to your target audience. You should never ever underestimate your audiences’ worth. Colors, Fonts, and Other Design Elements play an important role in making your brand popular. Messaging – be clear on, “How do you convey your products and services? What is the value proposition you advocate?” Positioning- Know that where your brand stands and its values in doing business. Ensure your brand has one “personality” in all the channels used. Ask yourself: what one word can describe your brand, and how do your customers describe it?
Staying truly open
Management can reduce the force of allegations by stating the appropriate explanation of the reasons for the crisis along with a supportive argument that downplays the damage done. This could be carried out at regular intervals till the matter gets cooled off or resolved with a good faith in the name of the company.
Clearing the fog
When the fault is not of the brand, the lack of a crisis response by the company may be interpreted as a confession. The company under attack must defend itself with a point-by-point denial of the allegations. Go fully confidently to your audiences and clear their doubts if whatsoever any. Win their hearts and restore their loyalty with the brand.
Learn from others’ crisis dealing tactics
In times of crisis, it may happen that the company completely runs out of ideas and strategies to deal with the troubling issues at hand. The simplest way to deal with is to simply look at what matters most to the brand and its customers in the similar situation. What possible and appropriate measures were taken by them to combat such crisis? By doing this, you’ll avoid complicating matters, and your (hopefully loyal) consumers will know what to expect.
Seek PR professional help
Remember that a brand is vulnerable in nature and your brand is being shaped every day. It’s a question of whether you want to influence that or not. In times of crisis, it’s advisable to seek public relations firms to help out in rebuilding the company’s image again as if it’s left unmanaged, your brand can suffer. You need to do a better job managing your brand, telling your side of the story.
Upgrade your own ‘potential-barriers’
Sometimes the company should look within itself and check out their own lacking and try to upgrade their present working environment. If required they should upgrade their products or services quality to stay in the competition as poor quality products may arise a lack of demand in the market which may further worsen the crisis.
Adopting New Technologies
Today’s technologically savvy customer is far more outspoken in terms of likes and dislikes than in the past so adopting new technology that allows company be more customer- centric while at the same time helping company to optimize their returns and manage operations more effectively especially in times of crisis technology plays a vital role in putting across company’s views quite easily and transparently also with the widespread use of social media, companies can get a first-hand note of customers’ opinions. In addition, social media users trust peers to build their perception and affinity to brands. Also adopting new technologies helps in cost cutting.
Nurturing Long-Term Engagement
Creating a long-lasting relationship with your customers is a long-term scheme, and having the right technology in place to support your efforts will help to ensure your success even during and after the post-crisis situation. So it is highly recommended to carve out time to explore and determine the solutions that fit best with your company’s goals thereby helping in delivering the appropriate results at the right time.
If you’re serious about building a successful business, you owe it to yourself to be serious about branding straight from the starting. By investing in developing a good branding from the beginning you’ll avoid the inevitable brand identity crisis down the road.
Happy Branding!