What do you do if your brand reputation is suffering and you need to rebuild it?

A university Chancellor to whom I reported *knew* a public controversy was harming her campus’s reputation. She demanded we take several debatable actions I was sure were unwise. I convinced her we should first do a credible, quantitative reputation survey. Guess what? Public perception since the mess had first broken not only hadn’t declined - it had improved! (Causal or coincidental? That’s kind of complicated.) The point: Scrambling to “fix” an imagined problem is utterly counter-productive. You cannot effectively respond to anything until you understand it. As the saying goes: measure before you cut. In a crisis, there’s urgency to DO SOMETHING!! (Trust me - you’ll hear it.) Your job is to be the calm voice in a storm.

Start with deep insights gathering to understand the root cause of any reputation damage. While you don’t want to give the appearance of a hasty change in response to a customer critique, it’s important to know the genesis of why your reputation is eroding. It could be a result of imagery or language in your narrative, a competitor, or potentially an unintended perception among customers. Social media is also a possible culprit, but make sure there’s validity behind any online critique, and it’s not the result of bots. Consider if focus groups and pressure testing messages can help, and once you’ve gathered all the intel, then you can make fully informed decisions about what change may be needed to repair damaged brand equity.

When rebuilding your brand, you must apologise and take full responsibility for past missteps. You must acknowledge that feedback holds value and represents someone's perception. Dismissing feedback only hampers progress, as it is vital to embrace criticism as an opportunity for growth. Upon receiving negative feedback, the initial reaction might be frustration or disbelief. Beyond an initial emotional response, lies an opportunity for reflection; understanding why others perceive your brand negatively is essential. It's not about explaining away past actions, but about genuinely acknowledging their impact. A sincere apology, free from excuses, is essential for rebuilding trust from a foundation of integrity and accountability.

One of the best ways to rebuild trust is to earn it. That starts by apologizing, but not just a "we're sorry for our failure" blanket simple statement. Pinpoint the pain experienced by people, and work on how your organization can make it up to the people who have lost trust. If you can, this is where data can really make a difference. You may not be able to articulate how people feel without asking. Something as simple as a one-day focus group might help you and your organization articulate how and why you can do better.

Conduct a Reputation Audit: Assess the root causes of the reputation decline through stakeholder feedback, social listening, and media monitoring. Identify specific areas needing improvement. Implement Corrective Measures: Apologies sincerely for any missteps, take responsibility and communicate a clear action plan. Proactively address concerns, offer solutions, and demonstrate commitment to rectifying the situation.

Wenn der Ruf einer Marke beschädigt ist und wiederhergestellt werden muss, ist es meiner Meinung nach entscheidend, die positiven Geschichten und Werte der Marke zu stärken. Eine transparente Kommunikation über die Werte und die Mission der Marke kann das Vertrauen der Kunden wiederherstellen und dazu beitragen, eine positive Wahrnehmung zu schaffen. Durch die Hervorhebung von Erfolgsgeschichten, die die Stärken und positiven Einflüsse der Marke zeigen, kann das Vertrauen der Kunden gestärkt und die negativen Auswirkungen von Reputationsschäden abgemildert werden. Es ist wichtig, authentisch zu bleiben und Vertrauen durch konsistente Botschaften und Handlungen zurückzugewinnen.