Your brand voice is causing controversy. How can you regain trust with your offended audience?
When your brand voice causes offense, regaining trust is crucial. Here's how to address the fallout:
- Acknowledge the issue directly. An honest apology shows you understand and care about the impact.
- Engage in active listening. Gather feedback to comprehend the depth of the offense and show you're taking it seriously.
- Implement changes transparently. Show progress and commitment by sharing steps taken to prevent future issues.
How do you think a brand should recover from controversy?
Your brand voice is causing controversy. How can you regain trust with your offended audience?
When your brand voice causes offense, regaining trust is crucial. Here's how to address the fallout:
- Acknowledge the issue directly. An honest apology shows you understand and care about the impact.
- Engage in active listening. Gather feedback to comprehend the depth of the offense and show you're taking it seriously.
- Implement changes transparently. Show progress and commitment by sharing steps taken to prevent future issues.
How do you think a brand should recover from controversy?
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Regaining trust after a brand voice controversy requires a sincere and transparent approach. Acknowledge the mistake publicly, apologize for the offense caused, and explain how you will prevent similar incidents in the future. Take immediate action to rectify the issue and demonstrate your commitment to change. Engage with your audience, listen to their feedback, and show empathy. Transparency, accountability, and genuine efforts to improve your brand voice can help rebuild trust and restore your reputation.
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Owning a mistake is the first step in regaining customer trust. Often, in handling a crisis with integrity and transparency, a brand can turn a crisis into a story of transformation and set best practice standards. It’s important to consult with credible sources to learn how to handle the situation and communicate corrective steps to customers.
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Acknowledge the mistake openly, express genuine empathy, and issue a clear apology. Engage with the offended audience through transparent communication, commit to learning from feedback, and take visible actions to align your brand voice with inclusive values.
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Apologize sincerely, not just with words, but by taking responsibility for what went wrong. Let people know you’re committed to making things better. Next, take action. Show that you’re learning from the feedback and making changes that align with your audience’s values. It’s important to be transparent about the steps you’re taking, so people can see you’re serious about improving. Lastly, build back trust by consistently delivering what your audience expects from you. Be honest, authentic, and respectful in your communication. Trust takes time to rebuild, but with genuine effort, your audience will start to see the positive change.
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First, evaluate where the controversy is coming from and if it is valid. A while ago, a lady caused a stir on former Twitter, offended by my Montenegro's participation in Eurosong because of the country's name and the "implication." Context is important. Context allows brands like "Swastika Bungalows" in Sanur, Bali, to operate without an issue because they haven't shared our European WW2 context. If the issue is real, then 1) exclude any justification when 2) recognizing the issue. 3) Take responsibility, and 4) with absolute transparency, let people know what steps you will take to mitigate the mistake(s).
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5 tips to regain trust after your brand voice has caused controversy: 1. Acknowledge the situation openly and honestly. Address your audience's concerns head-on. 2. Listen actively to feedback. Engage with individuals who have been offended and seek to understand their perspective. 3. Adjust your messaging. Fine-tune your brand voice to reflect empathy and inclusivity moving forward. 4. Share your action plan. Outline the steps you are taking to address the issue and prevent future missteps. 5. Be consistent. Ensure that your revised brand voice aligns with your overall values and communication strategy. Apply these to see a real difference in your audience's perception.
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Estratégia para recuperar a confiança do público: 1. Admita o impacto e demonstre empatia ao público ofendido. 2. Crie canais para receber feedback e analise as reclamações para ações direcionadas. 3. Ajuste o tom e valores para refletir respeito, diversidade e inclusão. 4. Explique mudanças e implemente ações concretas, como treinamentos e apoio a causas relevantes. 5. Promova iniciativas que reforcem valores e impactem positivamente a comunidade. 6. Avalie reações e ajuste a estratégia conforme necessário. Com sensibilidade e ações claras, a marca pode transformar a polêmica em uma oportunidade de aprendizado e fortalecimento.
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To regain trust after controversy, brands must be transparent, and accountable, and take meaningful action. Start by acknowledging the issue and apologizing sincerely, as Dove did when it removed a racially insensitive ad. Taking visible steps is essential—Starbucks closed stores for bias training after a profiling incident, while Patagonia rebuilt trust by increasing transparency in its sustainability efforts.
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When you need to apologize, make it heartfelt, not just with words, but by owning up to what went wrong. Show your audience that you’re genuinely committed to making things right. Then, back it up with action. Listen to feedback, learn from it, and make meaningful changes that reflect your audience’s values. Be open and honest about the steps you’re taking so they know you’re serious about improving. Finally, focus on rebuilding trust by consistently delivering what your audience expects. Stay genuine, honest, and respectful in all your interactions. Trust takes time, but with real effort, your audience will notice the positive changes and start believing in you again.
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As an ORM Executive, I’d focus on actions over apologies to regain trust: 1) Silently Correct Course: Gradually change the tone of the brand, or content, without instant feedback. 2) Elevate Positive Stories: Have good customer stories, supporting community involvement, and ethically run campaigns to help regain consumers’ trust. 3) Empower Advocates: Use the active clients to reaffirm the legitimacy of the brand so that it will be acceptable by everyone. 4) Long-Term Impact: It is always better to stay on the course towards finally adopting sustainable changes that make the content and activities valuable and address the worries of the audiences truthfully.
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