The ever-evolving nature of the business environment amidst widespread online connectivity and emerging trends makes it difficult to build a brand. The recent history of online backlash and cancel culture makes it impossible for a tarnished brand to bounce back.
The hawk-eyed nature of the online community in keeping brands in check leaves no room for mistakes. Unfortunately, the recipe for disaster can fall on any established brand. Take lessons from Balenciaga and Bud Light, which took a hit amid the growing online uproar.
From tech giants to local businesses, we’ve witnessed attempts at brand resurrection that didn’t quite hit the mark. The story is familiar: a damaged brand strives for a fresh start but struggles to connect with an audience bombarded by choices and swift digital narratives.
The journey from a tarnished reputation to a revitalized brand identity is challenging, often leaving companies grappling with the complexities of modern consumer expectations.
Can a brand victim of cancel culture make it in today’s online space? Let’s take a deep dive into the world of rebuilding your damaged brand.
Minute Things That Damage Your Brand
The online space is a learning opportunity for how brands can tarnish their online reputation. It’s as minute as liking a post about a controversial issue or supporting an agenda. Here are some activities that could ruin your brand:
Insensitive Messaging
A good example of a brand tarnishing its online reputation due to insensitive messages is Kanye West. Kanye West is no stranger to online controversy and Twitter rants. However, his tweets about racial inequality and slavery rubbed the wrong shoulders, and he ended up joining the blacklist.
As a brand, it’s essential to stay updated with social issues. Research before putting up your stance about a particular ongoing social issue. A message that comes across as tone-deaf or dismissive of societal concerns can quickly lead to brand cancelation. Brands need to demonstrate cultural awareness and sensitivity in their communication.
Data Security Breaches
The current digital space charges personal information at a premium. Any data security breach can tarnish a brand’s online reputation. Even a paper writing service must guarantee security to its clients. Most brands are falling target to online cyber-attacks that capture users’ personal data for malicious activities.
Brands that handle user data are at risk of potential cyber-attacks. A single security breach triggers a domino effect that reduces customer trust in the brand. It is a massive hit on the brand’s credibility.
Hence, a brand should invest in data security with robust cybersecurity measures that protect clients’ data and privacy concerns.
Lack of Inclusion and Diversity
The online space highly celebrates diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Therefore, a brand’s failure to embrace these values can negatively taint its online reputation.
Inclusion and diversity are not only about hiring workers from different races. It’s about being culturally aware of your worker’s cultural backgrounds. Also, it’s about gender equity and pay equity in the workplace.
More than ever, young consumers prioritize brands that reflect their diverse and inclusive values. A lack of diversity feels outdated and sends a message that the brand needs to fine-tune its audience’s diverse perspectives.
Tips to Rebuilding Your Damaged Brand
If you find yourself amidst an ongoing brand hit from the factors mentioned above, don’t worry. Brands like Papa John’s, Chick-fil-A, and Tiger Woods mastered returning from setbacks. Here is a simple strategy to bounce back from your tarnished brand.
Acknowledge Problem
The first step in turning things around after hitting rock bottom with your brand is acknowledging the problem. It’s like hitting pause on the game, admitting there’s a glitch, and gearing up to fix it.
The world of trends and tweets and pretending everything’s fine when it’s not just doesn’t fly. Young audiences appreciate authenticity, and owning up to mistakes is a power move. It shows the brand isn’t brushing things under the rug but is ready to face the music and make things right.
Dissect Root Cause
The next step is breaking down the root problem of your damaged brand. For brands, it’s about digging deep, figuring out where things went sideways, and tackling the real issue head-on.
Revising steps to find what happened wrong is recommended to avoid falling into the same pitfall. It serves as a lesson that informs your future brand activities and reconnects with your target market.
Revise Brand Strategy
Revising your brand strategy is like a redemption attempt to regain the trust and faith of your customer base. It’s writing a new script that acknowledges past mistakes and lessons learned.
Sticking to the same old storyline won’t cut it. Young clientele craves something new, something that resonates. So, a damaged brand hitting refresh on its strategy isn’t just a move; it’s a commitment to evolving and staying relevant.
Re-Engage Audience
The path to redemption is like winning back a friend’s trust – it starts with reconnecting. For a damaged brand, re-engaging the audience isn’t just a move; it’s the heart of the comeback story.
Brands need to slide back into the spotlight with a fresh approach. It’s about getting up close, being genuine, and showing the audience they’ve leveled up. Social media becomes the stage, and interactive content is the script – a dynamic way to pull the audience back into the brand’s orbit.
Measure Progress
The final boss level in rebuilding a brand is all about measuring progress – it’s like checking your game score to see how far you’ve leveled up. For a damaged brand, this step isn’t just about crossing fingers; it’s about hard data and real results.
Your target market appreciates brands that don’t just talk the talk but walk the data-driven walk. It’s about tracking social media buzz, monitoring customer sentiment, and watching those sales figures climb.
Last Words
It’s hard as a brand to be on the back end of an online backlash. We’ve witnessed major brands tank amid online uproar. Small brands should learn from the mistakes of Balenciaga, Urban Outfitters, GoDaddy, and Kanye West, among many more. Even though it seems unlikely to bounce back, it’s fairly possible to redeem yourself and your brand.
