Information travels faster than ever in today’s hyper-connected world. Unfortunately, the speed at which information is moving applies to the good, the bad, and the ugly. As the saying goes, a lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth puts its shoes on. This is particularly true in the world of brand reputation. For whatever reason, bad news seems to travel faster than the good stuff. If your brand develops a poor reputation, people are going to know about it, and they’re going to know about it yesterday. At HatchMark Studio, we’ve helped clients build strong, reputable brands and clients who are repairing a blemished brand to win back their customers. In this article, we will discuss brand reputation and how important it is to build it and maintain it.
What is Brand Reputation?
Let’s first define what it means when we say the words “brand reputation.” As a company or business, your brand reputation is the perception, beliefs, or opinions the public has about you and your brand. This perception can be shaped by something as small as an isolated interaction with a customer or big as your company taking a stance on a major political issue. Whether you like it or not, your brand will eventually develop a reputation in the public’s eye. A positive reputation can reward you with unending trust and a loyal customer base. On the other side of the coin, a negative brand reputation can straight up put you out of business. Sound important all of the sudden? It should!
5 Ways to Build & Preserve a Positive Brand Reputation
The good news about brand reputation is that, while you can’t control what people think, there’s a lot you can do to help your case. So much so that we’ll make the argument that your brand reputation is almost entirely up to you. The actions you take. The quality of your product. It’s all within your control. Below is a list of ways you can start building a strong, positive brand reputation.
- Be consistent and reliable. Lack of consistency is a brand killer. It can lead to confusion and frustration from your customers. More often than not, consumers choose a brand because of an expectation. Consistency is what solidifies that expectation. Being able to deliver the same experience time and time again can help bolster your brand that has a reputation for being reliable.
- Focus on excellent customer service. In a world where fast casual and contactless deliveries are becoming the norm, that’s not an excuse to cheap out on customer service. Studies show that an average of 40% of consumers report that they have stopped doing business with a company as a result of poor customer service. Keeping customers happy, especially when you’ve made a mistake, can be the difference between them coming back and them moving on to one of your competitors.
- Communicate clearly to your customers. It’s understandable that companies might feel it’s safer to shield their customers from certain information or mistakes. The problem is that people can usually tell when someone is being dishonest or fake, especially a big brand company. That’s why it’s best to communicate clearly and effectively with your customers, even when the news is tough. Keeping an honest, candid line of communication between you and your customers can establish your brand as one that is trustworthy.
- Find ways to be environmentally and socially responsible. We’re not just talking about lip service. People want to buy from brands that are considering the world around them when making business decisions. In fact, it’s estimated that 77% of consumers are motivated to purchase from companies that are committed to making the world a better place. Consumers expect and want brands to be operating in a way that makes them feel good when they make a purchase. Doing the extra leg work to do these things is worth the effort for your brand’s reputation.
- Proactively manage your online presence. Unfortunately, the digital era as a business owner means everyone gets to make their opinion of your company extremely public. From Google Reviews to Instagram comments, disgruntled customers can air their grievances with just a few clicks for the world to see. Since that’s not going away, business owners need to adapt. Take every negative comment online as a chance for service recovery. Let other customers see you publicly take responsibility and own up to mistakes. This shows that your brand cares about its customers and goes the extra mile to make things right. You might be surprised how well-received your mistakes are when you own them. This can position your brand as one that is honest and caring.
Final Thoughts on Why Brand Reputation is Important
Building and maintaining a strong brand reputation is a lot of hard work. As they say, if it was easy, everyone would do it. The goal is to make an effort every day. It’s also a task you can’t do on your own. A strong brand reputation takes buy-in at every level in your company. At the end of the day, even the strongest, most maintained brands will eventually encounter naysayers and customers who simply can’t be won over. The difference is that those scattered instances are much easier to smooth over when your brand reputation is dialed in. Maintaining your brand reputation today will help your business tomorrow.
Let Us Help You with Your Brand Reputation
A strong brand reputation starts with a strong brand. Whether you’re refreshing an existing brand or starting from scratch, you need an agency that knows it all. That’s where we come in! We know the ins and outs of what makes a solid brand system from the start. Even better, we offer a full range of ongoing support services to help you maintain a strong brand reputation once your brand is launched. If you want to learn more about our brand services and how we can help you, get in touch with us to set up a free discovery call!
