How Do I Rebrand After A DEVASTATING Faux Pas?
Ever heard “any press is good press?” A brand is at its very core the sentiment towards the business and its people, products, services, and values. So you ran into a little bit of bad and good luck. Bad in that it caused some disruption. Good in that it drove awareness and brought attention. Part of developing a brand is to be drive awareness. The folks that chose to make you a “victim” at the expense of promoting their (outrage) message also gave you a gift: you now have a story and one that is brand congruent.
For everyone (myself included) that feel that you were perhaps unfairly subjected to some transitory subjective moral outrage of the day, I now feel a connection to you. If I lived in your town, I might be much more inclined to be a customer because (a) I was previously not aware of you, and (b) I FEEL something - a connection. “She didn’t deserve that - I will show my “outrage” at those who showed you their “outrage” by now being a customer.”
Bottom line: You may have a story. One that can communicate your values. One that can generate sympathy. One that can show people your integrity and honest care for your community. And one that can drive awareness, loyalty, and new business. Use it!
One of my favorite books of all time is Groundswell by Forrester Research executives Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. I was introduced to one of my favorite marketing sayings: “You can’t take something off the internet, it’s like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.”
The reason I bring this up here is an individual’s/company’s response is so important. Everyone has had some problems. On the Internet, it’s hard to hind SEO tricks so I recommend never trying that route. Being immediately and authentically apologetic and proactively transparent goes a long way into keeping away the trolls. Especially if you’re in the financial sector, be very aware many people start with search.
Just know that sometimes a crisis really is a terrible thing to waste. People watch how you react, how you treat people, and how hard you worked to rectify the situation. Having an issue doesn’t mean you have to start over.