brand identity crisis

Table of Contents

How to Rebuild Trust After a Brand Identity Crisis?

Into an organization’s growth cycle, a brand identity crisis can emerge at any time. An established business or a new one, a crisis can come into any form & hit which can affect the brand’s identity & image. The reputation of a brand is vulnerable more often than it is expected to be. There is a mental picture of the product in the minds of the people that are relatable to them. The image is strategically crafted into the psyche of people. But a single wrong move can severely affect the brand’s perception of the market.

Brand identity crisis occurs when there’s a fundamental disconnect between how a company perceives its brand & how it is received by the public. At times, the brand also stops reflecting the company’s philosophy. It can lead to confusion, a mix-up of brand’s essence & deterioration in consumer trust & loyalty.

Evolution of Brand Crisis:

The brand crisis has undergone an impeccable transformation as it mirrors the major shifts in communication technologies. The brand crisis sphere took a historically new turn with the advent of mass media. Real game change emerged with the rise of the internet & social media. The decentralization of information diffusion empowered the consumers to become the producers of content which altered the dynamics of reputation. The online platforms, review sites, & social media networks provided pioneering visibility & enhanced the impact of reputation on business.

Understanding Brand Identity Crisis Management

The brand identity crisis is an unexpected situation wherein a lot of aspects need to be monitored. The identity crisis can stem from many quarters including shifts in cultural norms, competitive marketplace changes or internal corporate upheaval. Brand identity is a pivotal aspect of a company’s overall brand message & strategy. A brand can be an inspiration or a friend. It can be the change you want to see in the world or come as a future you want to step into. At the center of this is the idea of this magic trick.

Steps to rebuild trust after a brand identity crisis:

Among the various companies, many of them get hit by unexpected obstacles for many different reasons. There are circumstances when a company does not tackle the customer complaints seriously & the reputation goes down, which directly affects the sales figures. Anytime a brand makes a mistake, in recent times, it is extremely important to own the mistake & oblige towards bettering it. Brands cannot ignore & shrug it off, but it also depends on what the intensity of the mistake is. Quick response & accurate intent of solving customer complaints should be the approach of brands. Here are some steps for it:

  1. Own the mistakes & be there:
    Consumer trust is extremely important even if brand reputation is at stake. Accepting or owning the mistake depicts you understand the gravity of the situation & the impact it has created on the customer experience. A sincere apology with immediate resolution of the issues will maintain customer relations. This is one of the most important brand recovery strategies. Brands should know how to tackle the situation well.

  2. Implement changes & inform:
    After you’ve implemented the changes & deep investigation, share the same with your consumers. Damage control is the best method to adapt to know about what or how the company & brand is deciding upon to take further steps.

  3. Share the positive news:
    Once the crisis management is implemented well enough all the steps adopted need to be shared with the consumers. Your company may include a rigorous Seach Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign to push down the negative situation of the organization. It may also require you to work extensively with media & public relations response.

  4. Two-way communication:
    Keeping the customers & stakeholders informed about the changes made helps them understand about the brand being serious. It also helps them get responses from customers & stakeholders while getting newer perspectives & opinions about handling the situation better. Even if the situation of crisis communication, it should be announced in order to avoid misunderstandings that can elevate the negativity. This two-way communication is the core of brand identity crisis.

Stages of Brand identity crisis management:

A lot of companies are not prepared to face a crisis. Most of the time the crisis comes uninvited. A cybersecurity attack or reputational crisis can turn a normal day into a horrific nightmare. The goal at such times should be limit the effect of the incident & keep the business running smoothly.

  1. Pre-crisis:
    A thorough crisis management plan is an integral part of avoiding self-inflicted crises & minimizes the impact of external events. This stage involves understanding your customers’ crises & being aware that your business is at risk.

  2. Pinpointing the reason:
    In this stage, start by analyzing how much you are aware about the crisis so far, the cause of it & how much of the customer base will be affected by it. Crises move forward too fast like fire & new information can trickle every minute or hour. Do not wait to know everything about the situation when implementing damage control.

  3. Assessment & evaluation:
    In this stage, you can go deeper into the investigation while you also forecast the possible impacts of the crisis. You need to keep calm & think about your customers & how to communicate with them effectively. Try to answer questions like:
    I. Who? Who are the customers you should be talking to right now? Who is the person on your crisis management team in charge of the situation?
    II. When? When will we announce what we know about the situation?
    III. Where? What platforms should the team use to make announcements & updates?
    IV. Why? Is the crisis significant enough to share information publicly on social media?

  4. Brand reputation management:
    Focus on brand reputation the second a crisis starts, as it can do lasting damage to your brand. Supervise how the customers are responding to your brand from the earliest stage of the crisis & craft your strategy accordingly.

Conclusion:

Brands understand that leadership in the 21st century means more than simply having economic power. As consumers are becoming more interested in the story of a brand’s formation, they also look at how a brand is adapting to sustainability. Consumers look for value creation & brands have an opportunity to exercise the same to build authority & consumer trust. It builds a reputation in the minds of the consumers.