There are many factors that can influence a brand’s reputation. Business owners and entrepreneurs work so hard just to make their brand look reputable and profitable. But you know what an easier route is? That is ruining your business reputation.
Here are surefire strategies anyone can do to tear your brand apart:
Don’t Mind What Your Customers Say About the Brand
There will always be consumers who will have something bad to say against your brand. Your offers may not fit their taste, they may think your customer service is lacking, or your brand logo is not good enough. While this is only natural and a common issue when running a business, handling customer insights and not minding what they have to say can quickly ruin your brand’s reputation.
This is especially true if you are still trying to make a name for your startup. Remember that even today’s largest companies who are already household brands work so hard in marketing their business as reputable brands. Failure to accept feedback and do something about it can quickly ruin the future of your business.
One way you can do this is to make sure you listen to what your customers have to say. This does not necessarily mean mindless accepting all feedback. Only change what you think will do your company good and keep an eye for great suggestions.
It also helps if you employ the services of a reliable PR agency to boost digital efforts. They can help in increasing your brand’s visibility and in spreading news that will put your business in the limelight for the right reasons. They can help keep your audiences engaged while taking into account the feedback and suggestions your brand needs to know so you can make better decisions in the future.
Practice Mindless Hiring
There are many practices that translate to mindless hiring. This includes blindly hiring friends and relatives, choosing candidates based on their race, age, sexual orientation, looks, or experiences alone, or only hiring those willing to relocate near your business premises. Hiring based on first impressions, sticking to unclear hiring policies, and skipping a candidate test drive can quickly give your leaders unnecessary headaches after onboarding.
If you want the best talents to work for you, start thinking outside the box. If you have great leaders who can manage to train, don’t look at the credentials, experience, or other useless criteria alone. Be careful when hiring friends and relatives. and consider flexible work options if you intend in bringing in top talents residing in other locations.
Indulge in False Advertising
Not many consumers know what greenwashing is. But in a sense, this is a form of false advertising. This happens when companies make false claims on how green or sustainable their brand or products are.
Other examples of false advertising are as follows.
- posting pictures that remarkably different from the actual product
- marketing features that are not true
- failure to tell consumers how many items are included in a package
- selling used products but marketing them as brand new
- not clearly stating what items are on sale
- failure to indicate if an assembly is required
False advertising can quickly make you lose credentials. Customers will start doubting your offers, and inevitably, your brand. This can spread like wildfire, and you can end up saying goodbye to your business in an instant.
Be Open With Your Bias
There are unwritten rules that can influence your business in unimaginable ways. One of these includes being very open about politics. While some entrepreneurs managed to get away for openly vouching for a candidate or political party, this is not advisable if you want your business to succeed.
Discussing politics can quickly place your business at the heart of any discussion. Many consumers feel strongly about their political bias. Choosing one candidate or party can quickly turn some consumers into an angry flock of online and offline warriors.
As much as possible, avoid being open with what political party you choose to side with or which candidate you plan on supporting in the next election. You can never tell which of the candidates and party your loyal customers and non-clients are vouching for. Be sensitive and stay mum or watch some boycott your business overnight.
These are but four things that can quickly your brand’s reputation. This goes to show just how easy it can be to ruin one of the most crucial factors that can dictate your brand’s future success. If you want your business to last and experience greater growth and success, be more mindful of what you say, what you advertise, who you hire, and who your political bias is.
