Brand = promise in a personality – but: what is Brand Perception?
- It’s not what you say
- It is tied to what you do
- It’s not your advertising
- It is tied to your customer service
- It’s not your social stance
- It is how CUSTOMERS and potential CUSTOMERS see you
What drives Brand Perception?
1) Social Responsibility
- Supports good causes
- Environmental Responsibility
- Community Responsibility
2) Emotional Appeal
- Feel good about
- Admire and Respect
- Trust
3) Products & Services
- High quality
- Innovative
- Value for the money
- Stands behind
4) Workplace Environment
- Rewards employees fairly
- Good place to work
- Good employees
5) Financial Performance
- Outperforms competitors
- Record of profitability
- Low-risk investment
- Growth prospects
6) Vision & Leadership
- Market opportunities
- Excellent leadership
- Clear vision for the future
What’s Bad and What’s not
BAD
- Bad Customer Reviews
- Bad word of Mouth
- Bad behavior by executives or employees
- Bad products
- Bad Business Practices
Not Bad
- Social Stands
- Honest Mistakes
- Missing the mark Marketing
- Disgruntled Employees (mostly)
- Honest but mostly positive reviews
What can brands do?
- Proactive Reputation Management
- Respond to reviews!
- Spend money on customer service
- Take responsibility for actions
What can affiliates do?
- Monitor your brand’s reputation. Tell them when you see a problem
- Know your audience and what they are sensitive too
- Push brands to do positive reputation management
- Don’t risk your reputation with a bad brand. It’s not worth it.