Don’t Let The Negativity Affect Your Brand

Every brand goes through some crisis, that’s the rule of business. It is unpredictable and nothing can prepare the brand for the harsh criticism or backlash. But it in no way means the end of the business. The brand needs to let go of the negativity, take some positive points out, work on them and come back with a better strategy. A lot of brands take harsh criticism negatively, but this is something that one shouldn’t do, the past shouldn’t haunt your brand or affect its future.

First and foremost, the brand needs to understand the key point of negativity. What is it that went wrong from their side that the consumers weren’t happy about? If the brand can get on terms with this, then the process of handling negativity is not as difficult. The brand needs to keep its consumers happy and satisfied so that they continue to be loyal. Consumer loyalty is one of the biggest assets of any brand, which is why keeping their negative feedback in mind while coming up with new strategies is vital.

If there is anything that went wrong from your side, as a brand, apologize to the consumers. This will not only maintain the trust that the consumers have in your brand but will also grab the attention of the new potential consumers. It takes a lot of guts to come forward and accept fault, so it will also take the burden off the brand and give them time to come up with a new strategy. This is something that Cadbury did, and did it so well. They got a lot of negative feedback as worms were found in their products and they did end up losing a lot of their loyal consumers. But the way they tackled it was commendable. The first thing they did was apologize to the audience by calling a press conference which helped the audience stay true to them.

Another thing is to not take the negative feedback personally. Being defensive about the brand can come off as rude, which is not something that will prove to be beneficial. Allowing the consumers to speak their minds and giving them space to voice their opinion will create mutual respect. Don’t try and prove the consumer wrong, instead try to prove yourself right. Put yourself in the shoes of the customer, this will give you both the perspectives and will help your brand function better. 

It is easy to let the negativity of the past affect your brand in future endeavors, but it is difficult to let that pass by and look forward to a better year. The difficult route is always better and beneficial in the long run. There are several ways one can handle the negativity effectively and derive all the good points from it so that it proves to be an advantage in the future. It is rightly said, “Demotivation can prove to be the biggest motivation”, apply this to your brand and let it do wonders.