Building brand reputation from scratch

This month sees the launch of Royal Underground a brand new luxury clothing and accessories brand that is described as a 'high-end line for men and women with a rock 'n' roll edge.'

As with any new brand starting up, it will be crucial that Royal Underground do what they say they are going to and then some. Jeff Bezos had this philosophy when he started Amazon, which was “under promise and over deliver”.

If we were advising a new clothing brand like Royal Underground, We’d tell them to focus on providing greater quality than competition for same price, finding competitors weaknesses and then doing much better in those areas. The trick however, is not to communicate this directly but let customers find out for themselves as it will be unexpected and they’ll be delighted as a result.

New brands especially need to monitor initial consumer feedback closely and make tweaks or adjustments are required. The brand also needs to have a clear defined positioning/brand promise as they are launching into an extremely competitive sector where consumers are fickle and promiscuous, amplified further by the current market conditions.

Being green is just one side of the coin...

This week is National Recycle Week and just yesterday, I read that Sainsbury’s is planning to eliminate cardboard from its entire own-label cereal range. The same story also suggested that Kellogg’s are apparently looking into whether they can also do the same. I think that this news raises the important issue of not why it is beneficial to be more socially responsible, but actually the consequences of not doing so and the pressure brands face to follow suit for fear of public backlash.

With consumers becoming more environmentally conscious and with high profile campaigns such as National Recycle Week, brands will be under increasing scrutiny to show that they are behaving ethically and taking steps to become more environmentally friendly. Realistically, if one cereal brand removes all of its cardboard packaging and is able to still deliver the same end quality, then other cereal brands will have no option but to follow suit, how could they not? The backlash from consumers would be far too damaging to the brand to ignore, unless they could find very good reasons for keeping the packaging in place.

I also think that there tends to be far too much focus on going green as a way of being socially responsible but in reality, managing brand reputation covers much more than this. It spans across processes and people as well as the environment and its the combination of a variety of activities that constitutes to a ‘good’ brand reputation. I guess what I’m saying is don’t just jump on the recycle bandwagon without also looking at your who business in more detail, as a company that makes changes in one area but is behaving unethically in another will just be seen as hypocritical and loose any credibility they may have gained through the original activity.

The thing about brand reputation is that it can take years to build and just seconds to destroy, which is why you need to consistently manage your reputation going forward to ensure that you take every step possible to prevent damage to your brand in the future. Green is good, but its only part of the story, and without a consistent CR strategy will simply been seen as greenwash.

Leveraging social media to build brand reputation

Over the weekend, we saw a news item about Mornflake, Britain’s oldest cereal company, who are launching an innovative user-generated content social media campaign to help create the company’s first ever video advert.

The ground-breaking initiative marks the UK debut of brand new Facebook application uVizz which pays video creators for sharing video content with their friends. It supports the launch of their new breakfast range which hit shelves nationwide this month. What makes this campaign particularly unique is that the video brief asks people to make a video about themselves and their personal values featuring the Mornflake brand by way of product placement.

It’s a fun and engaging way to add a modern twist to a brand which has a 330 year old legacy. The thing is, few people are aware of the brand because until now, the brand owners have never targeted the end-consumer directly and so social media is a great way to generate the burst of noise needed to launch the brand onto the scene for the first time.

We’re currently helping several clients to incorporate social media into their brand building activities as social media is a cost effective way of marketing a brand and generating awareness, providing the brand owner can facilitate a two-way dialogue. If it is only one way then people will be put off very quickly. Social media campaigns need a depth of content to be effective and to encourage people to want to contribute, interact and engage with the brand. An example of content with interaction is the comparethemeerkat.com, where the conversation can continue long after the original message has been delivered.

It is this kind of ongoing engagement that enables the brand to permeate into social networks, groups and communities and helps build a loyal following of potential brand advocates.

World Environment Day 5th June

Friday marks the start of World Environment Day, the United Nations Environment Programme, which was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. The annual event is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

I was browsing through the site today, and one of the key points raised on the WED site really struck a chord with me, it was that WED ‘ is designed to promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues’.

In business, we are constantly looking for ways to engage with our customers and build deep and meaningful relationships and communities of ‘followers’, which will result in improved brand reputation, increased customer loyalty and greater brand advocacy. Being seen to be socially responsible and encouraging customers to think the same way is one way to help build that trusting, open and honest relationship that many customers so desperately desire from brands, but often don’t get.

Consider using World Environment Day as an opportunity to get your customers engaged by jointly coming up with ‘green’ ideas which can be applied to the workplace. The WED website is packed with tips and information to help you and your clients along the way. Perhaps even consider setting up a Corporate ‘Grove’ at sites like www.treesforlife.org and encouraging your clients to donate a tree. You can set up schemes like this instantly online, which not only encourage your customers to get involved but do wonders for your brand reputation too.