Graeme Crossley on fixing Brand Pain

Graeme Crossley

This week has been National Consumer Week and on closer inspection saw that the focus this year has been about businesses knowing about their consumer’s rights. This struck a chord with us because we know only too well that when it comes to managing brand reputation, or more to the point, managing disgruntled customers, knowing where you stand is critical to managing the communications process and minimising brand damage.

The increasing use of the internet as a place to voice opinion means that more than ever, brands need to manage their customers needs and expectations in a way that leaves customers feeling satisfied and not inclined to chastise the brand online. Consumer rights, trading standards, sale of goods act etc, it’s all pretty standard practice in business but vitally important that brands really get to grips with what these actually mean and potential implications for the brand as well as complying with legislation. In addition to this, consumers are often misinformed about what their rights actually are or make assumptions about the remit of trading standards and this can often lead to entirely avoidable conflict between the brand and the consumer.

Consumers respect brands that are open and honest, and it is this honesty that breeds trust, loyalty and advocacy. The strongest brands will be those who take the time out to educate their customers on what their rights actually are, whether this is online, in print or via a telephone helpline. By providing this transparency and vulnerability, brands will instantly nurture feelings of trust from their customers, who will feel that the brand is genuinely going the extra mile to try and keep them informed.

When brands are devising their customer communications strategies, we typically advise them to look at their brand from the perspective of a customer, identify areas that they may question or perhaps could be misinformed about and find ways to educate customers. A brand that shows it has its customer’s interests at heart will gain the trust of their consumers, who will be more likely to stick by them in the event that something does go wrong, rather than resort to smearing the brand online.