The Importance of Brand Reputation and Why to Avoid Bad Publicity
Constructing and maintaining a respectable brand reputation is mandatory for all businesses, especially when competitors can emerge from anywhere thanks to the internet and the ability to buy nearly anything with just one click. In the search for the perfect public relations strategy, a lot of companies turn to unconventional methods that can sometimes prove to be highly beneficial, but others times can significantly harm their reputation. One of these unconventional methods that are highly popular is the use of bad publicity as a shock therapy for attracting new audience and letting the world know about the existence of a brand. It can be a media circus and not in a good way.
Unfortunately, using bad PR to develop a successful brand is a technique which can have a huge negative impact and can damage the relationship you have with your clients and business partners. Doing this kind of damage to your reputation will most certainly be visible in the fructuous development of your business, which is why it is of utmost importance to consider the disadvantages of using bad publicity schemes.
Bad Publicity Can Severely Impact Your Sales
The results of bad publicity seldom involves an increase in sales. It can many times mean a boycott. Most of the time, it will get you the attention of new audiences, especially if you were conducting a digital marketing campaign, but that attention rarely translates into purchases. If you only want people to be interested in your brand, bad publicity might help, but it will never bring you more than a few moments of bad-obtained fame, until someone else comes along.
Losing the Trust of Your Clients and Partners
A business can only develop if it can offer its clients and business partners the certainty that it is a respectable business, will keep its commitments and can always offer quality services and products. If you choose to use a media circus for promoting your brand, even if this strategy does not involve trashing the reputation of your products or services, once the buzz has passed, people will start to wonder whether to trust you or not.
Bad Publicity is Harmful for Brand Equity
Rumors affect your brand equity and can make your business appear untrustworthy. Based on most studies, regardless of your industry, brand equity suffers a lot of long-term damages in the case of bad PR, especially in the case of those businesses which also need to worry about health and safety hazards.
Brand Association Can Suffer Significant Damages from Publicity Stunts Gone Wrong
The attitude a customer has towards a company should concern all business owners and public relations strategists which contemplate using bad publicity as a means of promotion. Brand association can snowball in ways you never imagined due to nasty rumors and usually a company never recovers from these particular losses.
Although a publicity stunt might seem like a great idea when you see how it has “helped” other brands go viral, think twice before using this strategy for your company, and decide whether or not it is worth the risk. If you have any questions about the impact of bad publicity, or are interested in ways to promote your brand the right way and improve its reputation, please don’t hesitate in contacting us at jessica@janicemccaffertypr.com.