It’s never too early to begin building a better brand for your business. It can, unfortunately, be too late to do so, though. Building a brand is about much more than making sure everyone knows your name – though that’s certainly important. It’s also about creating a public image to go along with that name.
The bigger and better you build your brand, now, the less devastating controversy may be for your business in the future. In today’s world of ultra-sensitivity, one bad day for a part-time employee can become a public relations nightmare for your business.
After all, businesses hire people. People have good days, bad days, and some really bad days. Those are the days where one sentence doesn’t come out right and someone gets offended and contacts channel 10. If your business already had a brand associated with outstanding customer service and shiny happy employees, this wouldn’t be quite as devastating. Loyal customers would chalk it up to someone having a bad day and excuse the fact that you may have one rogue employee.
However, if you haven’t taken the time to build a strong brand as a business with integrity – one that is trustworthy and devoted to providing superior customer service, you might have a little more trouble weathering the storms one bad encounter can bring.
Building a Better Brand in the Information Age
The real crux of the problem is that the bad news no longer dies down and goes away in the Information Age. It’s there, and ten years from now, potential customers researching your business will find this bit of information from the past and make their decisions accordingly.
Unless… Branding efforts you make now can help to change the narrative. Yes, the information will still be there, but with the proper public relations, branding, and reputation management efforts for your business, you can make sure it’s not the first story they see about your business when conducting their research.
Yes, you can dominate the web with positive news about your business. Create commentary about your business that explains the good works you’re doing in the community, one that tells about fundraisers you’re supporting, sponsorships you’re providing to Little League teams, and how you’re helping your employees further their educations, and advance their positions within your company. Relay news about your latest products and services, new research and discoveries in your industry, and how your business is revolutionizing your industry in the area. Change the story to one that’s positive. That’s what better branding can do for your business – and why branding is so important to have in place before things go wrong.
You’re going to need a little help to begin building your better brand. Make sure you choose an experienced firm that understands your needs for this important task.
