5 Problems That Can Impact Your Brand’s Image and How to Solve Them

Brand management is an essential part of marketing, whether you’re a brewery or a charity. It can take a lot of time to create a brand image consumers trust, but it can be quickly undone with little wiggle room for repair. The right response to the following problems could save your brand.

Problem 1: Doing Everything at a Slow Pace

Consumers want everything completed as quickly as possible. Packages must be delivered in a 2-day window, emails must be answered within an hour, and problems should be resolved on your customer’s time. If you’re too slow, your customers will be upset and go somewhere else.

To get ahead of this, use automation software. For example, Ollie Order, a brewery inventory management software, can manage brewery production, order procession, inventory, payments, and more in one platform. You can easily find a similar platform for your industry or tasks.

Problem 2: Poor Customer Service Department

One of the most common problems that impact a brand’s image is poor customer service. Various factors, including insufficient training, inadequate staffing levels, or a reliance on auto-response emails and messages, can cause this. Customers need real support teams.

To solve this problem, companies should overhaul, streamline, and clean up every line of communication between them and their customers. Companies should prioritize training their employees to handle customer concerns effectively and regularly address any and all issues.

Problem 3: Unethical or Misleading Advertising

Another problem that harms a brand’s image is the use of unethical or misleading advertising. Consumers are increasingly interested in sustainability and ethical practices. They also want brands to stay truthful and honest, and failing to live up to this expectation can hurt your brand.

To prevent this, businesses should ensure their advertising is accurate and transparent and that it complies with all relevant laws and regulations. They must live up to their image and prioritize sustainability and ethical business practices, especially if they often preach a green message.

Telling the truth is the only real way to avoid this problem. For example, if you’re a brewery that claims to offer a refund on opened products, you can’t suddenly stop supporting that policy.

Problem 4: Negative Attention From an Employee

It’s an unfortunate reality that the way your employees behave reflects back on your brand. It doesn’t matter if your employees are off the clock when they decide to act foolishly, as your customers will still wonder why you hired them. If you do nothing, your customers will leave.

To avoid this, be transparent with the public. Don’t hide anything, or people will think you’re covering something up. Next, apologize and reprimand or let the offending employee go. Then, respond against your employee’s negative behavior to show you don’t support or condone it.

For example, if your employee typed up an anti-women/sexist rant on social media, you should partner with a pro-women’s organization or donate to a women-focused charity in your city.

Problem 5: Too Many Negative Online Reviews

Consumers are more likely than ever to share their experiences with a brand online. A few negative reviews are par for the course, but if potential customers see more bad news than good, they’ll stay away. A poor response to brand issues will inevitably result in bad reviews.

To combat this, companies must regularly monitor their online reputation and respond to negative reviews in a timely and professional manner. Additionally, they can encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, which can offset the impact of any negative feedback.

Listen to what your customers are saying and work on ways to address the problem. Don’t just say you’ve heard them out; actually do something. It’s the fastest way to regain their respect.