How to take on branding in today’s digital age?

Think of a brand that provides awesome products and outstanding service but pays its staff below the minimum wage. Or a store that deals in wonderful clothes, except they are made in sweatshops that exploit their staff. Or a YouTube video showing less-than-stellar customer service that is viewed hundreds of millions of times. Cases like these are astonishingly common, and make for captivating headlines - often at the expense of a brand's reputation, value and success.

Is it enough to produce a wonderful product if the manufacturer of that product is compromised, or if the company’s tax affairs are dubious, or if the company’s corporate culture makes it a business renegade? In these cases, is the image of your brand living up to the promise that you strive for, or – more importantly – what your customers expect?

Consumers are increasingly placing business ethics at the top of their list of considerations when spending their money. There’s a good reason for this – there has been a collapse in consumer trust that started at the turn of the millennium, and seems to be continuing on a downward spiral. A good branding and marketing agency would always understand this point and blend all essential elements for the sustainable results.

Downfall of trust

This collapse of trust has several sources: from the politics of personality, to the dawn of fake news and the labelling of real news as fake; the actions of the few in the lead-up to the 2007 financial crisis, and the political response, and dishonest behavior of trusted companies. The Volkswagen emissions scandal and Wells Fargo fake accounts scam are excellent example, where a lauded and respected company is suddenly shown to be have behaved in an underhanded way.

Another factor businesses have to consider is the speed of news. Today, news moves at the speed of light. A YouTube video can be online in seconds, often leaving the showcased company desperately trying to catch-up and manage the fall-out. Stories today roll out on social media independently of the usual news outlets. In the old days, brands had an opportunity to take corrective action and potentially kill the story before the papers were printed. With social media, there is no such thing as a news deadline! By the time a journalist calls for a comment, it’s already too late.

Believe in the brand

Today, for customers to identify with brands and make an emotional connection with them, they have to trust their products and their ethics. Customers have to believe in the brand.

Crisis of trust

Is it simple to avoid these pitfalls? In a word, strictly NO. A crisis of trust can affect a company at any time, and from the most unexpected situations. But I do think there are some principles companies and brands should take to mitigate any potential issues.

·         Be consistent. Not just in approach but in execution.

·         Be open. Be transparent and honest in what you do.

·       Be simple. If you can pass the trust threshold, your brand needs to be simple, intuitive and immediate.

·         Be indispensable. Provide a service your customers can’t do without.

·         Be familiar. Be the brand that your customers recommend to others.

Make sure next time you consult a branding and marketing agency in London, do keep these factors in mind.