Our firm was recently engaged to develop a social media marketing program for a national brand. We were in competition with two other agencies. While there were many, the primary requirement included having the capability to develop a seamlessly integrated marketing and social media program, deployed across multiple channels and content sharing platforms.
After being awarded the contract, I asked our client if they would mind sharing a little insight as to which of our capabilities and/or expertise attributed to our engagement.
While all three firms offered similar services, with varying degrees of expertise, their decision to hire our firm was based on two key factors. First, we emphasized the importance of strategy over technology. But, equally important was our answer to a critical question and concern for our client: “What should we do, if negative comments are made about our brand?”
One of our competitors dropped from the bidding, most likely due to the rigor of the RFP process. The other firm answered the question with, “Just ignore it and it will go away”. Can you imagine? Ignore bad commentary and leave the audience to speculate on the brand’s position?
Our answer? “Embrace it! This is not only an opportunity to set the record straight, but one of which you can turn a negative into a positive. By doing so, you correct misperceptions, while demonstrating genuine passion and concern. Which in turn, builds trust and increases loyalty to your brand.”
The takeaway? Never, ever ignore negative comments about your brand, organization, products or services. Unaddressed criticism or complaints, founded or otherwise, will do far worse damage to your brand. However, one must be careful not to be too defensive. Done improperly, this could make the situation worse still.
@rtrentthompson
Permalink
| Leave a comment »
Link to original post