Brands that do not see the various biases of a subject put their reputation at risk
Information control is over. Previously restricted to media outlets, the buzz around issues surrounding a company gains unimaginable dimensions on social networks. The era of transparency has entered. And the brand that does not know how to respect the biases of a certain theme ends up suffering. The debate on the mechanization of production lines is an example.
The change benefits investors, but jobs will certainly be lost, and complaints will come. What is good for one stakeholder group is not accepted by another. There are multiple points of view, which need to be respected, warns Marcos Bedendo, professor of branding at ESPM.
Trying to run away from crises is also innocuous. Efforts must be centered on efficient management. Companies that went through Covid-19 felt firsthand that there is no way to avoid crises. The best thing to do is manage it effectively. Risk comes at a high cost, warns Ana Almeida, a professor at Fundao Dom Cabral (FDC).
Neck
Crisis gestures are not made in an amateur way. Companies need to be prepared to balance communication, operation and issues that require legal support. But this manageability is still a market bottleneck. Organizations are very ill prepared to manage a crisis, complains Ana Almeida. Investments need to be reviewed. Facing an adverse situation is increasingly inevitable. It’s just a matter of when it happens.
Transparency, clear messages and understanding of the public involved have become the rules of the modern brand reputation manual. If this stance is rooted in essence, many times it is not even necessary to create committees. Naturally, the problem will dissipate. Listening and responses guide decisions almost by instinct, observes Bedendo.
But it is not easy to reach this level. Crisis committees help, especially large corporations, to centralize guidelines so that coherent responses can be formulated by leaders and professionals who deal with the external and internal environment. The correct sizing of the chain involves combining the sensitivity of business managers with information from those at the end of the process. Collaborators will also be pressured to speak out and, at this time, they purposely want to participate, as they feel personally impacted by the news, maintains Bedendo.
Nature of the problem
There are exceptions. A plane crash, for example, carries a complex set of guidelines and procedures, which involve expertise, legal issues and the right time to make announcements out of respect for the families involved. Furthermore, there is a demand for answers and approaches according to the group in question and the dynamics of the problem. Manuals are discarded at the first comma that goes wrong, it is no longer possible to make predictions in a chaotic world of mismatched information, reinforces Bedendo.
The current scenario challenges brands. The realization that there will always be someone complaining. Reputation behavior observed by people, employees, shareholders, society, journalists. The company has to do what it says, argues Bedendo. The way in which the various interfaces are conducted and the understanding of their influence on society help to neutralize questions, before they take on uncontrollable proportions.
The company must carry out this management for each movement that is likely to generate an impact. Those who already have a transparent posture know that they will have to respond, stresses Bedendo. The lack of prior planning can be costly, as not all companies manage to react well when a problem erupts, opening space for the imbroglio to spread.
Using the tools available to monitor and understand the profile of people who articulate attacks is also a way to avoid pitfalls. Transparency works both ways. By studying the digital behavior of people who try to create controversy, the brand is able to find out if the complaint is legitimate, responsible for a community that has been affected, or if it is just an excuse to create confusion, ponders Bedendo.
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