5 tips to fix a negative image

What is a negative brand image?

A ‘positive brand image,’ is what every business should be striving for. We’re not just talking about an attractive logo or colour palette here. Your brand image encompasses your entire reputation – how people think, feel, and talk about your brand.

While a good brand reputation helps boost your brand equity and increases customer loyalty, a negative brand image does the opposite. It destroys the trust of your target market, sends your customers racing towards the competition, and has a massive impact on your profit potential.

A negative brand image, caused by widespread criticism, scandals, and corporate mistakes, cultivates a “negativity bias” towards your company. Even if you only make a small mistake, and still offer an incredible service or product, your customers might avoid you like the plague. In fact, many companies that lost consumer trust had to spend a lot of time (and money) just to stop their stock prices and revenues from tumbling into oblivion.

What contributes to a negative brand image?

So, what turns a good reputation into a negative reputation?

The unfortunate truth is there are a lot of potential causes. Negative brand associations can stem from a range of issues, from poor customer service to the behaviour of a business owner. Plus, in today’s digital world, negative press travels fast. A bad review or a scandalous story can quickly become a worldwide phenomenon overnight.

Here are some of the biggest factors that contribute to a negative brand reputation:

1. Failures of products or services

When you create a product for your customers, you’re not just manufacturing an item (or a service), you’re delivering a solution. If your offering ends up causing more problems than it fixes, or doesn’t live up to expectations, your reputation will suffer.

For instance, in 2019, aircraft manufacturer Boeing faced a ton of criticism after its aircrafts malfunctioned. For smaller businesses, a product or service that doesn’t work could be enough to banish them from the market completely. That’s why quality assurance is so important.

2. Lack of transparency

You can’t have trust without transparency. Unfortunately, a lot of companies struggle with their reputation because they try to keep too much information “under wraps”. If you want a strong brand reputation, you need be clear with your marketing communication. Share your policies, provide useful insights into your processes, and don’t expect customers to turn a blind eye to your practices.

3. Bad customer experience

A good number of customers are willing to pay more for a great experience. But just one bad experience can have a serious impact on your brand. Today’s consumers expect you to go above and beyond to serve them and their needs. If you’re slow at responding to requests for help, your brand reputation will start to diminish instantly.

4. Corrupt practices

In the endless quest to make a huge profit, some companies don’t always play by the rules. Corrupt practices, like using low-quality materials, or implementing poor working conditions for employees will no-doubt lead to negative publicity. Exploitation, dishonesty, or bias can harm your brand. Even the behaviour of business leaders can rub off on your brand. People want to see the human beings behind your company respectable and honest. Remember the saga of Ezra Olubi of Paystack.

5. Tone-deaf messaging

This is a big one. Countless companies have struggled with a negative brand image just because they don’t know how to send the right message to their customers. Using the wrong words in an email, or sharing a cheeky social media post can seriously tarnish your reputation. Failing to respond appropriately to a crisis is a major issue too.

Examples of companies with a negative brand image

Here are some other examples of companies with a negative brand image worth mentioning:

1. Uber

Uber might be one of the most well-known brands in the world today, but it’s no stranger to negative brand equity. In the last few years, the negative effects of poor press have turned the company from one of the most celebrated brands in the world to a boycott magnet.

In 2017, the CEO, Travis Kalanick, was ousted as an advisor for Trump, and many potential customers started flocking away from the brand instantly.

Next, he made matters worse through the poor treatment of customers and employees alike. He was accused of sexual harassment and gross HR misconduct. Plus, videos surfaced of Travis arguing with his employers, which is never a good look. He even started reducing salaries for employees, which caused the company’s reputation to plummet further. Though Kalanick announced he needed to “fundamentally change as a leader”, the damage to loyal customers was already done.

2. Volkswagen

Volkswagen has struggled with a tricky brand image for a while, thanks in part to its logo and history. Though the company has updated its image over the years to improve public perception, it hasn’t always had the best impact on customers.

In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused Volkswagen of breaking the rules of the “Clean Air Act”. It claimed the brand was using technology to bypass emission tests. This not only meant the company was breaking the law, but it was lying to its customers too.

Unfortunately, the company’s response made the situation even worse. They immediately jumped into action to say they didn’t know anything about the issue. However, later, the same team admitted they were aware of the problem all along.

Meanwhile, news emerged that while the company was working to “fix the problem”, they were also laying off hundreds of thousands of workers to make up for lost profits.

…To be continued