A brand’s reputation is a precious asset that needs to be constantly maintained to gain success. Since exposure to the internet and digital media has made the market more competitive, gaining a solid position has become a nightmare for entrepreneurs.
The internet has opened up brands for intense and detailed public analysis. Therefore, businesses must equip their working models with the latest strategies to protect and manage a good reputation in the market. The process of managing your brand reputation is called “reputation management”.
There are so many ways a company can lose its brand reputation. It could be a result of something the business has done, or it might be due to an external factor that’s beyond the business’ control. Whatever it may be, losing your brand reputation can have devastating consequences for your business.
Loss of Customers
In business, everything starts with the customer, and losing them is one of the significant losses for entrepreneurs. Customers are the valuable assets that keep an organisation’s sales and production wheel running. Therefore, their needs and wants must be fulfilled at any cost.
But if your business has a bad reputation, your customers will not only lose trust in your brand and services but will also choose your competitors. This loss of consumer confidence can lead to a significant drop in sales and in turn revenue. In fact, companies risk losing 22% of their turnover when potential customers find only one negative link on the first page of search results or on social media.
Fall in Sales
Losing customers means suffering a significant fall in sales. This is another thing that leads to damaging a brand’s reputation. Remember that people only purchase from brands with quality services and good standing in the market. Hence, a decline in sales can question the organisation’s credibility. It can badly impact its overall costing budget for production, management, and execution of various administrative operations. This is another thing that might add to an organisation’s downgrade.
No Sponsorship
Many startups and big enterprise sponsor their brand through electronic media and social media influencers. Losing a brand’s reputation means losing sponsorships, and no one will pay attention to your services. No one wants to work with a brand that has a bad reputation, it has often been observed that some controversies and bad reviews lead to sponsors pulling out their investment in a brand. As a result, it causes an abrupt decline in brand equity and overall brand value.
No Recognition in the Market
“A brand is what a business does, reputation is what people remember.”
Running a business is not easy; you need to make a lot of effort to establish a strong position in the market. Many startups suffer failure and even quit their services too early. The main reason is that they ignore their working infrastructure and do not understand their customers’ demands. As a result, they get negative feedback or reviews, leading to no market recognition.
Loss of Investement
A brand’s reputation is not only important for sales and customers but also for attracting investment. Many investors go through a brand’s reputation before putting their money into it. A brand with a bad reputation usually does not get an investment. Investors question the brand’s stability and ability to generate revenue in the future. As a result, the brand suffers from financial problems and might even have to shut down its operations.
Difficulty Hiring Employees
Reputational damage impacts an industry’s sales and affects the recruitment process. Such industries face a lot of trouble in finding potential candidates. Moreover, job-seekers will never consider working with them.
A company’s reputation is essential for attracting top talent. So, if it’s negative, the company will have to work harder to find and acquire the right employees. This is why it’s essential to protect your brand reputation and take measures to improve if it has been damaged.
Impact on Recruitment Budget
When a company suffers from a downfall, its sales and the overall budget are negatively impacted. This impacts their hiring cost equally, and they do not get potential candidates for their company. The suffering company needs to offer a better package to attract capable applicants, even if they are already falling short of budget due to poor sales.
The Bottom Line
“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”
A business cannot succeed overnight; it takes some time and uncountable years to maintain a strong position in the market. As modern-day customer demands new standard for scrutinising brands, maintaining a good brand position has become more challenging.
Brand reputation is essential for the success of any organisation. Therefore, companies must focus on protecting and managing their image in the market. They should adopt various strategies to build and maintain a good reputation. This will help them stay ahead of the competition and achieve their desired goals.
How We Are Innovative Can Help?
If you need help managing and protecting your brand’s reputation, contact WAI today to find out how we can help.