We’ve all been there. Gossip. Bad press. Rumors. Little seeds of negativity, floating around and trying to take root in the minds of those around us.

So how do we combat that? Once the words are spoken, the seeds are gone, riding the wind to potentially sow seeds of destruction. In marketing, these seeds of negativity can be the downfall of a brand with a generally strong and positive image. But only if they ever take root and grow.

As marketers, we hold the power to determine if the soil of society will let negative moments control our crop of success, or if our work will create an environment of understanding and transparency. If we approach the field as a space of creating honesty about what our company does and what our brand represents, then the few bad seeds that do take root will be drowned out by the positives we have already shared.

So. How do we do this? What is the best way to make sure that we allow negativity to be a strong discourse against our company’s procedure and operations? It’s simple: Transparency, Responsibility, Integrity, and Policy. Ok, yes, it may be schticky, but TRIP for short helps you remember that the journey to a better company brand and image takes patience and consistency in these four areas.

TRANSPARENCY

Oftentimes, negative information can feel like the world is ending. Someone is attacking your brand, which you have spent countless hours on, and all you can think about is how this could hurt the work you’ve put in.

Take a beat. Remember that you have put in the time to build genuine relationships with your customers. Be honest and transparent about how you got to this spot. Was an issue with quality control? Policy? Training? Production? Service? Share what issues caused the problems that customers and press are recognizing.

Also be honest about how your company plans to handle it. Set a clear agenda of how you plan to make reparations, what your goal is through response, and how this can be avoided in the future. Don’t make promises that you can’t or don’t intend to keep. Keep it simple and be clear about how you will handle the issue both now and moving forward. Your level of transparency may be the key to avoiding or handling issues better in the future.

RESPONSIBILITY

Take responsibility for what your company did wrong in this situation. This is not to say that you should accept wrongdoing for something that you had no hand in. Instead, it is quite the opposite. Be very deliberate and share exactly how you failed your customers, stakeholders, and shareholders.

How you frame your responsibility will also share how you as a company are working to become more responsible, ethical, and efficient. Negative issues are an opportunity for internal reflection to determine how your company can adjust to become better. Taking responsibility is a trigger to audit current policies and processes and determine what needs to change.

INTEGRITY

While the first two are more reactive when negative issues whisper through the wind, integrity and policy are more proactive. Working to maintain brand image against negative press is, yes, a reactive issue when these problems crop up. But working to create a corporate culture that can reduce or possibly even eliminate problems is proactive and will strengthen the company.

A major factor of this is integrity. A moral, ethical company that operates on integrity will by default make choices and procedures that will help to avoid issues before they even exist. Companies that focus on honesty within management, employees, and the market will create a strong brand image that not only will minimize problems but will not damage loyalty with existing customers when they do arise.

POLICY

It may seem innocuous or unimportant. But policy around negative press and information is crucial to a company handling each situation in the future with consistency and transparency.

By creating a plan for which departments deal with which issues of bad press including how their responses should be structured and what reparations can be made, the company both recognizes that problems will come and that all employees are crucial to the responses. It also puts it at the top of mind that the company will be consistently ethical in how they handle negative comments in any situation, creating trust and positive company culture in backing the brand’s image.

While this tool kit is not expansive or comprehensive, they are the most crucial characteristics that a company can have to manage their brand image online. It may seem simple, but each quality is crucial to both proactive and reactive responses.

By employing these characteristics throughout your company and marketing strategy--whether before, during, or after any negativity comes your way--your brand image will be stronger because of it. Seeds will only take root in soil that is primed for it to grow. Your task is to prime the soil of the market with your transparency, responsibility, integrity, and policy to help positivity grow and flourish.

Sources:

How to Handle Negative Press About Your SMB (Links to an external site.)

How To Deal With Negative Press In A Positive Way