The statistics are truly startling — a bad reputation can cost a company up to 90% of its revenue. Since a 90% cut in revenue is a death sentence for most firms, nothing is more critical than preserving brand image and preventing reputational damage.
So how can an executive or company protect their image and safeguard their brand in a modern world? How can they ensure they are noticed for all the right reasons?
Here are seven surefire ways to improve image and avoid a bad reputation:
Clean up the premises.
Dirty or ill-maintained surroundings are a huge turnoff, and every speck of dirt is another blow to a business and its reputation. Putting in the work to keep business premises maintained is well worth the payoff.
Maintain contacts.
Everything on a business’s website, or an executive’s, should be 100% correct and well maintained. Even a small mistake could destroy the credibility of said brand.
Know that employee appearance is a key driver of brand and reputation.
Setting a reasonable dress code and maintaining a professional appearance is absolutely vital.
Total trust is key.
Delivering on promises is an essential part of building and maintaining a brand. Consider the businesses on Kickstarter who failed to deliver what they promised and went bust as a result.
Do business with companies and individuals who have good morals and purposes.
You are known by the company you keep, so it’s well worth paying close attention as business deals are forged.
Actively remove enemies from the picture.
Every business has enemies, as do many executives. Do not allow your enemies inside the gate; they will destroy your reputation.
Do not allow a vacuum to develop.
Always be advertising and marketing — do not allow silence to take the place of an active marketing campaign.
It is easy to focus on crisis management, but preventing a crisis is always the better course of action. Avoiding a blow to one’s reputation is the best way to preserve the reputations of both the business and the brand. Following the seven guidelines listed above is a great place to start.
If you do need help with your reputation, give us a call and one of our reputation management specialists will be happy to assist you — to date Massive has cleaned up more than 1.1 million negative web pages. Always remember that your brand is the most important asset you have, and you must work hard to protect it.
