Brand Capital: an asset to take care of!

The notion of reputationfrom Capital de marque, returns regularly web marketing. This is often one of the reasons that pushes a company to adopt a local presence strategy means of social communication. THE reputation of a company it is not just digital, as one might believe given the resurgence in use of the term electronic reputationdates back to the birth of the very first social relationships between human beings.

For businesses, the issue is important today since then the consumer now has a say and what he wears! Once upon a time, reputation was managed mainly through press relations and the corporate communicationNow everyone has their say. The arrival of social networksTHE media proliferation and the fragmentation of the public they kindly provoked an emancipation of consumers in the face of brand communication. Therefore, brands need to increase their efforts and ingenuity to maintain their brand image.

Notoriety, Reputation, Image: Brand Capital!

A trademark is an identifying mark of a seller’s goods or services and allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition. Some products are so similar that only the brand can differentiate them. I won’t go into the different components of a brand, what constitutes its DNA and what makes it exist in the eyes of consumers. On the other hand, I would like to quickly address this issue brand capital. Brand value is considered the true capital of businesses. An intangible asset, it is an added value that the brand brings to the product and allows it to emerge from anonymity.

The value of the brand is the result of a set of components, among which we find notoriety, brand image et reputation. A company can have a great reputation while having a terrible reputation. Notoriety can be summed up in one sentence : how many know me ? It is the ability of consumers to identify the brand, its name, its logo, the probability that a brand comes to mind in certain circumstances, the ease with which it will be evoked. There are different types of notoriety:

• assisted notorietywhich corresponds to the percentage of people able to recognize a brand from a list of names proposed to them.
• spontaneous notorietywhat we all dream of corresponds to the percentage of people who name a brand when a product category is indicated to them. The brand that appears first is what we call: Top of mind.

However, keep in mind that the more notoriety you have, the more potential exposure you have image deficit. Small people are no more vulnerable than adults in this sector! Note the buzz surrounding the Apple brand. This is just as important when the brand releases a new product as when it encounters a problem with one. Even if the problem appears to affect few people, it will inevitably take on larger proportions than its competitors. That’s how it is.

Brandthis is what comes from the company. Here too there are several aspects:

• The desired image : this is the image that the company would like to convey, the one it would like consumers to have in mind. To do this it will use means of communication and marketing to achieve this image. Keep in mind that our communication must have an impact on the company before convincing the consumer. Internal communication will also play an important role in this phase.
• The perceived image : This is how consumers see your business, what they say about it. It can be spoiled by a bad experience, an unfortunate adventure or, on the contrary, turn out to be excellent. Generally, it is the result of consumers’ experience with your brand, but it can also be altered by media deals, etc. This is what it is more commonly called reputation.
• The real picture : Generally the desired image is larger than the actual image. The goal here is not to lie about what we are or are not. The goal is simply to improve our products, our services, our after-sales service, our communication and concentrate all our efforts to achieve the desired image.

Brand value: a big challenge…

“It’s easier to keep your reputation intact than to clean it up when it’s tarnished”

(Thomas Sorrow)

It is difficult to constantly maintain a flawless image. There is always the risk that an accident, sometimes completely unintentional, alters our company’s brand image. It can also take the form of malicious acts. It is complex to predict, for example, consumer reactions to certain product changes or renewals. Reputation damage can lead to a deterioration of the brand image and, consequently, a decline in sales or a loss of consumer trust.

The consumer is less passive, he becomes an actor of his consumption, consequently the company is no longer the only source of information in managing its image. Among what can damage the reputation of a brand, we remember:

• THE negative reviews of consumers, rumors, denigration and false information.
• THE trademark misappropriationproducts, logos, trademark theft.
• THE malicious acts such as hacking, phishing, etc.

Each of these threats must be taken seriously. THE consumer reviews are now taken into consideration and are present on numerous resources: commercial sites, consumer review platforms, blogs, etc. In 2020, 87% of French people have consulted customer reviews and 79% trust the customer reviews they consult. Over 66% of reviews are positive. The result is therefore overall quite satisfactory.

To defuse criticism it is essential to intervene and demonstrate your brand’s sense of service. This will allow you to make up for a negative experience. A satisfied consumer tells his experience to three people, a dissatisfied one will tell more than eleven people! Don’t take negative and repetitive reviews lightly! To satisfy your customers, all the driving forces of your company must be customer-focused. Be Customer Centric, develop a corporate culture focused on customer satisfaction.

As for the trademark misappropriationeven the fun ones, you risk seeing your company, your brand or your products associated with values ​​that you don’t uphold. Be careful, because these types of messages enter the minds of consumers.

Finally, for the malicious actsrequires a significant investment in security for your site and web services. The recent story of the photos stolen by the Cloud from various stars, including the unfortunate Jennifer Lawrence, is a good example of this. Access to these photos demonstrates the lack of reliability of Apple’s Cloud services and Dropbox (both services would have been affected). It is obvious that this leads to a justified distrust on the part of users towards the products and the company (and it is not Apple’s position on the subject, far from being satisfactory, that changes things).

…but not without recourse!

“It is almost always within our power to restore our reputation”

(François de la Rochefoucauld)

If the image may seem very dark, there are still possibilities, on the one hand to protect yourself, and on the other hand to correct a damaged image. I will not go back to the need to monitor the reputation of your company on the Internet (and not only on the Web), it is obvious. You will certainly not discover only negative things and you may be pleasantly surprised. In this case, encourage and spread positive messages.

Also remember that for information to have a real impact on your brand, it must be sufficiently well referenced and pass through trusted and widely distributed channels. However, don’t take risks and always try to solve your customers’ problems.

Therefore, if the Internet is a space of exchange and relative freedom, it is not even a space of illegality. The laws remain the same, defamation and abusive denigration are also punished. Of course, before starting criminal proceedings, exercise your right to reply when the platform allows it.

When it’s a justified complaint, you have the opportunity to listen to that voice and transform a negative impression. Offer the best experience possible, be transparent and don’t just show values: live them!