Word of Mouth, Brands, and Opinions

Your brand, values, and word of mouth strategy

While a brand presents a standardized image with its goals, products, and services, there are always the unexpected consequences (good or bad) of an opinion. An audience is composed of many different individuals, all with their own independent opinions and values. 

However, a brand is not always a sole individual. Often composed of various parts, it was founded with a goal in mind but is now defined by the values within the organization as well. Because hot topics that cover religion and politics are so very sensitive, they can often cost a brand dearly by distorting its image. It is therefore important to consider how we can handle opinions and how we can use them to our advantage.

Take a lesson in expressing opinions

Consider the brand lessons we can learn from Chick-fil-a. Chick-fil-a is a very well established fast-food chain which is privately owned and has rarely taken the hot-spotlight until recently. What can we learn from them? Right approach? Wrong approach? An individual can always express their own personal values, but it makes it difficult to remain separate when they represent a brand. Always remember that the public doesn’t separate personal opinion from the brand. People care about their personal values. When you express your personal values, it can undermine your audience’s approval and cause distrust with your brand. So ask yourself: Who is your audience? Who do you want your audience to be? Are you seeking attention? Controversy is still publicity. Sometimes it’s risky, but do the rewards outweigh the cost?

Just remember that the mic is always on and if controversy is the topic, it will be heard and will inevitably go viral. It is often best to avoid aligning your brand with political or religiously related stances. Neutrality is important because you are always targeting 100% of the audience, even if they aren’t doing direct business with you. Word of mouth matters and you always want to be a recommendation.

Protecting your brand from outside values

Is it possible to protect your brand from the opinions of employees and personal beliefs? A brand is composed of many different individuals, all with their own values. While it is impossible to force belief on others, when they are representing your brand, they are responsible for representing your values, not their own. Coach your employees and leaders. If they want to be controversial, they must do it outside of your organization and separate themselves from you entirely. Social policies are a must have. Share your values with the entire organization. Set goals and establish a standard value that limits any undermining. Be cautious because the public may still see them as speaking for your brand. This is a difficult task that lies before every brand and it is always wise to have a contingency plan. Hire right and work to ensure employees have values that align with your brand image. Match the employee to the brand. That is how you create the most effective team. And remember that common sense is not always common. 

The values of those inside your brand

With your values established, there is still the question of how your brand can embrace the values and beliefs of employees and members. While it is your brand, it is always important to allow those who represent it to be able to express their own values; otherwise you may end up with bad PR situations. It is reasonably effective to have a place where opinions can be placed without being tracked to ensure honest and open feedback. Allow employees to be open with you, yet remain discreet as well. This can often help to ensure that the brand is “real” and in touch with the world, not outside it. Remember that internal openness is different from external messaging and by remaining open, you can effectively limit what is expressed externally. 

Creating the perfect storm?

Though there are issues with becoming controversial by expressing an opinion or taking a stand on values, it often results in a storm. Would you advocate creating a PR storm? They can be good or bad, and because creating controversy creates publicity, it is a technique often performed by brands in order to accelerate their image into the public view. The problem is that a PR storm is a tactic that doesn’t always work. It is often more reliable to work with strategy than to flip a coin and see if it turns up heads. The real challenge is creating the right kind of storm. A brand should create virality, not an issue they think would go viral. Generate shock and awe, but beware of what is appreciated and acceptable by the audience. Take a stance, but do it in a fashion so that it will align with your brand image, like when a brand of recycled paper backs environmentalist ideals. It’s a stance, but within the value of their brand. 

Brands and opinions are hard to separate, but even harder to mix together unless you have the right formula. Be sure your brand takes a stand on its values and that those that represent it always stay in the bounds of enforcing and endorsing those values.