What do you do if your project's brand is at risk during execution?
When your project's brand faces challenges during execution, it can be a stressful time. Brand development is crucial, as it shapes the perception of your project and can determine its success or failure. Your brand is more than just a logo or a tagline; it's the embodiment of your project's identity, values, and promises to your stakeholders. If you notice that your brand is at risk—perhaps due to negative public perception, internal issues, or market changes—it's essential to act swiftly and strategically to mitigate the damage and steer your project back on course.
Begin by thoroughly assessing the extent of the risk to your brand. Look at customer feedback, media reports, and social media to understand the public's perception. Internally, evaluate if there have been breaches in brand guidelines or inconsistencies in communication. This initial diagnosis will inform the scope of your response and help prioritize actions. Remember, it's crucial to maintain transparency with your stakeholders during this process to preserve trust.
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Dux Raymond Sy
Chief Brand Officer @ AvePoint | Microsoft RD and MVP
If your project's brand is at risk during execution, it's essential to take immediate action to mitigate any potential damages. Identify the root cause of the risk and analyze its impact on your project's brand. Then, you can create a crisis management plan that outlines specific steps to manage the risk and protect your brand. This plan may include steps like communication strategies to maintain transparency with your stakeholders and customers, rebranding or repositioning efforts, or adjustments to project execution plans. Ultimately, the most important thing is to act swiftly and be proactive in protecting your brand's reputation.
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Igor Dukovny 🎗️
Founder/CEO at Electrr.com
In today's business landscape, online transparency is fundamental. Within minutes, you can gather extensive information about any company or individual. Specialists can assist in accessing internal details. If you're unable to find information about a company or individual online within 10 minutes, it's likely a scam. It's advisable to steer clear of any offers from such entities.
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Mats Georgson, Ph.D.
Your brand is always at risk. It is not a branding issue, it is a risk detection and avoidance and then mitigation issue. Your brand strategy is about getting people attracted to your brand, not about how to avoid the almost infinite ways a company can get a crisis on their ands. So keep the issues apart!
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Giridhar Nagaraja
Director at Techautocode Solutions: A Creative Studio | Making brands stand out since 2016 | Brand Identity | Creative Design | Brand Marketing
Its important to assess the situation promptly, identify the source of risk, and communicate with stakeholders. Implement corrective actions immediately. Prioritize maintaining brand integrity throughout the process, leveraging crisis management strategies to mitigate negative impacts and preserve trust.
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Muyiwa Bamiduro, MBA, MSc (UK), arpa
Experienced PMO and Marketing Communications Specialist | Driving Project Success & Brand Growth in the FMCG, Oil & gas, IT & Telecoms, Pharmaceutical, Banking sectors among others.
It will be almost impossible for the project/brand running into risk at execution stage because a RAIDs log would have been put in place to monitor the project right from initiation, thus, risk factors are constantly watched with a view to mitigating any issue that could develop to risk, if however it happened, the Project Manager would have to investigate the cause, is it a deviation from project plan, stakeholders mismanagement, scope creep or whatever, this will be corrected and if there is need to seek project extension, required procedures will be followed to put the project back on track.
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Ali Shah
Elevating e-commerce ROI | Generated $5m+ | Expert in Dropshipping | PL Brands | precision-targeted ads across Facebook | Instagram | TikTok and Google PPC | Media Buyer | eCommerce Consultant
When your project's brand is at risk during execution, start by assessing the damage thoroughly. Gather feedback from customers, monitor media reports, and analyze social media sentiment to understand public perception. Internally, review adherence to brand guidelines and consistency in communication. This initial evaluation will guide your response strategy and prioritize actions. Transparent communication with stakeholders throughout this process is essential to maintain trust and mitigate further damage to the brand.
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Sultan S. Salamh
Corporate Communications | Brand Management | Content Management | Marketing Strategy & Research | Business Process Management | Paid Media & PR
Start by carefully analyzing the risks to your brand. Examine customer feedback, media reports, and social media to gauge public perception. Internally, assess for breaches in brand guidelines or inconsistencies in communication. This evaluation will clarify the extent of the risk and help prioritize actions. Maintain transparency with stakeholders throughout to preserve trust. By understanding the problem's scope and communicating proactively, you can implement a response that aligns with your brand values and mitigates potential damage effectively.
Once you've assessed the damage, develop a comprehensive strategy to address the issues. This might involve revising your branding materials, engaging in a rebranding exercise, or launching a targeted communication campaign. Your strategy should align with your project's core values and objectives while also being flexible enough to adapt to new insights or changes in the situation. Ensure that your plan includes clear objectives, timelines, and responsibilities.
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Igor Dukovny 🎗️
Founder/CEO at Electrr.com
Utilizing timing effectively can be a powerful motivator, especially in the context of your brand. Once you've completed budget calculations, create a schedule with reminders and tasks to achieve key milestones during rebranding or company changes. Communicate these deadlines clearly to all employees. While working under stress is discouraged, adhering to contracts is crucial for the company's success. Without contracts, there's no stress, no growth, no bonuses, and ultimately, no revenue. It's all interconnected in the long term.
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Sultan S. Salamh
Corporate Communications | Brand Management | Content Management | Marketing Strategy & Research | Business Process Management | Paid Media & PR
This approach provides a strong framework for recovery. Developing a comprehensive strategy ensures that the response is organized and impactful. The focus on aligning with core values and being adaptable to new insights reflects strategic flexibility, which is vital in dynamic situations. Emphasizing clear objectives, timelines, and responsibilities ensures accountability and progress tracking. Your reply could emphasize the importance of coordination across teams to maintain consistent messaging and the need to regularly review progress to adjust the strategy as needed.
Your team is your frontline defense in protecting and restoring your brand's image. Communicate the situation and your strategy clearly to every team member. Encourage a culture of brand advocacy, ensuring that everyone understands the importance of a cohesive brand experience and their role in it. Provide the necessary training and support to empower them to act in the best interest of the brand at every customer touchpoint.
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Igor Dukovny 🎗️
Founder/CEO at Electrr.com
In government, large corporations, the military, and even among certain illicit groups, there exists a clear hierarchy. To ensure everyone understands this, when significant issues arise within these structures, they conduct a public reprimand. This might involve dismissing a high-ranking individual, transferring them to another department, withholding bonuses, or publicly reprimanding them to emphasize the seriousness of the situation. Typically, this leads to a period of strict order and discipline for several months thereafter.
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Sultan S. Salamh
Corporate Communications | Brand Management | Content Management | Marketing Strategy & Research | Business Process Management | Paid Media & PR
This idea underscores the critical role of the team in safeguarding the brand. Clear communication ensures that every member understands the strategy and their part in delivering a unified brand message. Encouraging brand advocacy cultivates a strong, supportive culture where each person feels responsible for maintaining a cohesive experience. Training and support equip team members with the skills to represent the brand positively across all customer interactions. You could reply by highlighting the importance of ongoing communication and reinforcement to sustain this culture and ensure alignment with the brand strategy.
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Michael Lynch
Brand Manager | Consumer First Marketeer
Leadership. Ensuring that the team fundamentally understands the problem at hand and the severity (or possible opportunity since sometimes there is beauty in the constraints). Risk is inevitable for brand stewardship, but proper diagnosis and management with a one team one dream approach can put that risk profile in either a blue ocean sail or red ocean navigation.
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Michael Lynch
Brand Manager | Consumer First Marketeer
To thinking errors I would add to the list ( first and foremost) 1)truly understanding the underlying issue and whether you have the critical information 2) if it involves another person , is the communication clear and valid. Miscommunication is a deadly error
Effective communication with all stakeholders is critical when your brand is at risk. Keep your messaging consistent, clear, and in line with your brand's voice. Address concerns head-on, provide updates on corrective measures, and highlight positive steps being taken. It's important to control the narrative before it controls you, so proactive communication is key.
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Igor Dukovny 🎗️
Founder/CEO at Electrr.com
The advice from LinkedIn is golden, and I couldn't agree more. It's crucial to maintain diplomacy in all situations, learning from the masters to manage your emotions effectively. Practice expressing your thoughts clearly and articulately, and pay attention to your body language. By mastering these skills, you'll become adept at conveying your ideas and handling challenging negotiations with ease.
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Sultan S. Salamh
Corporate Communications | Brand Management | Content Management | Marketing Strategy & Research | Business Process Management | Paid Media & PR
This insight stresses the importance of proactive, clear, and consistent communication when a brand is at risk. By addressing concerns directly and keeping stakeholders informed about corrective actions and positive progress, you can shape the narrative rather than letting external factors dictate it. This approach helps build trust and credibility during uncertain times. In your response, you might emphasize that being transparent about challenges and solutions reinforces stakeholder confidence, demonstrating the brand’s commitment to overcoming difficulties responsibly.
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Arnab R.
Take the risk or loose the chance!
If a project's brand is at risk during execution, swift action is crucial. First, assess the root cause of the risk, whether it's a product issue, communication misstep, or external factor. Then, communicate transparently with stakeholders, acknowledging the challenge and outlining steps being taken to address it. Utilize all available communication channels effectively, including social media, PR, and direct outreach to affected parties. Mitigate damage by emphasizing the brand's commitment to resolving issues and delivering value. Proactively engage with customers to address concerns and rebuild trust. Through clear, timely, and empathetic communication, you can minimize the impact on the brand and foster confidence in its integrity.
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Sunita Joshi
Author of The Order of the Dark | Story teller | Strategist | Branding & Communications Specialist | Instructional Designer | Creative & Content Specialist | Music Enthusiast | Artist | Digital/Social Content Designer
Navigating a brand through choppy waters during project execution requires vigilance, communication, and a proactive mindset. Keep stakeholders informed about the situation continuously and tactfully is the key. Transparency builds trust and demonstrates our commitment to addressing challenges. Explain the risks, potential consequences, and mitigation plans with timeline-driven course corrections. Be honest about any setbacks or DEVIATIONS from the original plan. Remember, if the brand is at stake, there is NO SUCH THING as OVER-COMMUNICATION.
As you implement your strategy, continuously monitor the progress and impact of your actions. Use tools like social media analytics, customer surveys, and media monitoring to gauge public sentiment and the effectiveness of your communications. Be prepared to make adjustments to your strategy based on this feedback to ensure that your brand is moving in the right direction.
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Igor Dukovny 🎗️
Founder/CEO at Electrr.com
You could compile a vast library of books on the significance of monitoring everything related to your brand online. The longer your company exists in the digital realm, the more positive and negative information accrues about it. It's essential to consistently monitor all aspects associated with your brand name. Overlooking a negative review or recommendation could profoundly impact your company. Embrace the roles of a spy, investigator, prosecutor, and judge for your brand. Occasionally, a negative review can offer valuable insights.
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Sultan S. Salamh
Corporate Communications | Brand Management | Content Management | Marketing Strategy & Research | Business Process Management | Paid Media & PR
I completely agree with this approach. Continuous monitoring is essential to ensure our strategy is on track and effective. Social media analytics, customer surveys, and media monitoring are invaluable tools that offer real-time insights into how our actions are perceived. By staying agile and being willing to adjust our strategy based on this feedback, we can remain aligned with public sentiment and our organizational goals. This iterative process will help us refine our efforts and ensure that the brand consistently heads in the right direction.
Finally, maintaining vigilance is crucial for long-term brand health. After addressing the immediate risks, keep an eye on brand performance indicators and stay ready to respond to future challenges. Continuous improvement in your branding efforts will help build resilience against potential risks and contribute to a stronger, more robust brand image over time.
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