How can you manage your reputation and protect your brand in an always-on, controversial online landscape?
Building a brand that can withstand shocks and handle crises is more important in these tumultuous times than ever. Instead of putting out fires AFTER they happen, it helps to have a clear strategy to deal with potential curveballs so you can manage your reputation and better protect your brand. As a direct seller, network marketer, or small business entrepreneur, you might not have as much control over your brand when you’re affiliated with a larger organization, but there are still powerful steps you can take to establish an invincible empire. Today’s guest, Melissa Agnes, is the Founder and CEO of the Crisis Ready Institute and is a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. Her book, Crisis Ready, is not only globally recognized but also provides a framework around how to deal with the myriad of challenges when it comes to effective brand defense. In this episode, you’ll learn about the value of being proactive rather than reactive, plus some actionable steps to take, such as establishing core values and creating positive dialogue early on in any potential crisis. You’ll also learn about anticipating difficult questions, the power of being mission-driven and aligned with your purpose, and how to deal with controversy. Melissa’s methodology is a tried and trusted way of building a shock-resistant brand and helps you avoid knee-jerk reactions that might come back to bite you in the long run.
In this episode you’ll:
- Open up more positive brand dialogue no matter what crises you are facing
- Establish your core values proactively before a crisis begins
- Distinguish between issues versus crisis- and how to define those thresholds in advance
- Map your stakeholder response plan one department at a time
- Anticipate potential misalignment between you and your brand partner or partners
- Prepare to respond to extremely difficult questions more effectively and powerfully
- Open with a purpose-filled response when your actions are under fire
- Strategize more thoroughly for a vast number of potential scenarios
- Respond to your haters more strategically and intentionally for a better outcome
- Deliver controversial or strong opinions in way that is prepared for inevitable backlash when you want to take a stand on current events
Tweetables:
“I’m a strong advocate for being proactive and getting ahead of things before they become an issue.” — @melissa_agnes [0:05:16]
“Ultimately, one of the biggest failures in crisis management, in leadership and in communication is wanting to avoid the difficult questions, because they’re vulnerable and they’re uncomfortable and that’s not a space that leaders want to be in.” — @melissa_agnes [0:09:50]
“Silence is a communication. Silence is a very, very strong communication. Unless, that is the communication that you want to have out, that is the narrative that you want, then choose a different way.” — @melissa_agnes [0:11:07]
“When it comes to controversy, if you’re going to make a statement, then be very thoughtful and concise with your statement, and make sure it aligns with your core values, because that is always your guiding beacon.” — @melissa_agnes [0:20:44]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
The Secret to Successful Crisis Management in the 21st Century
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World
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