REPUTATION MANAGEMENT AND DEALING WITH NEGATIVE PRESS

PR expert Julia Kendrick gives her top tips for building and protecting a strong brand reputation in aesthetics

I recently stumbled across a brilliant quote by beauty industry pioneer Elizabeth Arden: “Repetition makes reputation, and reputation makes customers”.

So, there we have it – the answer to the question “Why should I invest in building and maintaining my business reputation?” Because the consistent actions you take to build and maintain your reputation are critical to a healthy bottom line and robust customer base.

PR is intrinsically linked with reputation management – the central tenet of PR is to control and influence third-party perceptions – to positively impact what others have to say about you, not necessarily what you just say about yourself.

In our competitive aesthetic industry, taking a proactive approach to your reputation has never been more critical – especially in today’s environment of instantaneous (and permanent) commentary and feedback on the internet and via social media. Ifyou are wondering how to build and maintain your reputation (orhowto repaira recent dent), this article will explain the fundamentals of reputation management and how you can create a lasting, positive reputation for business success!

WHAT IS REPUTATION MANAGEMENT?

Reputation management is primarily where PR and marketing communications are used to shape, manage, and maintain the external public perception of your brand or business to align or shift this to your desired, internal positioning. Today, most people view the reputation of a brand through the lens of search engines, traditional media, social media and word-of-mouth.

REPUTATION: WHAT OTHERS PERCEIVE

When it comes to making a purchase (or deciding whether to have an aesthetic treatment), we know that an unbiased thirdparty recommendation is one of the most powerful ‘convincers’ in the consideration process. Patients often value the opinions or experiences of friends and family more highly than their own research or information. Brand reputation is always working in the background, on your ‘owned’ channels where you control the messaging, such as websites, social media, clinic marketing etc – but also in what others say about you and what they’ve heard or seen in their own circles of experience.

A strong, consistent brand reputation is the cornerstone of every successful business – it tells the public who you are, why you are different and what they can expect from your goods or services. Building and maintaining your brand reputation is critical for creating ongoing consumer awareness, trust and demand for your services – helping differentiate you from competitors and tip consumers from consideration into ‘action’.

EVERYONE IS A BRAND AMBASSADOR

Your biggest brand advocates can be found within your business and existing customer base. Consider your receptionists, sales teams, and practitioners – as well as any suppliers such as PR, marketing or social agencies – all of whom can be equipped with your brand messages and values to confidently promote your business at any opportunity.

Your customers are another vital source of reputation-building power. They are your most influential advocates, so every touchpoint with customers is an opportunity to communicate who you are and why you’re special – to make a positive impression that they can then pass on to their contacts for that all-important third-party recommendation.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

As per that Elizabeth Arden quote – repetition (and I would add, consistency) is critical to building a strong reputation. Aesthetic businesses face two key challenges. Firstly, competition is fierce, so brands must work extra hard to remain visible and relevant to their target audiences. Secondly, consumer attention spans are shorter than ever – so ifwe do not see something regularly, it can quickly be forgotten or replaced by a more proactive and engaging competitor. This means businesses must communicate in a timely, engaging and refreshing manner with their existing and target clientele. Much of this can be achieved with a strong clinic marketing plan and possibly, outsourcing some PR support to a specialist consultant or agency to keep the brand visible among press, influencers and broader audiences outside your existing clientele.

For example, a reputation-building clinic marketing plan could include at least:

• 1x patient newsletter – try to keep it brief, engaging and be sure to include links to your website. MailChimp have easy to use templates you can send to your clinic database

• 2-3x social media posts per week – you can use scheduling software like HootSuite or Schedugram to plan your posts and schedule them to publish at your chosen date/time

• 1x email campaign or social media advertising campaign per month – what do you want to promote that month and drive action for? Maybe for lapsed patients to come in for a free skin consultation, ora special seasonal treatment offer?

ONLINE BRAND REPUTATION

In our world of instant online access and social media, brands are even more connected to their customers. Prompt responses are an essential part of business engagement, to build your “tribe” and garner that trust and positive customer experience. Customers now expect a level of genuine engagement and interaction with businesses – from likes and comments on social media to follow-ups and ongoing interaction offline, post-purchase and so on.

Many of these are positive interactions, but of course, there can also be an element of managing negativity online – dealing promptly and effectively with issues, and managing expectations so that any difficulties are nipped in the bud. It is vital to ensure that you have time and resources dedicated to managing your online brand reputation or entrusting this task to a dedicated supplier.

HOW TO HANDLE NEGATIVITY ONLINE

Negative online comments and reviews can present tough challenges for your aesthetic business. Knowing how and when to respond is critical, as you may cause more damage with a heavy-handed or defensive approach. Similarly, you should know your rights when it comes to defending your business from defamation and false claims.

Rule number one is never, ever ignore the problem: it won’t go away, and others are watching to see how you handle the issue. Here are some effective tips to help you manage negativity online:

• Always take the high road – No matter the injustice or the inaccuracies – don’t get drawn into a public spat, especially on social media where it’s there for all to see. Acknowledge the comment or issue on the same platform on which it was made, and offer to get in touch directly to discuss and resolve the matter.

• Don’t fight fire with fire – Leave the response video rants to the celebrities. Don’t respond in kind – no matter how tempting it may be. Make sure you’ve had time to calm down and collect yourself before issuing any kind of response. Gather the facts and bear in mind that the internet is forever, there’s no such thing as off the record and thanks to screenshots all your correspondence could be shared publicly – so whatever is shared must be above board!

•Acknowledge and take action –The quickest way to diffuse the situation is to acknowledge it and push it straight to a resolution opportunity. You are not agreeing with what was said – you are merely acknowledging the dissatisfaction and publicly stating yourdesire to find a resolution.

Ifstep three fails and vitriol is still flying – issue a statement on your channels and website to state the facts ofthe situation, what you have done to tryto resolve it and that you remain open to a professional resolution. Protecting your brand reputation from this kind of damage is a vital part ofyour business management – ifin doubt, engage the services ofa PR professional who can support you with issues management.

WHEN IS IT DEFAMATION?

Defamation refers to the action of damaging someone’s reputationthrough slander (a spoken falsehood) or libel (a published false statement) and while it is not illegal, it is still a ‘tort’ or civil ‘wrong’, which can be resolved through legal proceedings. If disparaging comments or written materials damage another business’s reputation to the point where actual or probable financial loss is incurred, then the party has grounds to sue for defamation per the 2013 Defamation Act. In general, however, a measured and professional approach to negativity can usually mitigate most of these situations and it shouldn’t need to escalate to legal action!

CONCLUSION

When a brand reputation is managed consistently, it can help create a strong profile which generates repeat business, attracting further growth opportunities and partnerships which can ultimately take your brand to the next level. By investing in consistent PR and marketing approaches to build and maintain your reputation, you can grow and nurture your customer base, boost sales and differentiate yourself from competitors. If you need guidance in developing your brand’s profile, an experienced communications agency (like Kendrick PR) can provide much-needed strategic support to help your brand stand out.

BIOGRAPHY

An award-winning business strategy and communications expert with 20 years of experience, Julia Kendrick is a regular industry author, speaker and trainer specialising in the cosmetic surgery, aesthetic medicine and advanced beauty/wellbeing sectors. In 2018, Julia launched Kendrick PR – a full-service B2B and B2C specialist PR agency, working with the UK’s leading aesthetic and beauty clients. Julia is passionate about supporting female-led businesses and creating a supportive network of like-minded entrepreneurs built on an ethos of flexibility, empowerment and collaboration.