How do companies overcome negative press? How do they manage their brands? How do they increase positive online content? These are all good questions to have when your brand is doing its best to maintain its reputation.
First thing first, we need to understand what Online Reputation Management is “Online reputation management (ORM) is not a method for avoiding responsibility for bad business practices. A company should be using all online feedback to improves its products and services and its employee training” (Larson, 2018).
Below I have looked at a company that is doing a fabulous job of brand management! I looked in more depth at Adidas and specific keywords:
I first choose to set a Google Alert which is a tool that helps monitor what is being said online. Some keywords that I felt were important for the brand management of Adidas can include, athletes, scams, fraud, scandal, product release. Being aware of all these keywords can help monitor what is being said around the company and can address any negative opinions and false claims to help protect the company’s reputation.
As these keywords can and may bring negative associations for customers and their perceptions on the company it’s important to always portray the company in a positive light as best as they can.
Some findings I found from searching the SERP with these keywords are below:
- Top Kiwi athlete Zion Armstrong has moved up within Adidas corporate ranks to be the present of its multibillion-dollar North American operations.
- Don’t Be Fooled by this Adidas Phishing Scam – “A new Adidas phishing scam has been detected that offers free shoes and money. The messages claim that Adidas is celebrating its 69th anniversary and is giving 2,500 lucky customers a free pair of Adidas sneakers and a free $50 a month subscription”
- Three sentenced in Adidas recruiting scandal – “A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced the three men convicted of pay-for-play schemes to steer high-profile recruits to Adidas-sponsored college basketball programs to multiple months in prison”.
- Top Adidas Marketer Found Guilty of Fraud in College Basketball Corruption Scandal – “James Gatto was accused of paying players to attend brand-sponsored schools”
- Adidas Release Calendar – “Upcoming SneakerReleases Discover the new adidas sneakers that you can shop now and see what’s coming soon in 2019”.
Is it Right or Wrong for a Business to try to Hide Negative Information Online?
I don’t think that it is wrong for a business to try and hide negative information because they just want what’s best for their company and to be able to manage their reputation as best as they can. However, hiding negative important is extremely hard to hide everything but, they can try. I think the best option when negative information is posted and discussed towards a company they need to address the negative press head-on and be transparent about it. This will allow for consumers to understand what has happened and how the company will move forward and address the issues at hand without being too shady about what they are hiding.
How Adidas is Successfully Mastering their Online Brand Management?
I feel that Adidas has successfully mastered their online brand management as they are constantly releasing press statements and addressing issues that may be controversial within their company. They are a company that focuses on being transparent and open about any negative and or controversial subjects for their customers and they acknowledge any wrongdoing and work towards being a better company at all times.
As well, Adidas is a company that focuses on managing costly brand associations. A tip that Adidas does will is “be cautious of associating your product or brand with social issues because you likely will get too far off-message” (Brand, 2019).
Additionally, another strategy that Adidas has done successfully is they have developed their brand internally as “All employees are brand ambassadors. Get buy-in from the entire organization to communicate your brand. This internal adoption is essential for maintaining brand consistency. Be sure every department represents the brand in all communication with customers, partners, and suppliers” (Schmidt, 2019).
As you have read, Adidas is one of the many brands that do a great job managing their brand presence. Now it’s your turn to implement some of the strategies that they have adopted into your business!
Sources:
“Brand Management Tips from 50 Expert Resources.” MerlinOne, 7 Aug. 2019, https://merlinone.com/brand-management-tips/.
“Chapter 11: Online Reputation Management (ORM) ” Digital Marketing Essentials, by Jeff Larson and Stuart Draper, Publishing by Edify, 2018.
Schmidt, Cory, et al. “Brand Management – 5 Simple and Effective Principles.” Canto, 19 Sept. 2019, https://www.canto.com/blog/brand-management/.