Hesitation kills reputations
There’s been a lot of hesitation lately.
Companies hesitated. Media hesitated. Governments hesitated.
Hesitation – and the impact of slow movement – profoundly affects brand reputation and public relations effectiveness.
Companies hesitated. Media hesitated. Governments hesitated.
Hesitation – and the impact of slow movement – profoundly affects brand reputation and public relations effectiveness.
Recent hesitation examples include:
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SIRIS Radio and XM took too long to merge and are now on the brink of bankruptcy.
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Newspapers across the country, including The New York Times, took too long to adapt their business model to the realities of the Internet and are now in peril of extinction.
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Circuit City fired a majority of its higher-paid staff and replaced them with lower-paid employees; customer service took a serious nose dive; they didn’t act fast enough to rectify the mistake.
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Electric-car maker Tesla failed to get its electric car into mass production on schedule and is now praying for a government bailout to stay afloat.
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Apple hesitated to offer a DRM-free music option on iTunes, enabling Amazon to jump in with its own DRM-free offering and take away serious market share.
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The FDA didn’t move quickly enough in the peanut butter paste crisis, causing 1,000+ products to be recalled, 600+ people sickened by salmonella and nine deaths.
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The government didn’t act swiftly to penalize corporate excess and demand precise accountability for tax payer loans to corporations.
What’s the impact of all this hesitation from a public relations perspective? (Note: when I say “public relations” I’m talking about the real intended purpose of PR which is aligning organizations with the public good, not acting against it).
In addition to inflicting suffering and even loss of life, hesitation also affects:
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An organization’s relationship with consumers
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The steadfastness of its brand
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The top and bottom line
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Institutional reputation
When corporations fail to make swift, voluntary recalls; when they are forced to act; and when thousands of consumers are personally affected, the corporations themselves also suffer because former allies become adversaries. Profits and revenue are impacted when people think twice and stop buying or when products are pulled off the shelves.
When government doesn’t respond quickly enough to help people in need, it inevitably loses the trust of its own citizens.
When government doesn’t respond quickly enough to help people in need, it inevitably loses the trust of its own citizens.
While attorneys and political advisors typically err on the side of “no comment and give it time,” governments and corporations can directly benefit by putting in place a counter-balancing perspective that errs on the side of swifter action.
Caring for others and acting faster improves an organization’s lot in life. It can make popularities soar. Revenues and profits climb. Consumers more brand loyal. And grow reputations positively.
Not a bad trade-off for less indecision.
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