#brand-fallout

#brand-fallout

Anna Holmes defines 'hype aversion' as a reflex against being told what to like, suggesting that popularity can create pressure rather than signal quality. This feeling can lead to a deliberate choice to resist mainstream culture.

What most executives understand intellectually-but often underestimate in practice-is that a brand doesn't live in positioning statements or buzzy marketing campaigns. A brand lives in its people. Great brands have a strong, clear, and consistent core identity and they have leaders at every level who know how to carry that identity with confidence and courage.

"Any time you have to explain your name, you're essentially apologizing for it," says Alexandra Watkins, the founder of naming firm Eat My Words. Her deal-breakers for names include 'looks like a typo' and 'hard to pronounce.'

He goes, go get the umbrellas. Andrés stayed at the pan, cooking through the downpour while the crowd slowly circled back. Champagne came out, people laughed in the rain and a messy situation turned into a shared memory. That scene showed the group what the company does best.

Social media harm reduction is the reduction of harm when it happens,

If we're going to do a partnership with Almond Breeze, we'll just tell people it's really good.

It's human nature to want to act immediately and alleviate pressure when you find yourself in hot water. But sharing news that isn't complete yet or telling the public too much too soon can turn up the temperature even more. Avoid the need for a public retraction later by accurately, concisely and clearly communicating with your audience from the start.

There are a variety of reasons why companies take the rebrand plunge, but one thing is certain - they feel the action is worth the risk. The consumer market is so highly competitive that brands often need to take drastic measures to stay relevant. For many companies it can take a massive overhaul to fuel a brand enough to push through the masses and stay top of mind for consumers.

Running a social account is a delicate balance between risk and trust. "I think it's almost like a double-edged sword ... don't overthink it, but also learn the muscle of putting out risky content and knowing the limitations of how risky you can go," said Jori Evans, director of social at Manscaped. Evans gained experience from working with boutique brands before moving onto Microsoft, Groupon and with agencies for brands like Slim Jim. She will speak on a panel at Ragan's Social Media Conference next month to discuss what it really takes to manage a brand's social account behind the scenes.

So the brand reinvents itself to pull in a younger segment of the market, often by borrowing ideas from cooler competitors to seem more "on-trend." But instead of younger and cooler, the rebrand comes off as insincere, stilted, or cringey. Worse, the brand's older, core customers, who liked the brand as it was, are irritated by the changes. Instead of spurring new growth, the effort drives off some of the existing customers, leaving the brand worse off than when it started.