In uncertain times, people start questioning everything that they know to be true. As a result, we have to work twice as hard to hold on to their trust.
From politicians to huge household brands, everyone is restructuring in response to Covid: the way they handle themselves will make or break their brand trust.
How you are perceived is heavily influenced by whether or not you practise what you preach. When people begin to lose their trust in your brand, it becomes incredibly hard to earn it back.
It's specifically what people say about you when you're not in the room - it's all entwined within your reputation.
What Makes Up Your Brand
In essence, your brand boils down to your values, morals and ethics.
We all have values in life that we espouse, and all the decisions we make are based on these values. They should be absolutely, not negotiable so that you maintain that brand trust. Living out your values brings the authenticity of your brand into alignment.
When it comes down to protecting your brand, it's all about what you say and what you do, because your personal brand trust is critical.
People experience your brand through your behaviours, and your behaviours are essentially informed by your values. If your behaviours don’t remain true to your values, they can send out mixed signals and end up damaging your brand.
This is why it’s so important to know what your values are.
Why Reputation is Important
Some of us try to manipulate or move in a certain way to try and deviate from our chosen position. And that's fine, but it comes down to the way in which people perceive you.
It's incredibly important that you stick to what you say and what you do. People make judgements according to what they see and hear on the surface level, so make sure that the story you’re portraying is the one that you want people to make their judgements off of.
There's the old adage that people talk about you, and what they say about you when you're not in the room actually plays to that important element of brand trust and reputation.
You want to be in complete control of that narrative. Even if things are tumultuous behind the scenes, your reputation will be based on what people can see.
Once a brand’s reputation has been tarnished, it can take months or even years to regain people’s trust.
Always Stay True to Your Brand
In difficult times, we are all tested. People look to brands they trust to find comfort in their normalcy.
This is why you have to stand your ground and be in a position to put your hand up and be clear with your values, ideals and morals. People need to know where they stand with you.
Because they know what your brand is, your brand is going to end up damaged if you're not able to articulate the position and the views you have during the uncertain times.
Playing to the strengths of your values within your brand can give you the opportunity to maintain your reputation, brand trust, and make a significant impact on the world.
Key Takeaways
All the decisions we make in life are based on our values, and these values should be non-negotiable.
Sticking to our values is what influences people to maintain their trust in the brand.
Your behaviours should be based on your values to maintain authenticity. If they don’t, you can end up damaging your reputation and brand.
People can only make judgements according to what they see and hear, so ensure that what you’re putting out there is following the story you want to be telling.
Damaging people’s trust in your brand can be dismal for your reputation.