Testing Brand Stamina

In a crisis, who you are will dictate how you’ll fare.

What do the recent Volkswagen scandals mean for legacy brands?

When our trust is violated, do we respond differently to people than to companies?

Legacy Brands vs. Disrupters

Legacy brands have credibility. They’ve weathered storms. You assume they’re good to have thrived for so long.

Are brands like VW too big to fail?

Or are they going the way of our ever-shrinking attention spans? As new challengers arise, will their grip on consumers’ imaginations slip?

From a damage control perspective, VW had a solid strategy. They realized they were at fault and took immediate action. They fired their CEO and opened lines of communication with customers to let them know how it was going to be fixed.

Now that VW seeks to reassure loyal customers and recapture market share, its Crisis PR and Marketing teams need to work hand-in-hand to ensure their messaging is consistent.

People vs. Companies

When an individual wrongs us, it hurts more. It’s personal. It’s the human element that gives it that extra sting. We hold them to a higher standard.

Not so much when companies and organizations do it. They’re nebulous, and we almost expect them to be doing something they shouldn’t. Often our reaction is to shrug.

The Bottom Line

If the public’s trust was betrayed, your ability to bounce back depends on various factors. Has your brand built up a vast bank of goodwill? Are you or your product or service easily replaceable?

Unless you’ve amassed a cult-like following (à la Apple or Disney), it’s harder to bounce back. If you’re a new, smaller brand like Tesla, you’d be toast.

Elon Musk, on the other hand, would be fine. He’d just find another pet project to be his golden child.

For more on this topic, check out #7 of 10 Pop Songs That Perfectly Illustrate The Brand-Consumer Relationship. Makes you think about how we cultivate our own personal brands and how our reputations are affected. http://goo.gl/ZJMZti

For a deeper glimpse into our world, see our book on Amazon, A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR: Protecting Your Clients In & From the Media.

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You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.

Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.