how they felt about the brand much as the commercial may have bothered them . Moreover , they say they have since moved on after Pepsi published an apology .
How well a brand recovers is pegged on its pre-existing reputation and customers loyalty . A loyal customer would throw their weight behind the brand even in a murky situation . Brands with a longstanding loyal customer base will recover quickly .
United airlines has yet to fully recover from its PR crisis after forcibly removing a passenger from a flight . In a recent survey of 500 consumers , who were asked if they would buy the airline tickets seven months after the incident , only 42 % said they would fly United Airlines . One third say they lost a sense of safety and trust after the crisis . Though all PR incidences are different , they all affect customer perception of the brand and can carry on long after the incident . risk of suffering brand damage . No matter the size of an organization , all employees need to be made aware that their actions , even when they are just following company policy as in the case of Starbucks , may land the company into a crisis .
Preparedness is a must as written crisis plans may not be full proof . A good PR and social media crisis plan must be fluid and agile . Most of the time , it takes thinking on the feet and acting on the fly . The response a company gives is more important than what the media says , or what the company says about itself .
Social media monitoring must also be a full-time job for organizations that manage crisis situations well . Social media can propel a company to stardom in just a few groups and a few tweets . Monitoring can alert a company of an impending crisis
and measurement will help gauge recovery and inform what customers would like the brand to do to make them feel more valuable .
This does not include offers and marketing messages or give-aways , it involves candid conversations like having the CEO coming on Facebook Live to answer customer queries for a time or responding to clients with personalized letters to make them feel valued and reassure them that the brand still cares to have them as a customer .
Diana Obath is a seasoned Public Relations and Communications Specialist . You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail on : ObathD @ gmail . com .
Uber is also an interesting brand to watch . The online taxi hailing service has suffered a bashing in different markets across the world . Only recently a new scam used by Uber drivers to lengthen the trip and inflate costs of taxi rides was discovered in Lagos and Nairobi . Riders would complain of inflated bills which taxi drivers blamed on surges on the app only to discover that the app was being manipulated by rogue drivers and techs .
Rising cases of sexual assault and crime using Uber cars by both passengers and employees has also affected customer perception of safety and trust in the company . Uber ’ s greatest problem may be the lack of loyalty by both the drivers and customers .
A random sample of Uber drivers in Nairobi revealed that they have all the online taxi apps and operate in as many companies as they can . They use them variably depending on price , time and availability . The same applies to customers . An Uber customer is also likely a Taxify customer and will also use Little Cabs and Mondo from time to time .
Whenever Uber has a crisis between drivers and the company , the drivers would have to stop other taxi drivers from other companies from operating . The riders would not ideally be affected because they have at least three to four options . Proactive risk management has become extremely critical for all brands in business today . Smaller organizations run a greater
JUNE SPECIAL OFFERS MEN ’ S ONLY GROOM ING L OUNGE
This month we celebrate our fathers , husbands , brothers and all the special men in our lives . Book them in for a treat they truly deserve and and show them you care !
Men ’ s Escape
Sea Salt Body Scrub ( 30 mins ) + Power Play Massage ( 60 mins ) + Hydrating Facial ( 40 mins )
Father ’ s Day Bliss
Executive Manicure ( 45 mins ) + Signature Pedicure ( 60 mins ) + Hot Stone Massage ( 60 mins )
Ultimate Dad
Haircut ( 40 mins ) + Wet Shave ( 40 mins ) + Express Manicure
Bespoke Man
Bespoke Facial ( 60 mins ) + Muscle Reviver Massage ( 60 mins )
Father & Son Package
Haircuts for 4500 for both
2 nd Floor , Village Market - New Wing
+ 254 ( 0 ) 741 151 000 info @ refineryg room ing . com www . refineryg room ing . com
* Offers subject to booking and availability . Valid till 30th June 2018 .
KSh 9,900
KSh 8,500
KSh 5,500
KSh 9,500
KSh 4,500