FEATURE
Simon Wadsworth , Founder of Igniyte
reactions from the public were made very clear on social media , with people vowing to spend money elsewhere .
And to show just how mainstream social media outrage is , Piers Morgan took it to Good Morning
Britain , saying on air : “ We will remember the companies who stepped up to care for their employees and customers and we ’ ll remember those who abused their employees .” A public apology from Mr Ashley quickly followed , but the damage was done .
In a time when outrage can be communicated instantly to millions of people , it ’ s never been more important for businesses to think about their online reputation . Back in the time of the first national UK lockdown due to the pandemic , ‘ blacklists ’ of offending businesses were quick to circulate . This mass outrage was a direct result of a C-Suite business leader saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time .
Lockdown losers in the online reputation stakes
Examples that spring to mind include Sports Direct . Following the announcement of the first lockdown in March 2020 , Sports Direct continued to remain open . To do so , CEO , Mike Ashley , argued that the sports equipment multinational counted as ‘ essential ’.
At the same time , the brand hiked home gym equipment up in price by 50 %. Immediate
Wetherspoons owner , Tim Martin , risked immense damage to his brand around the same time . Following Mr Martin ’ s decision not to pay his staff during lockdown , the public were suitably outraged . And in a move that shows how not to clear up a reputation disaster , Mr Martin then recorded a video message for his staff to tell them they should get a job elsewhere if they ’ re struggling . Cue a fresh wave of outrage and disgust and boycott Wetherspoons hashtags on Twitter .
Do you know what people think of you and your company ?
The corporate reputation of a company is the overall view people have of your brand . This view is based on the actions of people who work for the company , and this is usually the CEO or owner . A positive reputation goes a long way to building trust in your business . Even if you ’ re fairly certain your business has never come under fire , it ’ s a good idea to Google your brand name . Include www . intelligentcxo . com
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