Have you ever been in a situation where you told a friend about a business you loved and they counteracted with a horror story about the same place? If so, it probably gave you a moment of pause at best. At worst, you decided right then and there that you would never go back. The same can be said of online reviews, how a brand is perceived and what is being said about them on social media. 

Imagine being a cannabis business owner that has had seemingly good customer feedback for years and then, poof! Just like that your business is suffering because of a disgruntled customer or former employee. They decided it was worth the five minutes of their time to report a poor experience on Google, social media, Yelp and several other niche listing sites. Even if their words don’t hold any truth, they hold value to those who are reading it. This is a good example of how brand reputation can make or break a business.

What Is Brand Reputation?

“Brand Reputation is the perception of the brand and how the particular brand of the company is viewed by the customers, stakeholders, and the market as a whole. It is the culmination of ideas and emotions that a customer associated with the brand through the customer service experience during the purchase of goods and services, whilst using them, and after-sales services provided by the company” (Bhasin, 2021). 

I recently hopped online to take a look at a food menu for a craft brew bottle shop in my area. Even though I go to their business frequently, I wanted to see something related to their menu. But before I could do so, something caught my attention. There were several one-star reviews recently posted that talked about the food. It just didn’t add up to what I had experienced. I decided to ask the owner when I came into the shop. Their response was an eye-roll and a big sigh. A former disgruntled employee was taking out revenge for getting fired. They had made several one-star reviews full of fictitious scenarios on Google, Yelp and Facebook. Unfortunately, that business owner didn’t notice the reviews until days later and didn’t know if there was anything they could do about them. 

Not only was their business potentially suffering because of the reviews that remained visible to all those researching their next craft beer experience, but to future employees, this was not the place they should go to seek employment. Additionally, local competitors now had fodder to share with others. Despite the stories being fictitious, this business was seemingly stuck. “When consumers make a conscious (or unconscious) choice between brands, for example, they are affected by a whole nexus of influences which can be broadly summarized as "reputation." Someone buying a car may choose a manufacturer with a record of reliability. A perfume buyer might opt for a brand with an image redolent of luxury and elegance. A person looking to purchase electronic devices may make a decision based on an image of stylish design and efficient functionality. Bluntly, reputation is a major contributor to sales and, therefore, profit” (Blanchard, 2019).

What To Do If Your Brand Reputation Is Suffering

Fortunately, for the aforementioned craft brew bottle shop there were a number of things they could do to counteract the vicious lies that were being spread about their business. The first thing they could do is report the reviews on Google as inappropriate. The reason why they could dispute them is because the former employee was so outlandish with their accusations that there was no way they were real. In one post they claimed that their boyfriend, Biggie Smalls, ate the food there and then died. As humorous as it was, their one-star review remained online for all to see. Now for businesses that receive negative reviews that are very real, disputing them with Google won’t help. However, you can reply to those reviews with tact, respect and offer to make things right. How you handle the negativity will also contribute to your brand reputation. All eyes are on you to respond professionally. 

The second way to counteract the negative review is by encouraging customers to leave positive ones. For ideas on ways to encourage them, head to our blog on Why Do Cannabis Customer Reviews Matter? And How to Get Them. In today’s consumer world, customers expect businesses to be responsible, have ethical moral codes, to own up to mistakes and offer to make things right. Younger generations such as Millennials and GenZ place a huge emphasis on shopping with ethical brands. 

The third way to be proactive with negative reviews is through brand reputation management. Brand reputation management is setting up monitoring services either through an agency, software or very niche alerts that can help you become aware of negative feedback immediately. Anticipating that there will one day be someone who is less than happy with your cannabis brand isn’t weak, it’s smart.

Even at your worst, you have the opportunity to make it right. Your brand reputation is a culmination of so much more than just how you treat your customers. In today’s cannabis market, you can’t afford to disregard brand reputation. By placing your brand reputation at the forefront of your business strategies, you are ensuring that you will one day encounter that upset person on the other end of the screen. But now you are armed and ready to handle it.

Resources:

Bhasin, Hitesh. What is Brand Reputation? Importance of Brand Reputation. Marketing91. 2021, April 21. https://www.marketing91.com/brand-reputation/.

Blanchard, Paul. The Importance Of Brand Reputation: 20 Years To Build, Five Minutes To Ruin. Forbes. 2019, December 27. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/12/27/the-importance-of-brand-reputation-20-years-to-build-five-minutes-to-ruin/?sh=58f8aafa2e69.