If you are Nutella, building a social media presence, driving engagement, and all of that other good stuff is easy. Nutella is a beloved, completely non-controversial brand. That makes the work of Nutella’s and similarly loved brands’ social media departments easy. But what happens if your brand isn’t loved? What if you are the sort of brand that inspires controversy or even flat-out hatred? We’ve seen how brands like the NYPD and McDonalds have tried and failed to use social media effectively. Is it possible for a brand with a negative image to build a solid, engaging presence online?
The answer is yes. Here are 4 brands that use social media to effectively combat a negative image.
Chase
There is nothing fun or exciting about a bank. Many banks and other financial companies spend most of their time online dealing with negative comments from customers who are upset about issues like hidden fees. The problem is worse for large banks that seem like faceless, cold, corporate monsters to most people. Chase found a way around the problem of the typical big bank with their Community Giving program. Most of Chase’s social presence is dedicated to the program where the bank donates money to theaters, animal shelters, and other worthy causes.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Nobody likes airport security. Getting frisked, searched, and x-rayed is inconvenient to many and feels like a violation of privacy to many more. However, the TSA has managed to set up a fun, engaging Instagram account. The account features pictures of quirky confiscated items like sword canes and batarangs but also pictures of the TSA’s drug and bomb sniffing dogs. By putting a human (and canine) face on their brand, the TSA has gone a long way towards alleviating some of their image issues.
Domino’s
Domino’s pizza has never been known for the quality of their ingredients. In fact, until a few years ago, the most positive comment you would hear about Domino’s pizza was that it was bland. Not bad, just bland. To deal with this problem, Domino’s launched “Turnaround” and completely changed their product, using better ingredients, and a new recipe. To announce this campaign, Domino’s launched a series of YouTube videos where they tackled their negative image head on. Domino’s customers were interviewed saying just how terrible Domino’s pizza was. At the end of the videos, Domino’s promised to do better, and showed these disgruntled customers their great new product. The campaign was a big success for Domino’s.
Comcast
If most people dislike banks, they HATE their cable providers. Cable companies in general and Comcast in particular have some of the lowest favorability ratings of any brands in the United States. Comcast deals with constant complaints from customers on social media. To counter these complaints, they utilize Comcast Cares– a Twitter account dedicated to giving individual attention to customer service complaints. Comcast knows that if they play their cards right, they can use Comcast cares to turn their critics into advocates.
