Just a few days ago, Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams started a Twitter debacle that hurt her brand personality. Williams tweeted out a picture of her exposed upper half, then later claimed that her account was hacked. The content was deleted within 5 minutes being posted, yet fans and followers had already started complaining that her image had gone down the drain.
Let’s take a look at how Hayley Williams responded to and began to recover from her misstep.
Take Initiative and Recover!
Ideally, one mistake or bad choice wouldn’t cause your brand personality to completely backfire. I’m sure there are few people who have an entirely clean slate and don’t have any misleading information or content about themselves on the Internet. But sometimes, people make mistakes. The best, most proactive brand managers are the ones who will recover quickly and take the initiative to de-emphasize, if not completely eliminate, costly mistakes. The best way to react to a situation like Hayley’s is to put your best foot forward and try to respond in positive ways to any negative feedback.
Acknowledge Your Supporters
Hayley has kept up in her spirits and thanked those who stood by her brand personality during the debacle. It is important to recognize those who supported you–brand loyalty pays dividends. There will always be people willing to tear you down at your most vulnerable. However, if you already have a developed brand personality that showcases your goals and values, then the setbacks won’t be impossible to bounce back from. If you take the time to build yourself up in a positive light and put your best foot forward, you’ll be able to rally back rather easily from an unfortunate “mistweet” or inappropriate blog post that attracts criticism.
Build a Good Foundation Today, Stand Strong Tomorrow
You may think since Hayley is famous it wasn’t difficult for her to rally from the bad press. Truth is, anyone can come back from a negative hit to their brand personality as well, provided they have a well-developed background and proven brand personality. This earns trust and respect from fans and supporters. Let’s put Hayley’s situation into perspective: before this incident she was considered a rather wholesome, polite celebrity. She carefully built her personal brand throughout the years, with the support of her family, band and fans. She remained consistently true to her image, and as a result, she is still seen in this light as the critical fallout dies down.
Be True to You
Celebrities aren’t the only ones who get a break, so don’t fret if your image and past aren’t completely spotless or perfect. Remember, perception is reality: people see you as you present yourself. Have confidence in your supporters to back you up as you continue to sell yourself, and don’t allow small slip-ups to bring your brand down.
No one is expected to be perfect. So let your brand personality speak for itself. Keep in mind that classic saying “haters gonna hate”, and let those who support you continue to help build and promote what you’re like and what you’re doing. Because just as haters gonna hate, lovers gonna love. Rely on your supporters and good reputation! Some bad press won’t necessarily ruin the brand personality that you’ve worked hard to build. Just relax and keep pressing forward and it won’t be long until that negative setback is no more than a distant memory.
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