It's important to consider the branding between the gaps.

Danny R. from Impact Labs responded to one of my recent emails. He shared a couple of similar articles with me that he had written. ​This one​ is great.

I'm always blabbering about everything you do being branding. But I've never clarified:

Even the things you DON'T do are branding. Because doing nothing is still doing something.

And honestly, I don't have anything to add to his article right now. Read it and enjoy it. Here's a little blurb (bolding is mine):

You can and should be completely intentional with Brand Marketing when possible, but the gaps will be filled with what you choose to do (or not do) in those moments...For example, if you’ve received negative feedback on a Facebook post or on a site like Trustpilot, replying and owning the issue says something about the integrity of your organisation... it says to the world that you have the guts and humility to take ownership of your errors and try to make them right.

But not replying to that comment can say just as much.

Every interaction either by email, in person, over zoom or on socials sends a tiny signal to the reader that this is how your organisation handles this particular type of thing.

Replying to the negative comment, and owning the issue rather than ignoring it likely creates more trust than an ad campaign about how trustworthy you are (at a fraction of the cost).

It’s worth reminding your team of this regularly, especially if they are in public-facing roles...Everything you do and don't do becomes a part of your brand.

✌️Rvw