From Viral Fame to Company Shame: TikTok’s Effect on Business Reputation – case study
In recent years, TikTok has become a popular platform for businesses to promote their products and services. With its vast user base and easy-to-use features, many companies have leveraged TikTok to reach new audiences and increase their brand awareness. However, there is a growing concern that TikTok may actually have a negative impact on businesses, partially due to the rise of a new trend known as “deinfluencing”.
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The Rise of Deinfluencing on TikTok and Its Impact on Businesses
Deinfluencing on TikTok is a trend that involves users sharing their negative experiences with products or influencers in an effort to warn others and prevent them from making the same mistakes. While this can be helpful in some cases, it’s important to note that the phenomenon can also have negative consequences, particularly for brands that are targeted.
There is a significant need for balance in deinfluencing, as it can easily turn into a form of online bullying or tarnish a brand’s reputation without giving them a chance to respond or make things right.
It’s also worth noting that brands should take an active role in addressing negative feedback and building a positive reputation. Rather than simply ignoring deinfluencing, they can engage with their audience, listen to their concerns, and take steps to improve their products or messaging. By doing so, they can turn negative feedback into an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to their customers and build a stronger, more loyal following.
The Power of Social Media
A great example where the company’s PR activity was poor after the crisis is a case of Pink Honey UK, a cosmetics brand, that accused Revolution Beauty of copying their brow product. An influencer claims that Revolution Beauty’s “Brow Soap Styler” is nearly identical to their “Brow Glue,” which was launched a year prior. Pink Honey has called for the company to acknowledge the similarities and stop selling the product. Despite the removal of the post promoting the product on Instagram and withdrawing it from sale, a group of potential customers remembered this matter and their disgust towards the company remained. The video has received 3.1 million views on TikTok so far. Revolution brand declined to comment on the whole situation to the press.
Broken Umbrella Case
Uniqlo’s attempt at a bold social media strategy, by responding to customer complaints with humorous content on TikTok, is being questioned. While some customers find it amusing, others feel their complaints are not being taken seriously. Uniqlo recently posted a clip of an umbrella with human eyes looking shiftily from side to side to respond to a Tiktok with a customer complaint about a broken umbrella, which caused the customer to feel like the brand was making fun of him.
“I don’t mind being laughed at; I always make myself the butt of the joke. But it’s a bit like, ‘Oh, so you aren’t going to resolve this issue, you’re just gonna make a laugh out of it?’ Which is just a bit weird”
says Jack Remmington, author of the video.
The brand removed the TikTok response and Uniqlo’s representative contacted Remmington via Instagram direct message offering a new umbrella and a gift as an apology. He accepted it and affirmed that he does not hold any grudges against the brand. Although the brand somehow mitigated the crisis, taking into account the size and scope of the aforementioned deinfluencing, it is difficult to expect that every dissatisfied customer would receive an apology gift, although in an ideal reality we would all like such individual treatment.
Improper use of the opportunities offered by social media leads to building the image of a disreputable brand. It provides us with the fact that professional communication from a company is crucial in building trust and maintaining positive relationships with customers. In fact, clients do expect a certain level of professionalism from the companies they interact with. While there may be a temptation to use humour or unconventional tactics to stand out, sometimes a traditional approach is the most effective way to convey a sense of reliability and competence.
GoWork to The Rescue
An open forum on GoWork.uk, provides a platform for the company to respond to both positive and negative comments in a professional manner, thus building a positive image. By addressing concerns and thanking customers for their positive feedback, a company can show that they care about their customer’s opinions and are committed to providing the best service possible. Also, an appropriate and substantive way of responding to all complaints is a great way to clarify ambiguities. It will facilitate recruiting the best specialists who will want to be a part of such a company.
Furthermore, a well-developed thread on the forum can improve the company’s search engine optimization SEO ranking, as Google often displays popular forum threads at the top of search results. This means that potential customers or employees searching for information about the company are more likely to come across a positive thread rather than negative past events or controversies. Overall, an open forum can be an invaluable tool for companies to engage with their audience and build a positive and professional image.
One video: potential risk
Due to the easily attainable organic reach on TikTok, one negative review can reach a wide audience, and often only a fraction of viewers will see the company’s response. As a result, TikTok can be a powerful but sometimes dangerous social media platform for businesses.
Companies need to understand that in the world of TikTok, not only will their products be judged, but every aspect – from the job they offer, customer service, how easy it is to find the needed information, to the smell in the building.
A perfect example of the dangers of TikTok for companies is the ironically filmed video by a former Greggs employee detailing her daily, monotonous work and the lack of opportunity for growth. Despite being a humorous take on a mundane job, the video went viral, reaching a wide audience and ridiculing the aspect that the company prides itself on on its website. This contradicts the company’s motto which advocates for an accessible development path for everyone.
In contrast to other social media platforms, GoWork enables a substantive reply to all accusations, which can reach all those who have come across the negative statement. Sometimes, such situations can even have a positive impact on the company’s image, as employees see how professionally the firm handles criticism and talks about such issues from their perspective.
