This year’s Nedbank IMC Conference will be tackling real-life issues affecting brands right now. Thanks to the stellar line-up of both local and international speakers, the conference has been touted as the benchmark in virtual conferencing and Africa’s premier marketing event. This year the theme is Marketing. The Movie.
One controversial topic to be addressed on the 29th of July, is what to do when you are a brand in crisis. The global pandemic has resulted in the need for brands to be extra vigilant on social media. The perception that a brand is not portraying the appropriate levels of empathy is one of the key causes of brand criticism online.
In South Africa, we have also seen crises rapidly escalating based on massively misjudged advertising. Failure to understand cultural context has resulted in public outrage and substantial reputational and financial damage. Inappropriate comments, product fails, and employee errors are also a source of potential social media brand fallouts.
Despite the danger of brands finding themselves in a social media firestorm, a HubSpot survey revealed that only 45% of marketers admit to having a documented crisis communications plan.
New social media crisis consultancy 48H, led by industry gurus, Victor Dlamini and Mike Stopforth, is bringing real-world solutions to clients in crisis or who wish to plan for or avoid a crisis. “We bridge the gap between traditional media and agencies and what the client really needs in times of crisis. It’s not only about how many likes you get or how effective an influencer programme is but rather how well the brand can listen and respond in real-time during a crisis.” says Dlamini.
Victor and Mike will be delivering a hard-hitting talk at the Nedbank IMC Conference this year entitled how to avert a brand crisis on social media in 48 Hours. “As a business, facing a crisis on social media, the first 48 hours are the most critical, and it’s during this critical period that brands need to think fast and act smart.” adds Dlamini.
“As marketers we have all considered the terrifying price of a social media brand crisis,” says Dale Hefer, Nedbank IMC CEO, “and we need a serious contingency plan up our sleeves.”