The Challenge
Reputation management was on Robert Andrew’s radar – there were a few negative reviews online. Not only that, but a rogue former employee launched their own personal smear campaign against the salon, hurtling insults and spreading false rumors. Since online reviews are critical to a brand’s online presence, we knew we had to do some serious management to get things in order.
Robert Andrew was also experiencing a lack of brand awareness. Despite the positive and memorable experience one might receive at Robert Andrew, consumers weren’t thinking of it as a place to visit in the first place. We were charged with creating some serious buzz that got people talking and thinking about the salon, ultimately increasing their top-of-mind awareness levels.
Rising Up
We had to overcome those negative reviews, so we designed an Ambassador Program that would leverage the positive impact of Robert Andrew’s loyal customers. The program recruited enthusiastic long time customers to engage them and provide them with opportunities to share their affinity for the brand. These ambassadors were given exclusive content as well as online opportunities to give their opinion on Robert Andrew.
Results
Just two weeks after we launched, we had made an impact. We received over 40 positive reviews and countless message and media views:
- Flickr Photo Views: 47,727
- YouTube Video Views: 1,389
- Facebook Page Views: 3,257
- Twitter Post Views: 517
- Review Site Posts & Views: 300
- Online Forum Posts & Views: 333
- Robert Andrew Blog Views: 168
The power of positive word of mouth can really effect the way a brand is perceived. You just have to embrace those enthusiasts and give ’em a chance to speak their mind.
