What do you do if your brand's assertiveness is mistaken for aggression?
Assertiveness is a key trait in brand development, as it communicates confidence and clarity about your brand's values and offerings. However, there's a fine line between being assertive and appearing aggressive. If your brand's assertiveness is being misinterpreted as aggression, it can alienate potential customers and partners. It's crucial to reassess your brand's messaging and tone to ensure they align with your intended brand image.
To address perceptions of aggression, start by conducting a thorough tone check of all your brand communications. This includes examining the language and imagery used in marketing materials, social media posts, and customer service interactions. Look for patterns that may seem domineering or too forceful. Adjusting the tone to be more inviting and less confrontational can help soften your brand's image without diluting its assertiveness.
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Is it a tone check that’s required or an audience check? You must first start with honesty to yourself. Get comfortable with who you are because it’s a fact your not going to make everyone happy. If you selected that language and imagery and it’s true to your mission and is you, don’t change to fit the trend. Go back to the drawing board and reevaluate the target market.
Direct feedback from your audience is invaluable when recalibrating your brand's voice. Reach out through surveys, social media, or focus groups to understand how your communications are being received. Pay special attention to any consistent themes in the feedback that suggest aggression. This direct line of communication not only provides insight but also shows your audience that their opinions are respected and considered.
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Thinking about brand voice as a conversation rather than a monologue can be a game-changer. Engaging your audience directly through surveys or social media polls opens up a dialogue where you can fine-tune your tone and message. Keep an ear out for any hints of aggression in their feedback – it might signal a need for adjustment. This interactive approach not only sharpens your brand's voice but also fosters a sense of community with your audience.
Revisit your brand positioning to ensure it's not contributing to the perception of aggression. Your positioning statement should clearly articulate what your brand stands for without coming across as combative. If necessary, refine this statement to emphasize collaborative and positive aspects of your brand's personality. This can help reframe how customers perceive your assertiveness.
Your messaging strategy is key in shaping how your assertiveness is perceived. Review your key messages and value propositions for aggressive undertones and rework them to highlight the benefits of your products or services in a way that's assertive but not off-putting. Emphasizing how your brand can solve problems or improve the customer's life can shift the focus from confrontation to assistance.
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We have to recognise what one may see as aggressive is dependent on the biases they hold and the expectations they have of the other person. Having experienced it countless times throughout my career, it took a while to accept that making myself small or invisible was an injustice to all. Again be comfortable in the knowledge that you are going to appeal to everyone. Even in this day and age there are those who hold on to values of women being delicate and quiet, of seniority being attached to longevity and culture tiering. Change comes about with action. If you are offering something different then core elements of your brand has to be to educate and patience. Avoid automatically toning down to pacifying those who are adverse change.
The visual elements of your brand can also contribute to impressions of aggression. Analyze your brand's color palette, typography, and imagery to ensure they don't convey an overly harsh or intense vibe. Softening color contrasts, using rounded shapes, and choosing images that evoke a sense of calm can help mitigate any unintended aggressive signals.
If your brand has faced significant backlash due to perceived aggression, it may be time to implement crisis management strategies. This involves public acknowledgment of the issue, a clear outline of steps being taken to address it, and consistent follow-through on those promises. Transparency and humility can go a long way in restoring trust and reestablishing a more positive brand image.
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