When we launched the Credit
Karma platform in 2008, we were offering free credit scores at a time when
consumers were used to deception from other companies, often getting pulled
into expensive subscription programs when they thought they were getting their
credit scores for free.
Because of this,
one of our first goals as a company was to elevate our name above everyone
else's. We've done this while consciously attempting to avoid making negative
statements about other companies, and we've tried to always put actions before
words. It's left us battling competing impulses at times--accentuating our own
positives, without directly calling out another company's negatives--but I
think we've learned to walk this line well.
It's an ongoing
process still, but I'd offer the following six tips to any entrepreneur looking
to build a strong, positive brand.
Brand
building is a little like politics
You see it in
politics all the time, where people are faced with a choice of smearing their
opponents or accentuating their own positives. We've always looked at our
brand-building efforts like we were running a campaign. Our choice has been to
not call out our competitors. You can still speak loudly by talking only about
your own positives, because it organically points out that others don't share
your strengths.
Find
the tone that works for you as a leader
Learning to focus
on your company's positives while still accentuating your competitive point of
difference takes practice. In the beginning, you get a lot of input on the best
ways to do this. But in the end, you need to work with your strengths as a
leader. I've found that I'm most comfortable--and our company's image
best-served--by shying away from talking points and focusing on creating
genuine conversation with our members and the media. Every leader needs to find
what works for them.
Negative
companies risk turning off potential customers
There's a good reason for why
it pays off to focus on what your company does well, because negative rhetoric
can be a red flag for consumers. People are bombarded with corporate messaging
constantly and are more adept than ever at picking up on things that are overly
negative, disingenuous or indulging in unnecessary spin to make another company
look badly.
There's a
way to compete gracefully
If you are called
on to engage in a direct dialogue about another company, it's important to keep
your sense of humor. Maintaining a slightly tongue-in-cheek tone lets people
know that you have a sense of self-awareness and little desire to jump into
battle. More often than not, there are ways for two companies to engage nicely.
In many cases too, displaying a sense of fun can result in a PR-win and make a
company seem appealing to consumers.
On a broader scale, look at competition as part of a wider
dialogue
If someone
criticizes your company, use it as a moment for reflection on how you could
improve. If they're not right, simply stick up for the truth. Engaging in a
straightforward dialogue as a company--not just with the media, or other
companies, but everyone--has been one of the more powerful ways for
understanding and shaping our brand.
Always
look at the bigger picture
It may momentarily
seem like an appropriate reaction to snap back at another company that has made
a dig at you, but something that is a preoccupation on the internet one moment
is quickly forgotten the next. Think about where you want to be as a brand 10
years from now. It's not worth putting that in jeopardy for the sake of a
short-term publicity bump. Brands take a long time to build and people have
long memories. Perceptions aren't changed overnight.
Credit: Ken Lin
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