You're partnering with an influencer with a tainted reputation. How do you rebuild trust and credibility?

TAINT ONE FOR THE TEAM AND EMBARRASS YOURSELF TOO. YOU SAY YOULL SCREEN YOUR “THIRD PARTY VENDORS MORE RIGOROUSLY, YOU FEEL FLR TODAYS YOUTH, BRING IT BACK TO YOUR PRODUCT, THEN SAY YOURE GETTING THEM THE HELP THEY NEED AND AFTER A WEEK OF DETOX, YOU STOP PAYING, ITS MAD EXPENSIVE.

Might be a controversial take, but if an influencer has recently tainted their reputation, assuming it was over something that in all actuality was not that bad, it becomes an opportunity to get a significant discount compared to the average market price for similar viewership. Many brands have an issue with taking these deals, and that is why you get the discount. If your brand cares less, then congratulationsz

Simple baby steps: 1. Address the elephant in the room, openly. Talk to them about your apprehensions. 2. Hear their side of the story to figure what can be done. 3. Find a marketing moment to collaborate and turn this around with a story that could touch the audience's heart. 4. Get the influencer to open up and address the issue while expressing genuine remorse. 5. Highlight learnings and throw in a way for the audience to track the progress on steps taken towards improvement.

✰⚝✍To rebuild trust after partnering with an influencer with a tainted reputation, swiftly address concerns transparently, acknowledging the issue. Distance your brand from the controversy, reaffirming your values. Focus on positive, value-driven initiatives and partnerships to restore credibility. Engage directly with your audience, demonstrating accountability and commitment to upholding trust.

Rebuilding trust with an influencer who has faced controversy requires a strategic approach rooted in authenticity and accountability. It's essential to address the situation with transparency, acknowledging the past issues without dwelling on them. The focus should be on demonstrating how both the brand and influencer have evolved. This involves crafting a narrative that emphasizes growth, learning, and a commitment to positive change. By aligning the brand's values with the influencer's renewed stance, you can create a powerful message that resonates with the audience, fostering renewed trust and credibility through genuine actions and open communication.

Rebuilding trust with an audience after partnering with an influencer who has a tainted reputation requires a well-thought-out strategy. The first step is acknowledging the past issues transparently. Following that, setting clear, actionable goals is essential. These goals should be focused on authentic engagement, demonstrating genuine change, and aligning with values that resonate with both the influencer’s followers and your brand’s mission. Whether through community initiatives or open dialogue, these efforts are not just about damage control but about fostering a path to renewed credibility. Success should be measured not just in numbers but in the quality of the regained trust.

1. Don't be superficial in your approach. 2. Start by addressing the audience on the same. 3. Ask for suggestions on how the mistake can be corrected. 4. Analyze the suggestions and develop a sentiment + CSAT score to zero down on the course correction path. 5. Find an overlap between this path and the brand values to deploy a campaign helping the cause. 6. Measure the success via a sentiment, share of voice and engagement analysis around the campaign.

1. Everyone loves an open dialogue. So don't be afraid to ask the audience. More often than not, they'll be your best guide. 2. Hear what the audience is echoing and weave the campaign around the same. 3. Encourage participation from the audience in various ways to scale engagement. 4. Ask for feedback and inculcate the same in the campaign. 5. The pivot in your campaign will assure the audience that you are hearing them and will make them confident in you and your approach.

In the digital age, trust is a two-way street. Rebuilding it requires more than just words; it demands action. Encourage the influencer to genuinely engage with their audience by not just sharing content but actively listening and responding to feedback. Authentic engagement goes beyond routine comments; it’s about showing the audience that their voices matter. When an influencer takes the time to understand and address concerns, it humanizes them, paving the way to reconnect with their community. This process of sincere, two-way dialogue is crucial in mending relationships and re-establishing credibility.

1. Note: The audience is very intelligent and always smarter. Hence, please don't try to fool them. 2. Brand POV: The brand should give a clear disclosure of the campaign being either a paid partnership or a barter collaboration. 3. Influencer POV: Clear disclosure of why, when, what, where & how of the campaign. 4. This builds credibility and authenticity, both for the brand and the creator.

1. Track sentiment analysis and brand SOV. 2. Track engagement metrics such as likes, shares, comments, saves & dislikes. 3. Track viewership, CTRs and conversion rate.

Here's counterintuitive advice: Do NOT adjust your strategy in these situation. IF you planned it correctly, enlisted more stakeholders and outside minds/voices, your strategy is okay. Too many brands today are adjusting their strategy when they hit crisis (and they knew they were going to be in controversial feedback before going in). Anheuser Busch (Bud-Light Trans Crash in 2023, Google AI for Olympics, Disney (and Desantis) all adjusted (and frankly, reacted) vs. thinking their strategy through in the first place. And in the end, Bud-Light alienated everyone. Either don't do it OR stick to your guns and at least keep the new people you won over. The way they pulled the campaign looked weak and cost a lot.