Change is a constant thing in life. Any brand that refuses to change on time with trend will discover too late that it is already in the graveyard. We are in the age of adaptation. A cursory look around will show signs of this. Before, many people cherished eating at home. Then they had enough time to cook their meals. Today the pressure on people’s time had opened opportunity for quick service restaurants to provide a stop gap in- between to help them out.

Despite these signs many big brands still cling to the old ways of doing marketing business. The need for adaptation has being nailed by this quotation: Adaptation means not clinging to fixed methods but changing appropriately according to events. We need to realize that in today’s business environment, success does not belong to the strongest of the species or the most intelligent, but those who subscribe early to change, adaptation before it is too late.

 The world is moving more rapidly, Holding to old strategies of doing business is becoming increasingly dangerous, poisonous. Technology keeps expanding and new discoveries are being made everyday. Brand’s strategists, communicators must ensure they are constantly overhauling their skills. Without adaptation, most brands will be lost in the sea of innovation. For many brands to survive today, such brands should be armed with these basic ingredients.

Change mindset/be open: It is not compulsory that we must absorb everything, but gateway to new discovery is a mind that is open and is willing to accommodate new ways of doing business. Never say never.

Plan/ strategize: when your brand is open to new ideas, it will see need to plan ahead. This will necessitate the need to plan for necessary changes or ignore them. This will also lead to strategy formation, deployment of troops ahead of the battle.

Act: never being stranded with inaction. Act on what you think will help build your brand for tomorrow. Begin to sell the idea to decision maker as an employee if you are hired for that purpose otherwise if you keep quiet, you may soon lose your job as a professional who does not know how to guide. That is why you are hired in the first instance. Does anyone has contrary opinion?

Today, the goal post of every endeavor is changing. This is a result of changing level of technology. The latest technology of yesterday is becoming obsolete today. Managing brand’s reputation is becoming a hard task. Strong reputation today has moved from ownership to conversation building. In the past, crisis spread within a particular space, spot and basically this makes it easier to manage. Today the effect of a crisis is viral. As it happens, the noise is everywhere. The world is now a global village. The press and the social media feed on it and it becomes exposed to every part of the world.

Before, the influence of the mainstream media was phenomenon and they were dreaded. No one gave other platforms chance. The press boys were kings. But now many corporate brands respect other platform now as if the missiles they hold can destroy their ‘Wall Trade Centres’ in few minutes. Influence of certain blogger can rock the boat.

The implication of all these is that managing brand reputation today requires multi-channel approaches and the use of multi-media is now a necessity.

It is now a must that each brand must have its own channel that is built in advance before the reputation damage begins. Over dependence on the mainstream media today will spark a fire that may not be easily quenched when there is a reputation issue to resolve.

When a brand has its own channel that is credible, respected, promoted among all the stakeholders it becomes fun to actively manage the reputation. But where there is over-dependence on a channel, the harmattan fire may spread faster than what can be handled.

Managing Brand’s reputation today demands adequate listening, socialization, participation and fast response to issues.

Each stakeholder has definite roles. The part of internal brands can not be undervalued. Ensure they know what to do and what their roles are.