How To Build Integrity with Communication

The Relationship Between Integrity and Communication

Doing well in Integrity means that people think that your brand tends to do the right thing. This can be either corporate social responsibility (CSR) based, or just believing that your brand makes the right move in a tight situation. Communication is a great way to make sure that people see the decisions you make and the authentic good that you do. If you can present your brand doing this in the right way, people will come to trust you much more.   

Think about doing the following so people can see the sincerity and principles behind your brand: 

1. Do you sound trustworthy? Make sure that the way you speak and present your brand when communicating is honest, open, and authentic to your brand’s DNA. Your tone of voice should be honest. This should be done in a way that’s in keeping with the rest of your brand – somberly, childishly, or as a friend, as examples. Creating a character goes a long way to people understanding that a brand is worthy of their trust.

2. Do you treat your customers well? Show them that you do the right thing when it comes to your products or services. For example, that you use good quality ingredients, that you have a money-back guarantee, that you develop products to meet their needs. Reinforce that, at a product level, you are behaving well. Make these the focal points of some of your communications – particularly if this part of your business is under question.  

3. Do people know the good you already do? There are undoubtedly things going on within your business that prove the kind of brand it is. It might be the sustainability of the supply chain, how you treat your employees, where your office is based, student sponsorship, or an existing CSR initiative. Anything that your brand does that shows how upstanding you are is worthy of communication, in the right channel and at the right time. Not all of these will be headline messages, but make sure they periodically feature on your site and perhaps on your social channels.

4. Does your activity reinforce your brand’s position? Make sure that any initiatives you begin or communicate align with the positioning of your brand. Think about how each item could work as evidence to reinforce how you want people to see you. Then make sure that it is articulated clearly, reaping the maximum possible benefit from your positive actions. 

5. Is there negativity you need to tackle? If there are negative perceptions about the Integrity of your brand, they need to be dealt with quickly. The longer they linger, the deeper the impact on the brand. Think about whether the issue is something you can dispel by shedding light on it yourself; whether it’s something you need to change before communicating; or if a more indirect route is needed to reassure through tone of voice and surrounding messaging.

What should you do next?

• Review your tone of voice to make sure that it helps you seem as honest and open as possible. 
• Look for ways of showing that you are a brand with good values by clearly communicating the things you are already doing 
• Make sure to express the things that show your Integrity in a way that supports the positioning of your brand 
• Show how well you treat your customers – whether that’s through Customer Service, Product Development, or in how you create what they buy.
• Quickly address any problems with how people see your Integrity. 

How to determine if it’s working.

• You should see an increase in your Integrity score as you show people the values and behaviors of your brand. You may also see a rise in your Transparency score, as people see you as more open.
• One common way to tell whether your communications are working will be a reduction in the amount of negative feedback your brand gets. This is particularly true after any communications that tackle negative perception issues head on.
  
  
  Guidance from:
  Searsha Sadek | Head of Brand Partners, ProQuo AI
  
  Searsha has always grown brands in advertising agencies: from haircare and frozen food to spirits and streaming services. She focussed on how communicating explicitly and implicitly is key.