The age-old saying “You can run, but you can’t hide” holds true for many scenarios in life. But, it’s no joking matter when it applies to a negative customer perception — or a crisis — affecting your brand.

Today, positive news coverage generates awareness and visibility — and provides third-party credibility — that your advertising and marketing messages can’t generate on their own. And, your social media presence can connect you directly with the priority audiences and influencers you care most about. In fact, BuzzStream cites that 50 percent of people follow 1 to 4 brands on social media today. Yours might be one of them.

This can be a great opportunity for the people and brands who focus on adding value for those they serve as customers, clients or constituents. But, it presents a challenge for the brands who don’t accept that how you handle mistakes can be just as important as how you handle the positives.

I like the way Lucid Press frames it: A brand does not exist within a company or organization. It exists in the minds of your customers. It’s the sum total of impressions a customer has, based on every interaction they have had with you, your company and your products.

You have a lot to gain — and a lot to lose — when it comes to handling unexpected challenges with service, people, solutions — or negative reactions to proactive efforts you make. Forbes reports that it takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for one negative one. And, Bain & Company reports that it costs 5 to 25 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one…

So, it pays to get it right when you approach scenarios that draw public attention to something that affects your customers and/or their perceptions of you in a negative way. If you have made a mistake, not lived up to your customers’ expectations or created an unintended perception that affects many… these tips can help you navigate external communications in ways that support your corporate reputation:

• Apologize.
  People will see through it if you attempt to “spin” the situation — or try to distract attention away from the issue — in your favor. Don’t generate more frustration or waste your time with that. Keep it simple. Admit the mistake, and apologize. 
• Be human.
  Be sure your apology isn’t so sterile that it seems robotic or out of touch. Strike a balance between brevity and clarity. Show you care. 
• Time it right.
  Don’t wait so long to apologize that it seems like an afterthought. Take the time to get your facts straight, engage the right internal stakeholders and collect the right level of information. But, don’t wait so long that your lack of a response takes “center stage.” 
• Don’t overdo it.
  Don’t waste your words making excuses. Get to the point. Oversharing can make you look defensive, and it can fuel more negativity towards your brand. If the situation requires context, keep it short and sweet. Avoid minimizing the mistake in a way that sounds like you’re not taking it seriously. Make it clear that you regret the mistake. 
• Focus on the solution(s) at hand.
  Think ahead. What are you doing to make the situation better? And, what are you doing to help avoid the mistake in the future? If it’s appropriate, share this as well. 
• Use your communications channels effectively.
  Not every apology makes sense for a tweet or a Facebook post or a proactively-issued media statement. If the mistake is not a broad, national one, it may be better served by sharing your apology message directly with the people who are affected. This could be via email, DM, or other channels. Don’t “blanket” a broad audience with information that isn’t relevant to them. That doesn’t add value for anyone. 
• Monitor and evaluate the situation after you respond.
  It’s not over until it’s over. Sometimes, the situation requires more than an apology. You may know this right away, or you may discover that follow-up efforts or communications are needed after you see the response to your apology. Either way, it’s up to you to watch, listen and plan the right next steps.

People will remain loyal to brands they love and trust. There are many factors that come into play in cultivating that. Knowing when — and how — to apologize is one of them. In my opinion, you can’t run or hide from the people you serve when you have let them down. So, don’t. Connect with them and show you care.