It is universally agreed upon that the old “I’m sorry you feel that way, but *insert arbitrary excuse*” chestnut pretty much counts as a non-apologetic way to apologize.
So when Swatch issued a statement in somewhat the same vein apologizing for “any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused,” following the backlash for its recent controversial ad, a lot of consumers weren’t having it.
“You’re not apologizing for anything,” Scott Markman, founder and president of the global branding agency MonogramGroup, told Retail Brew. “But you’re addressing the issue and potentially owning it and turning it into a positive.”
Social media users echoed Markman’s sentiments, perceiving the apology for the ad, which many considered racist, as hollow and lacking accountability.
Still, it’s difficult to speculate what would be the best way to approach the issue for Swatch, which got us thinking: What makes a good brand apology?
We asked some experts to weigh in.
It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it
While brand apologies are usually a measured marketing response by the company, it’s still important to choose your words carefully and execute it in a way that feels sincere.
“You can get away with a little bit of softness if it still feels like you’re being authentic to the brand,” Katie Thomas, who leads the Kearney Consumer Institute, an internal think tank at Kearney, told Retail Brew. “A lot of times, it feels like people’s hands feel forced, and they kind of come out with this word salad.”
Citing the Swatch apology, in which the brand called the ad a “misunderstanding,” Thomas added that while it is acceptable to issue a statement that is “short and sweet,” brands should “use some words that are meaningful.”
Honesty is the best policy
Choosing the right words and apologizing in a meaningful way goes hand in hand with authenticity—a word modern marketers have written sonnets about but don’t always seem to get right.
“A real apology in real life is actually showing remorse for your actions and really meaning it,” Thomas explained, adding that brands might shy away from it to avoid seeming political, “but it’s also admitting fault, and that’s where brands struggle.”
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Markman agreed that authenticity is key, but retailers are often full of empty words and no actions. “You can’t say, ‘Oh, we’re authentic,’” he said. “You just have to ooze and live authenticity and let people come to the conclusion that they can trust you and your intentions are solid.”
He added that when brands react to something damaging, they often dig themselves a hole by simply talking about authenticity, which they can’t “buy back” immediately.
“It’s probably going to be over time, and it’s going to be through a series of communications, a series of actions, as opposed to, ‘Well, to solve this problem, we’re going to make this up, do something in China to make up for it,’” he said. “That’s not going to be received too well. You’re just going to have to let it dissipate, along with maybe some small things that are just hinting in that direction.”
Something is better than nothing
Often brands try to wait out a controversy and let it die without acknowledging it, which Thomas said is a bad idea. Citing internal Kearney statistics that found that 61% of consumers that boycotted a brand go back after a generic apology, she said that “an apology, even one that’s mediocre, is an admission of ‘OK, I can acknowledge something went wrong here,’ and consumers are forgiving.
“I don’t think a bad apology means people will walk away from the brand for that reason alone,” she continued, adding that people are also likely to forgive and forget if a brand is well differentiated and it’s a product they like.
Regardless, it’s important to say something. “If something has happened and has escalated, don’t do nothing,” she said. “I’m still in the camp of ‘Consumers expect some kind of response,’ even if you’re going to take an edgier response, I would still respond.”
We want to hear from you: What do you think makes a good brand apology? Take our survey and let us know!