The Catch-22 of Reputation Management: The M-Net Case

South Africans welcomed 2016 with a sporadic social media frenzy, which was climaxed by the #GarethCliff  versus #M-Net debacle. The host of the South African version of 'Idols' (M-Net), claimed to have axed Gareth, one of four of the judges of the reality talent show in the name of protecting its 'brand'  from public boycott, due to Gareth's alleged 'racist' comment on Twitter.  M-Net, like many other companies was caught amid the catch-22 of protecting brand reputation and failing to realise the dangers of a misalignment in projected visual corporate identity, since Gareth's pictures and endorsements have been associated with the show over the years. 
 
Quite frankly, the SA Idols has projected its socially responsible behaviour through the ability to retain its judges over the years. However, an understanding of the reputational implications of the interplay between the antecedents of the emotional attachment to this projected image and M-Net's momentary socially responsible claim in the Gareth's debacle is critical. M-Net failed to realise the deleterious effect of its unfounded decision on the longstanding brand affinity of Gareth's fans and its associated emotional attachment to the M-Net brand, being Gareth's 12th season on the show.
 
For the record, M-Net reacted to the public outcry over Gareth's remark: "people don't understand free speech" on the social network - Twitter, in the wake of the Penny Sparrow's racism row, by terminating Gareth's contract in anticipation of a public boycott of its show.
 
 
5 lessons for Corporate Communication Professionals
 
1. The intricacies of the institutional factors influencing brand affinity is industry/market-specific, which may not necessarily translate to mainstream consumer behaviour toward stimuli (brand loyalty).
 
2. Alignment of internal and external corporate communication promote brand equity - All marketing efforts geared toward brand recognition should be aligned on all communication platforms.
 
3. The ability to manage the complexities of corporate brand identity is critical for managing a business organisation's social media presence.
 
4. External stakeholder engagement strategies should not offset loyalty to internal stakeholders.
 
5. Reputation management is a race, not a sprint - "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think of that, you'll do things differently" - Warren Buffet.

Thanks for checking in,


Abosede Ijabadeniyi

Doctoral Candidate - Durban University of Technology

Research area:  Corporate Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)