How can retailers regain customer trust after burglary? The marketing expert explains

Several huge British retail sellers have recently been in news – but not in the field of sales or introducing fresh products. Companies such as Marx & Spencer and Cooperative have been hacked, affecting online sales and the range of products available in the store and forcing them to apologize to customers and other stakeholders. Luxurious Harrods seller He also suffered almost a room.

It seems that M&S, a senior retail seller, who has over 1000 stores in Great Britain, has suffered the most vital damage as a result of cyber attack. Bank of America analysts have estimated that the company has lost more than 40 million pounds In weekly sales, they began on the Easter weekend since the incident.

As a precaution, it was reported that the seller close Many IT operations, effectively blocking from basic systems when he tried to solve this incident.

And then the situation deteriorated. M&S admitted that Customer personal dataIn this name, birth dates, telephone numbers, IE -Mail home addresses and online order stories. However, the retailer insisted that the theft of data would not contain information about the utilize of utilize, payment or login.

There are logical reasons why M&S could opt for a careful approach. He did not want to cause more panic and anxiety among clients. He preferred the problem with a secret problem when the result was pending. He did not want to be perceived as digitally incompetent. Of course, this reasoning is only speculative.

After saying, the M&S approach to incident management caused questions from a branding perspective.

First of all, how long was the seller aware of the attack? And more importantly, how long did he have waited to provide information about the theft of data to his clients and public opinion?

Tests He suggests that brands that are quick and see-through in revealing hack, notifying affected customers and by conveying potential consequences for their privacy, are more likely to gain consumer trust. It is better in the case of the brand image than those that choose the “waiting and wind” or “drop sound” approach.

In 2016, US IT companies Peasant He was hit by court trials after the announcement of Hack. The price of the company’s shares has fallen among the fears that the violation of data may deraise his expectant connection to Verizon Communications, which will be worth USD 4.8 billion (3.6 billion pounds).

But the lawsuits and the undesirable reaction of the market did not concern the violation of data, but more about the delayed Yahoo actions. He has been independently announced a violation of data when the hacker tried to sell stolen user data online. Apparently yahoo He learned about the violation Two years earlier, but he did not warn his users and stakeholders. The internal review later showed that the company had “It was not possible to work enough” About knowledge.

Bring marketers

Secondly, does M&S have to do something more than just provide its customers that you can’t creep any information about payment or login? Other personal data, such as date of birth, home addresses IE -Mail, have been hacked and are useful for criminals to commit Identity theft.

A diverse retailer will do more than proceedings in accordance with the regulations and regulations, it can take more Customer -oriented approach, moralistic Protection of the prosperity of your clients after a cyber attack. Test He emphasized the strategic value of the involvement of marketers-internal and external company PR-W consumer data protection and responding to violations.

The authors of the study found that the marketer draw usually includes working with people from various environments in all departments of the company. This allows them to facilitate conversations and negotiations between relevant people, from company lawyers, technological experts and security officers, to supervising investor relations and the general director managing management of the management board.

Focus on customer experienceEven in times of deepening the crisis, marketers instinctively think about the benefits and barriers of consumers.

Conversations between company departments should focus on moral and legal options for consumer data protection. Communication should take into account the negative impact of the crisis on consumers, apart from the company emphasizing its victim and looking for compassion.

Marketers can place the consumer point of view in the front and in the middle. They can emphasize the problems that others may not consider in the company, such as when consumer communication, the way of communicating and monitoring messages, and how consumers can reach the brand to look or offer assist.

At the end of the day, M&S was a victim of a crime. Known as “Victim’s crisis”Data violation is initiated only by criminal entities. The way and tempo in which M&S gave the theft of data to its clients can potentially leave it open to criticism.

The question, when the retailer learned about the theft compared to when he decided to share information with his clients, remains unclear. It is also uncertain of how many personal data was downloaded, regardless of whether it includes the profile data that the seller carried out on customers (such as the frequency of purchase, buying coupons and the selection of products). He should also share all plans he develops to solve potential identity theft.

Current M&S ​​activities in the field of crisis management may seem to consist in maintaining its results, and the emphasis on clients should be emphasized. As a senior retailer who is almost 141, M&S can do better than following the typical approach “let me tell me.” This is where communication flows in only one direction and is pushed to the audience, and it is what M&S ​​is It looks like it did in response to the attack.

Instead, “work together” should consider a more see-through approach. This can promote better customer trust and brand image, enabling M&S in search of customer cooperation (such as reporting of unusual e -maili or disinformation in which a Critical mass can identify a significant pattern). This can assist detect data violations and criminal actions, such as theft of identity and fraud.