We’ve all been there – you’ve spent weeks meticulously planning a brand partnership, created engaging social media content, crafted the perfect newsletter, and maybe even updated your website.
Everything is ready to go live, but suddenly your brand partner has vanished into thin air. No responses, no explanations, just silence.
While this situation can be incredibly frustrating, there are professional ways to handle it that protect both your brand and your audience.
Prevention: Setting Up Partners for Success
Before diving into crisis management, let’s talk about prevention. The best way to handle ghosting is to prevent it from happening in the first place:
Create a detailed partnership agreement that outlines all deliverables, timelines, and responsibilities from both parties. Even for informal collaborations, having everything in writing helps prevent misunderstandings.
Establish multiple points of contact within the partner organisation. Don’t rely solely on one person – have backup contacts in case your primary contact becomes unavailable.
Set up regular check-ins throughout the planning process. These touch points help maintain momentum and catch potential issues early.
When the Ghost Appears: Immediate Action Steps
If you find yourself in a situation where your partner has gone silent and content is already live or about to launch, here’s a structured approach to handling the crisis:
1. Professional Outreach
Start with professional, non-confrontational outreach attempts:
- Send a polite but urgent email to your primary contact
- Follow up with a phone call after a reasonable waiting period
- Reach out to other team members using standard email formats ([email protected], [email protected])
- Contact the company’s general customer service email or number
2. Scenario Management
Scenario 1: They Respond but Want to Back Out
If you manage to reach them and they’re having second thoughts, consider these approaches:
- Listen to their concerns without immediate judgment
- Explore potential compromises that could salvage the partnership
- Discuss modifications to the original agreement that might make both parties comfortable
- If possible, negotiate partial fulfilment rather than complete cancellation
Remember that maintaining professional relationships is valuable, even in difficult situations. A graceful handling of a challenging situation can lead to future opportunities. They may even go on to recommend your brand to other brands.
Scenario 2: Complete Radio Silence
If you can’t establish any contact, take these immediate steps to protect your brand:
- Review and modify all scheduled social media posts
- Update or remove any promotional content featuring the partner
- Adjust or cancel any planned discount codes or promotions
- Revise website content to remove partner references
- Consider a brief, professional statement to your audience if necessary
3. Learning from the Experience
Use this as an opportunity to strengthen your partnership processes:
- Review your vetting process for potential partners (Have they collaborated previously? Were they recommended?)
- Strengthen your partnership agreements
- Document lessons learned for your team
Best Practices for Future Partnerships
Moving forward, implement these protective measures:
- Consider asking for prizes or promotional items in advance for giveaways
- Create content contingency plans that can be quickly implemented
- Build buffer time into your timelines for unexpected issues
- Keep detailed records of all partnership communications
Moving Forward
While a ghosting experience can be disheartening, remember that most brand partnerships are successful and mutually beneficial.
Don’t let one negative experience discourage you from future partnerships. The benefits of successful collaborations far outweigh the occasional setback. Focus on building strong relationships, maintaining clear communication channels, and creating robust partnership processes.
Have you experienced a similar situation? Share your stories and solutions in the comments below. Your experiences might help others navigate similar challenges in their business journey.
