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Online Reputation Management
February 2008 | Volume 6 Issue 2
It can take years to build a good reputation for your company, but if you don’t monitor that reputation online, it can be ruined in a matter of minutes. In this issue of CW Bulletin, our experts look at how to build and shape your company’s reputation online, and what to do when your company comes under fire.
Natasha Nicholson
Executive Editor
Amanda Aiello
Associate Editor |
Features
PERSONAL REPUTATION
by Stephanie Fierman
It probably wouldn’t surprise you to know that we are operating in a distrustful world, and that both companies and individual executives are subject to suspicion. In 2005, a worldwide Gallup poll found that 40 percent of people believe that company leaders are “largely dishonest,” and a 2006 Watson Wyatt study says that only 56 percent of company employees believe their top management acts with honesty and integrity.
These are worrisome figures, given that senior executives worry a great deal about their companies’ reputations but may spend little time on their own.
MEASURING REPUTATION
by Allison Murphy and Howard Kaushansky
One of the primary concerns of public relations practitioners is reputation management. Traditionally, PR professionals measured the perception of their brand, products or services through media coverage; whatever was written or broadcast about a company was viewed as indicative of public opinion.
The Internet has vastly changed the dynamics of how communicators assess and evaluate public opinion.
REPAIRING REPUTATION
by Andy Beal
When you first discover an attack on your online reputation, it can be an unnerving event. If you’ve previously been oblivious to the online discussions about your brand, it can feel like a kick to the ribs to see someone wage an attack on your good name. When it happens, it’s important not to hit the panic button. If great companies such as Target and JetBlue can come under fire, then it can happen to anyone.
BUILDING REPUTATION
by Luis Gallardo
We are living in a new media world where public conversations bring together people from all over the globe. Thanks to the Internet, individuals from every continent are able to create a buzz that can introduce new heroes or ruin an organization’s reputation in minutes.
Columns
Adult-Only Publications
by Suzanne Salvo
Corporate photography was once the realm of adults only. Just a few years ago, it was surprising to see a picture of anybody under 40 years old in an annual report or capabilities brochure, much less someone under the age of 12. But nowadays, photos of children are showing up more and more often in all kinds of corporate publications, and as you might suspect, photographing children requires a totally different approach than shooting the CEO.
Report: Communicators must
have business, financial knowledge
by Jimmy Gentry
For decades, communicators have been able to advance in their careers while avoiding anything to do with numbers and most things having to do with the essence of how business decisions are made.
To succeed in the future, this will no longer be the case. A recent series of conversations with 31 chief executive officers for a study conducted by the Arthur W. Page Society revealed that the No. 1 quality CEOs want in a communication chief is a detailed knowledge of the company’s business.
When Your Get-Up-and-Go Just Got Up and Went
Five tips to refresh and renew yourself
by Eileen McDargh
Let’s face it: New years don’t always feel new. Too often it feels like nothing more than a new calendar in which to write down pages of nonstop activities, project deadlines, social obligations and commitments made by someone other than yourself.
So stop! It’s time to plug into something that you choose—something that can renew your batteries and refresh your interest in work and life.
- “Peel District School Board Micro-Web Sites in 25 Languages,” Peel District School Board
- “Eskom Western Cape DSM Rollout,” Eskom
- “Creating the Knowledge Source,” Medco Health Solutions Inc. and Coyne PR
Related Resources provides additional articles and resources for understanding this month’s topic of online reputation management. You can also find these links alongside each corresponding feature article for quick reference. Links include:
- “Managing Online Reputation Growing Problem for Businesses,” by Shamus McGillicuddy
- “Mattel’s Missed Opportunity,” by Stephanie Fierman
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Features
Columns
This issue sponsored by:
Opt-in to A.L.I.’s conference list to learn about upcoming communication events: www.aliconferences.com. Network and learn from your peers.
Upcoming Events:
- Strategic Internal Communications in Government
March 17–20, 2008 – Washington, D.C.
- Social Media Summit Canada
March 31–April 3, 2008 – Toronto
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May 12–15, 2008 – Washington, D.C.
Mention IABC to receive US$200 off the above events.
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