Just One Click: Managing Reputation

“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”

                                         —Benjamin Franklin

Our parents teach us if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. This golden rule has been around for a long time, but has social media changed the rules we live by? In one click, a company or person’s reputation can be forever changed. Brands are scrambling today to understand and manage their reputation with various stakeholder groups, but how can it be done effectively?

Company communications today have taken on a whole new meaning. With expectations of brands to take a stance and be the voice of change for social issues, companies are managing multiple communications strategies to improve the customer and employee experience, which creates a loyal community of followers and brand advocates to improve the bottom line. But with competing interests and without the proper knowledge, tools, and awareness, companies find themselves in an online battle easily lost in just one click. So what is reputation anyway and how can we protect it?

Reputation is the collective perceptions people have about a company
+ the expected future behavior

Whether we are at a party with friends or at the dinner table with our family, your response to the common question, “How’s work going?” can make a difference in someone’s opinion. It just takes one single video or post on social media to change a reputation.

We wanted to look at the companies with the best and worst reputations to find out what they are doing that affects their image. Let’s start with the good. Patagonia’s founder announced in 2022 that he was “making Earth his only shareholder” by transferring all ownership of the company to a pair of entities where profit will be invested in environmental causes. Sustainable causes are of great interest to consumers today. Patagonia is not only standing by its mission, but they are taking action. Actions are what will enhance their reputation in a very positive direction for years to come.

What do the companies with unfavorable reputations have in common? Usually, an event or circumstance happens that was mismanaged by the company or leadership. When companies or people do something wrong, we tend to retreat and avoid the situation. However, when it comes to reputation, you must address it fast and directly with your audience. Taking full responsibility for your actions can actually help improve your reputation in the long term. Although your reputation may take a short-term hit, it’s actually in the response and your follow-up actions that make the difference. People are human and mistakes are inevitable, which is why consumers are forgiving when things happen. The good news is that many companies have been able to come back from such events if handled swiftly and humbly.

For a company or leader looking to understand their reputation or manage it more proactively, there are five ways to get started:

• Understand your audience’s perceptions

  • Knowing what your audience really thinks about you and what they care about can help you inform your communications plan or a crisis response.  It’s not about you, it’s about them.

• Brands as Social Advocates

  • Brands today can no longer stay silent on certain topics. Saying nothing means something too. Be prepared to comment on social issues as aligned with your mission and purpose.

• Have your leaders participate in media training

  • Identify confident speakers on topics you may need to comment on externally and train leaders on handling media inquiries.

• Create a crisis and online response plan

  • It can be difficult to prepare for a crisis event, but focus on your audience’s perceptions, online behaviors, and negative press to figure out what may be coming. Be ready to respond.

• Identify opportunities and risks to your reputation

  • Your company can proactively enhance your reputation by communicating to your audience on things they care about, but don’t forget to close a gap in negative perceptions too.

To understand your audience, Conversate Labs can help you stay ahead of your goals and build your reputation in a positive way with just a few clicks.