Reputation Management: Essential to fulfilling your mission

Note: Several years ago I was asked by a supervisor to write about reputation management. This is what I developed, but taking out the specific info to the agency I worked for at the time. 

Managing an organization’s reputation is about more than interacting with clients. It is a reflection of what is said and done. An organization’s reputation dictates the level of credibility associated with it and reflects the likelihood of clients turning to it as a reliable source. This is even truer as advances in technology continue, where comments about companies are posted online at all hours of the day, seven days a week. We need to remember that a strong, positive reputation takes years to build and only seconds to destroy. (http://repfixers.com). 

Before, negative comments were limited to word of mouth within localized geographic regions, but with sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp and various search engines, those comments can go worldwide in a matter of seconds. Word of mouth is no longer considered just spoken words but includes the online community. This can instantly damage an organization’s reputation to the point that clients begin to turn away from it for a source of information.

Negative comments or reviews can turn into a loss of credibility and trust causing clients or partners to turn elsewhere for information. For a state agency, this can mean obtaining less information about consumer issues or needs to utilize in developing programs or using in cases to argue points that both positively and negatively impart Ohioans. It also can mean a loss of strong partnerships with other organizations that support the organization’s mission and distribute information directly to Ohioans on behalf of the agency.  

Engaging in reputation management will help to dispel the negative comments by reaching out to those who have posted, working with them to reach a positive outcome. By personally addressing concerns or complaints, the organization can be seen in a positive light allowing us to be in a better position as a trusted authority of utility issues that is reliable and credible.

According to a 2011 survey by Weber Shandwick (a global public relations and reputation management company), 70 percent of consumers avoid buying a product if they don’t like the company behind it. What does this mean to a state agency? Negative online or media presence can lead Ohioans to determine that they do not trust the agency, causing them to avoid turning to the agency for information. This can lead to decreased support from the public and other organizations when the agency needs it, for example during the budget process. 

While reputation management should be a concern within all departments/divisions of a state agency, most are equipped with experts in communications or related areas who can address these issues and provide the resources necessary to avoid experiencing a reputation crisis.

What other items need to be thought about with reputation management? I would love to hear from 

Other items to think about:

1.      An organization must work together to preserve its reputation from top executives down.

2.      Plans must be in place to respond quickly to any incident that could damage your reputation.

3.      “Validity” + “Reliability” + “Positioning” x gossip = Reputation.