Reality check time for corporate reputations published February 03 Regardless of why a reputation has changed, it is still a fact that, for most companies, their reputations are not necessarily what they could or should be. Corporate reputations (and their inherent brand values) can go through a host of changes for any number of reasons.  AXA for instance launched a whole new brand from ‘day one’.  ING morphed deliberately and carefully from MMI.  Many telco brands have had their corporate reputations in the spotlight because of industry woes.  Other corporate reputations have been devalued because of their less than honest financial statements.  While these examples are reasonably spectacular, other corporate reputations can diminish simply because the organisations have done little to protect or enhance their reputations since their advertising budgets ran out. Before addressing any rebuilding of corporate reputation, it’s essential to establish the difference between ‘image’ and ‘reputation’.  Image is what you seek to project.  Reputation is how you are actually seen.  There can be a huge difference. Here are some considerations you should take into account when assessing or rebuilding your organisation’s corporate reputation. First, don’t rely on internal perceptions of your reputation.  Take the time to establish through research or some other mechanism what key audiences and stakeholders actually say and think about you. Second, if change has been forced upon you, go beyond just making cosmetic changes (ie logo, or a new corporate brochure). You may have to do these as part of the branding process, but if you really have to rebuild a reputation it will probably be necessary to take some fairly fundamental steps to regain trust or rebuild your reputation. In cases where the change was predicated by negative or critical issues, this may involve making some apologies, changing some practices and building some new bridges with key audiences. Third, recognise that you don’t have to do everything at the one time. Segment and prioritise your audiences and stakeholders.  Determine those that are really critical and are leaders in changing opinions and attitudes and those that are not so critical.  Fourth, the key to changing attitudes towards the organisation is that it be driven by a few key top management who are ‘believers’ and have a commitment. Drive the communication from the inner circle by creating concentric circles of awareness. Fifth, don’t forget to leverage any key industry ‘influencers’ when planning your message delivery.  High profile customers, industry analysts and commentators should all be made aware of your efforts and intentions.  Having them ‘on board’ is essential if media or shareholders are likely to seek their opinion. Sixth, remember that staff talk to a range of stakeholders such as customers, suppliers and shareholders every day, so it’s important to not just ‘tell’ them of changes that will rebuild reputation, but to have them ‘believe’ in those changes. There are many specialist skills that may be required to rebuild an organisation’s corporate reputation.  You may need to buy in the up-front research, a brand development company, an employee communication specialist, or media trainers. Here’s an example of what one company is doing in the insurance industry to rebuild their corporate reputation. The insurance industry has been justly criticised for its nearly universal employment of computer-driven telephone answering systems.  This, as part of their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, has done nothing but depersonalise insurance for the general public. One company, AAMI, has made a move that appears to be part of rebuilding their reputation for personal service.  A decade ago they ran expensive and extensive television campaigns with all commercials closing on a shot of a smiling receptionist.   Viewers were projected the image of a ‘personal’ company. These commercials aired before the onslaught of CRM implementations and telephone merry-go-rounds that pervade the industry today. AAMI have now started to migrate that image into reputation by demonstrably reminding people of their personal attention. In their latest commercials they still have the smiling receptionist, but they have gone one step further and brought that person to life, reminding you that you are always answered by a person rather than a machine.  And from recent personal experience, all the staff sound like the girl in the TV commercial looks, happy and helpful. Personal phone answering is something they’ve always done, and was a key differentiator and building block of their reputation when first introduced, but it had been devalued by lack of attention over time. While their advertising budget is probably smaller than it was a decade ago, their messaging is far smarter. They could still further their aims by using PR to drive their reputation (and their competitive differentiater) further.  The fact that most people are frustrated by CRM phone systems, yet virtually every major insurer except AAMI forces CRM upon them, could well be the basis of a pitch to general consumer and business media.  However, they have done a good number of the actions outlined above.  And they seem to have done them well.  Congratulations. Note: Network Communications, publishers of PR Influences, can assist organisations in rebuilding their reputations.  If you would like to learn more about this subject, please contact us: Your name:             Your email address: Your message:

PR Influences Australian Public Relations Newsletter. Article: Reality check time for corporate reputation & image. Information Content: Corporate Communications, Reputation & Research