Is Reputation the Cornerstone of Your Company? We Believe it Is.
One of the hardest and also the best things about companies in the digital age is that reputation is key to everything. While this has always been true for smaller companies to a certain extent, it is even more true now. With social media, employee ranking sites like Glassdoor, access to video recording at the click of a button and the 24 hour news cycle, protecting your reputation is more vital than ever before. Here are some keys to keeping that reputation strong.
Positive Media: This is probably the most important thing you can invest in for your company. Getting those positive media placements about your organization and your leaders will help you in the wake of a crisis. If people have a largely positive impression of your organization, that will outlast any potential crises (think Southwest Airlines).
Employee Culture: This one is more important than you might think. In the digital age, employees have no problems leaving negative reviews on sites like Glassdoor, or posting a TikTok after they are fired to blast your company. It is vital to keep employee culture strong, and maybe even more importantly, to have positive testimonials from happy employees on social media and your website.
Thought Leadership: Another thing that strengthens your organization and it’s reputation is a solid plan to elevate your leadership through blogs, speaking engagements, and perhaps even a company or industry podcast. These things will both elevate and humanize your leaders, which goes a long way toward building a solid reputation for the overall brand and organization.
Crisis Plans: Recently, the Astronomer CEO getting caught on video with his HR executive at the Coldplay concert was a clear example of why a crisis plan is critical to any organization. While this was a crisis that may have been difficult to fully mitigate because of the social media aspect, the slow response by the board and the organization made it evident that they had no response in place to manage a crisis. Make sure your organization has something in place should a crisis emerge, so you can be quick, decisive and proactive in addressing a situation.
At the end of the day, your reputation is the most important asset your company has, and why would you not ensure it is protected with a solid public relations plan? It is vital not only to building your reputation, but helping it weather any potential storms. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Niki Lopez at niki@focusmarketingandpr.com for a complimentary consultation.