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MANAGING YOUR CREDIBILITY

IN AN INCREASINGLY INCREDIBLE WORLD

We have heard the saying over and over – “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”. But, the reality is no individual or organisation wants to go viral for all the wrong reasons. It’s a heart-dropping sensation that all too many brands have experienced in a world where any misstep can have a brand on a trend list steeped with negative sentiments. 

That’s why, in today’s hyper-connected, always-on world, brand reputation management is critical. 

A good reputation for any brand is currency, and what others think of you is important, be it stakeholders, media, competitors, regulators, government or customers.

MANAGING YOUR CREDIBILITY

IN AN INCREASINGLY INCREDIBLE WORLD

We have heard the saying
over and over – “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”.
But, the reality is no individual or organisation wants
to go viral for all the wrong reasons. It’s a heart-dropping
sensation that all too many brands have experienced in a world
where any misstep can have a brand on a trend list steeped with negative sentiments. 

That’s why, in today’s hyper-connected, always-on world, brand reputation management is critical. 

A good reputation for any brand is currency, and what others think of you is important, be it stakeholders, media, competitors, regulators, government or customers. 

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A brand crisis can happen to any company, but how you handle it can make all the difference.

Although it may be an unpleasant task, the first thing to do is to plan for a PR disaster. The first port of call is to understand that reputation can be affected by a myriad of factors, followed by a crisis management plan that includes social listening, having a team ready for activation in the event of a crisis, and ensuring that should the worst happen, you’ll be able to get the facts you need quickly to be transparent and honest in your response.

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THE 101 OF BRAND IDENTITY VS REPUTATION

Your brand identity is what you develop as a company to project the brand from the inside out. Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism is a commonly used marketing model adopted by the world’s leading brands. It is represented by six elements – physique, personality, culture, relationship, reflection and self-image – all integral to connecting the brand to its intended target audience across its owned media platforms.  

Whilst reputation, on the other hand, is what others think of your brand. It’s informed by the relationships the brand has with customers, stakeholders, media, competitors, regulators and government, be it good or bad.   

Both the good and bad of a brand and its reputation can be informed by effective corporate communication, but reputation can be influenced by elements outside of communication efforts alone. Branding makes you relevant. Reputation makes you credible. Your corporate communication should involve the efficient management of both.

SETTING THE AGENDA FOR REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

With 70% of global leaders agreeing that managing a reputation is more important than ever, brands are no longer just dealing with a media issue, but the rise of citizen journalism and evolving human values. Brands need to consider that reputation rests in many hands and is impacted by a myriad of factors, including:

  • Leadership – How do our leaders represent themselves and the brand?
  • Governance – How do our policies and structures affect us and the people in our ecosystem?
  • Products and services – What kind of experiences do we provide for our customers?
  • Workplace – What does our culture reflect internally and externally?
  • Our place in society – What is the impact of what we do in the bigger picture of things?
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IS IT AN ISSUE OR A CRISIS

So, how should you react when things go wrong? There are subtle differences between reacting to an issue or a crisis. 

An issue is a negative event or situation that does not impact business as usual or threatens to have a long-term negative impact. Mismanaged issues can and do develop into a crisis.

A crisis, on the other hand, results from a single devastating event or a combination of escalating events and thus, presents a severe threat to a brand’s strategic objectives, reputation and viability.

Furthermore, crises are episodic and of a more significant magnitude. Negative events may put the brakes on business as usual to some extent, as they require immediate attention and guidance from leadership.

There are a handful of steps that brands can take to respond to a crisis:

  • Respond swiftly
  • Gather the troops
  • Address the problem (think then act)
  • Hire a communications expert (if reputation is at stake)
  • Empower your team

If nothing else, brands should be cognisant of the three R’s:

  • Regret – say sorry
  • Reason – how or why did it happen?
  • Remedy – how are we going to fix it, do or be better? 

HOW TO TACKLE A CRISIS

Don’t panic. Many unwise words may be uttered in the heat of the moment. The first step to being ready for a crisis actually happens well before the disaster hits. It’s having a well-considered crisis communications plan as this will give you room to think when the unthinkable happens. After that, there are key steps you can follow: 

  • Mobilise the team (communications experts, dedicated spokespeople and project team)
  • Agree on messages
  • Distribute messages (media releases, direct communications, stakeholder communications and internal communications)
  • Monitor effectiveness
  • Team meeting to review
  • A possible second burst of messages
  • Distribute messages
  • Monitor effectiveness
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DON’T FORGET BRAND ‘ME’

Don’t forget that a brand comprises individuals, and every person in your organisation is an ambassador – whether they particularly want to be or not. This means that individuals need to think hard before hitting ‘send’ on social media. There are some general rules for staying out of trouble: be positive, constructive, kind, and accurate. However, before clicking send, ask yourself:

  • Would I say this in front of 300 strangers?
  • Is this privileged information and not for external audiences?
  • Is the message true and accurate?
  • Who will be affected by what I post?

Are you concerned that your brand may be faced with an issue or a crisis in the future, and looking to partner with a communications agency adept and proven in the art of reputation and crisis management? Send an email to info@eclipsecomms.com and one of our experts will be in touch. 

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Reputation Management

Crisis avoidance and speed of response form the backbone of our crisis communications offering. Our decisive, experienced senior team ensure that a brand’s reputation is always protected.

  • Consulting
  • Issues and crisis communications frameworks
  • Messaging matrix
  • Creation of response banks
  • Media training
  • Stakeholder mapping
  • Internal communications
  • Data & Analytics

Digital Media

Our digital media team creates out of the box, innovative strategies and plans, delivering on our clients’ objectives through personalised content and messaging, the right channel matrix, SEO and paid media plans that reach new audience and creating engagements that matter.

  • Digital strategy and implementation
  • Social media strategy and implementation
  • Content calendar development
  • Community management
  • Paid media strategy and execution
  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  • Website development

Media & Influencers

With media and influencers at the heart of our agency, we have built solid relationships that ensure our clients receive credible and targeted exposure, across print, online and broadcast media.

  • Media audits
  • Media relations (list development, media lobbying and engagement)
  • Influencer contracting, relations and management
  • Measurement and reporting
  • Agenda surfing
  • Research and planning
  • Media movements

Events

Our dedicated events team conceptualise and execute events of any scale. Eventing in the age of our new norm means that our experience ranges across physical, virtual and hybrid events.

  • Event conceptualisation, planning and execution
  • Event management
  • Project management
  • Procurement of goods and services
  • Logistics management
  • RSVP management
  • Budgeting

Content & Creative

Our team of ex-journalists, content creators and proofreaders are experts in creating and positioning the right content to the right audiences. Bolting on a team of creatives, we have the ability to create omni-channel, creative strategies to further this reach.

  • Writing (media releases, thought leadership, white papers, reports, speeches)
  • Copy editing & proofreading
  • Corporate identity
  • Advertising
  • Print & digital
  • Newsletters (HTML, mobile, PDF)
  • Layout & design
  • Videography and photography
  • Animation
  • Motion graphics
  • Social media design
  • Website development

Public Relations & Communications

We develop and execute robust omni-channel communications strategies to drive credible conversations that resonate with desired target audiences across Arts & Entertainment, Consumer & Lifestyle and Corporate clients and industries.

  • Omni-channel communications strategies
  • PR plans and execution
  • Account management
  • Data & Insights
  • Research and planning
  • Conceptualisation
  • Agenda surfing
  • Media and influencer relations
  • Stakeholder relations
  • Internal communications