- Twitter to lose its reputation as a free speech platform?
- IIPM worried about Google Suggest, why is it so?
- Reputation Management Tip for 2012: Brands need to tap into social media search!
- Facebook Timeline and Reputation Management
- Apple Siri gender bias or glitch?
- Google+ vs Facebook – its not over yet!
- The Ethics of Self Promotion Through Charitable Causes (A Case Study)
- Google scraps sidewiki – will you miss it?
- Facebook, the trust factor
- BlackBerry Blackout- RIM’s Reputation Takes another Hit
Archive for July 2010
How WikiLeaks could damage the US reputation
July 28, 2010 | 
Author Rated by many as one of the largest intelligence leaks in U.S. History, WikiLeaks, the whistleblower website has released over 90,000 classified Pentagon documents that chronicle over six years of confidential and classified information on Afghanistan war. Founded by an Australian Internet activist, Julian Assange in 2007 , this site had earlier come up with a manual describing the military operations in the U.S. military Guantanamo Bay detention facility and also published a classified Pentagon “Rules of Engagement for Iraq.”
The leaked documents might change the concept of war and the US role in Afghanistan. While millions of dollars are being pumped into the anti terrorism operations in Afghanistan, Wikileaks could jeopardize the basic objective of the US presence in the war torn Afghanistan as these information will actually put hundreds of Afghan lives at risk because the files identify informants working with NATO forces. Experts also warn that these sensitive information could be misused by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda to identify and target informers in the war zone.
It came as a surprise for many when Admiral Mike Mullen, the most senior US Military Officer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff posted his views in Twitter on the the leaks of Afghanistan war logs instead of holding an official press conference. While the US preferred to down play the issue of Wikileaks as something not very serious that demand a change in its war strategies in Afghanistan , the Afghan officials are taking the whole issue very seriously.
“The US is both morally and legally responsible for any harm that the leaks might cause to the individuals, particularly those who have been named. It will further limit the US/international access to the uncensored views of Afghans,” the Afghan official told a newspaper.
As the heat is fully on, the US officials have said they were working to see if the mass document release could prove harmful to the operational security or the endanger lives of informants in Afghanistan. Though the Wikileaks have opened a flood gate of questions regarding the Afghan strategy of the US and its relationship with Pakistan, the country is trying to downplay it all. However, the fact remains that the national reputation of the country is clearly at stake with these unexpected turn of events!
Posted in National Reputation, Reputation News | 
Tags: Afganistan, National Reputation, Pakistan, terrorism, Wikileaks | 
7 Comments »
Dudley do right for BP?
BP is making some serious PR changes quite like how political parties field local guys for elections Robert Dudley comes in waving the American flag. We hear about him talking of his times fishing and swimming in Mississippi growing up. While outgoing CEO Tony Hayward has termed the oil spill crisis like “stepping out from the pavement and being hit by a bus”. He seems to be stepping down to appease the masses.
BP will have its first non-British CEO and this is sending a message to the US that they have someone who will think about their side of the story – someone who has a genuine interest in cleaning up the mess and someone who has admitted to facing colossal issues to tide over the problem. Bob Dudley sure seems like the man we need.
BP also needs to understand the horror people feel knowing that stringent security measures could have averted this enormous problem. Well there is also the politics of further deep sea drilling to considered and the oil lobby’s sheer power on the other side. BP has made quite a few PR duds to its credit, like publishing full page glossy advertisements, censoring press and sponsoring events during the crisis. Hardly the right time to seem looking for PR and not to mention the neat retirement amount and pension fund that Tony Hayward is set to take away.
Whoever made a lot of the decisions that BP made needs to go and that is where the new CEO steps in. And this is what Dudley said..
“We will fulfill the promises we’ve made”
“Meeting our commitments is critical for BP’s long-term success. Taking over this role, I will not reduce my commitment in the region.”
“It’s not our intention to exit the U.S. nor do we believe we will have to. We fully intend to maintain those businesses and restore our position in the Gulf.”
Posted in Bad Press, Company Reputation, Damage Limitation, Examples | Tags: Bad Press, BP, BP Oil crisis, New Chief, Oil Spill, Robert Dudley, Tony Hayward | 1 Comment »
Seeing Red with Orange
Orange launched its brand as a soft fuzzy, the future is orange. Well, not with me after spending a morning on the phone trying to understand a bill that includes charges for phones lost two years ago, “orange care” for a handset that does not exist and payments made that have been lost… it is apparent that if the future is orange then it is pretty bleak.
What is clear from 90 minutes on the phone is that the Orange experience has changed substantially from those early optmistic days when they promised to look after you to becoming a large corporation with set in stone processes that we the customer have to follow. The experience got me thinking about how a brand and a reputation interact and how the one can affect the other.
Trying to work out the meaning of an eight page statement is the first problem. The second problem I encountered is that I get phoned by Orange to try to upsell me, but they did nothing to save me money or warn me about charges being incurred that made absolutely no sense – for example having an insurance package for a handset that does not exist. I also realised that I had to follow their processes if I wanted to get things done. In other words they break the central tenet of being customer-centric: instead of folding their processes around me, I have to work around them. When you have been charged for two years for a phone that does not exist you would expect them to have documentation, but no they dont…. but this is my fault and not theirs. In other words I had to prove that I did not want the phone as they could not prove that I did want it.
Most reputation issues start with failing processes in a company and those processes most frequently fail as a company’s internal processes get structured around internal efficiencies and cost savings and increasingly not around the customer. Some times it can more malicious than that as company’s deliberately processes to confuse customers (known in business theory as “confusion pricing”) such as when a company sends you an eight page statement which is difficult to understand or follow. So I could be malevolent and say that Orange is running a business scam (aka headline Orange Mobile Phone Scam) but it is not that. It is simply a growing culture where customers as a group matter, but as an individual you don’t matter any more. Of course as individuals we matter much more than the group, since it is not the group who complains but the individual as I am doing right now.
Few consumers believe brand advertising anymore and we rely on friends for advice. It is to our tech friends that we turn for advice on what we should buy or not buy. As one of those early adopter types, I often get asked what I think. Well, Orange does not get my vote now.
These experiences are wake up calls, so now I am studying my account online and also thinking about how I want to use mobiles in future. Of course like a lot of mobile users in the UK, I am signed into a long account (in my case 18 months!) which severely limits my leverage over the company.
What did Orange do wrong? They simply treated an issue as my problem and not theirs. Junior members of the team were responsible for managing the account and I had not way of speaking to anybody more senior ( an increasingly common problem with telecoms and contact centre based companies) and so there is no easy way for me to resolve the problem. Solution is to scale back my account and then actually close it at the first opportunity. So in a few months time, it is is bye bye Orange and I will choose my new supplier carefully.
What can reputation management do for you?
Reputation Management services has become a key aspect for almost all companies. This dynamic service is coming to be regarded as a major boon for all businesses, brands, individuals and products who were victims of this so called reputation crisis. Your company’s reputation might be immaculate at present, but one can’t predict when the situation turns around.
Reputation management services might be something new, but in such a short span of time it has proven its mettle and has got recognition globally. From politician, sports personalities, celebrities, companies to doctors have all embraced it as yet another aspect or PR. It can’t be denied that many companies and brands are benefited with the effective tools of reputation management. No matter its a small business or a Fortune 500 company, reputation management service is meant for all.
It is debated that, the results of these reputation management services comes gradually and not in a haste. Well, to bring your reputation up is a systematic process needs patience, as this is a sensitive area. To promote a brand or key phrase and to optimize it correctly asks for time, and to further push down the negative results and at the same time bringing up positive contents needs a concrete strategy and proper allocation. Meanwhile the use of a pro-active SEO campaign is a smart way to bring up your brand image and reputation in search engines.
Many companies argue that, its really pain staking to sit and watch all negatives about the business, even after resorting to these reputation management services, but they have to understand the sensitivity of the issue. Reputation management campaign works as a process and it slowly weaves a positive image for your brand, making sure the credibility of your brand or company is never lost.
How it works :
After analysing the position of the company online, with the help of the articles, web pages, blogs and pictures, the reputation management plan is designed. After judging your present status online and by knowing how people perceive you, the repair works of your online reputation starts off.
As we all know ‘Google’ does an index of new pages fast, so by publishing blogs, web pages and articles about your company we can bring the positive side of your business. As your page gets cached by Google, you can work more stringently to rank those pages on the top searches. It can take a minimum of six months to get the results, but at the end of the day you are satisfied with what Google is coming up with about your company or brand . You have more control of your reputation and that makes all the difference!
Posted in Celebrity Reputation, Company Reputation, Damage Limitation, Online PR, politicians, PR / Public Relations, Product Reviews, Reputation Management, Reputation News, Reputation Online | Tags: Brand, Business/Finance, Celebrity Reputation, Communication, Computing, Google, Google Inc., negative comments, Online Reputation Management, Politician, politicians reputation, PR / Public Relations, reputation, Reputation Management, Reputation management services, Reputation system, Society, Technology/Internet, World Wide Web | 1 Comment »
Apple iPhone 4 flaws and reputation damage
As Apple Inc strives to pacify the irate customers over the antennagate fiasco, its shares have tumbled to an all time low and online consumer polls show a swinging brand loyalty among its users. Apple would be wary of the media headlines that talk about the antenna flaws even today as it might result in a dip in its future sale figures. In a Reuters online poll, 56 percent people opined that the controversy made them less likely to buy an iPhone. Ever since the complaints started trickling in, Apple has so far lost about $16 billion in market value.
Meanwhile, an extensive 90-minute news conference held by Apple’s chief executive has helped to fix the public relations damage to some extent, though much remains to be done to resolve the issue . The press conference of Apple CEO Steve Jobs that came as a surprise to many customers and investors did not touch upon the future course of action that Apple may take to sort out this mess, though it cleared the doubts of the users and redirected their attention to the positive aspects of this coveted brand.
The company said the media had blown the issue out of proportion, but offered free cases to consumers to help mitigate any signal strength problems.
Industry watchers are betting that despite all the odds like the pending lawsuits, poor reviews from Consumer Report and ever increasing user complaints, Apple might not be willing to initiate an embarrassing recall, which might be more damaging to its well earned reputation for quality products.
The wrap around antenna flaws of the hyped iPhone 4 had hit the headlines soon after the model was launched. So, Apple needs to come out with a proactive strategy in identifying and finding a permanent solution to this issue as any delay could prove detrimental to the establishment of iPhone 4 brand in the market. Apple has initiated quick fix methods like offering free protective cases for the users to offset the signal problem, till it comes up with a permanent solution. It is indeed a race against the clock for Apple as it has to move past the issue quickly to ensure its brand protection before it snowballs into a major scandal.
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Posted in Company Reputation, Damage Limitation | Tags: antenna flaws, Apple iPhone 4, brand image, reputation, steve jobs | 3 Comments »
How we deal with the Ripoff Report menace
To begin with, let me say that it’s no menace at all. Ripoff Report is just one of the many obstacles that any dedicated reputation management team can overcome. There are clients who approach us all worried about this so-called menace, making inquiries as to how this can be legally handled. Our job begins with explaining to them as to what it’s all about. We tell them that Ripoff Report presents a platform for people to air their grievances and complaints, but obviously people, those with vested interests, make use of the platform to deliberately cause disrepute to a company against which they have a personal grudge or which is a rival on the professional level. Google, or for that matter any search engine, brings that to the fore of searches; simply because this is what search engines are purported to do- work with all focus on keyword optimization and such factors that can be manipulated and worked in favor or against.
Ripoff Report makes it a point to say on their site, “Ripoff Report has been sued on many occasions based on the content which our users have created and posted. If you are considering suing Ripoff Report because of a report which you claim is defamatory, you should be aware that to date, Ripoff Report has never lost such a case (with one exception; explained below). This is because of a federal law called the Communications Decency Act or “CDA”, 47 U.S.C. § 230.”
As reputation managers we know how to deal with Ripoff Report threats that our clients face. We first convince our clients that it’s no menace at all and then set out to tackle it, meeting it face-to-face. We can do better keyword optimization and come up with loads and loads of premium and above-all real positive ones, which can work towards pushing the Ripoff thing down.
This may be a slightly longer process but it is the one thing that works always!
Mel Gibson reputation – Is the worst over?
As we mull over how Mel Gibson’s reputation, future plans and how even a comeback can materialize, he seems to have found some reprieve. Mel’s ex-wife has come out with a signed affidavit saying he was never abusive towards her or her children. This coming from a 28-year marriage does bring in some good tidings for the star.
However, there is still that question – “Will Mel Gibson go to jail?” to be dealt with and the legal teams are probably going to battle it out over extortion threats from Oksana Grigorieva and spousal abuse from Gibson being fought at length. From a celebrity crisis and damage control angle, Robyn Moore’s affidavit is like a God-sent for Gibson.
It’s almost certain that Hollywood will let things play out and wait for the outcome of the legal case for child custody. Whoopi Goldberg’s attempt at supporting her friend is frankly not enough, apart from the ‘racist’ tag Gibson also needs to fight his ‘misogynist’ and ‘abuser’ tag.
Like Tiger Woods who is now battling golfing trouble after his reputation debacle Mel Gibson will have to make a comeback that is so awe-inspiring that all’s forgiven in the name of art and cinema. Tiger Woods is well aware of this as well as he fumbles to get his groove back on the green.
Related post:
Posted in Celebrity Reputation, Damage Limitation, Examples, Online PR, Reputation News | Tags: Mel Gibson, Mel Gibson reputation, Misogynist, Oksana, Racist, Tiger Woods | 1 Comment »
Fame comes with a price – Social conduct and celebrity reputation!
Do you ever think before you act? If not, then better develop a habit of doing so, especially when you are a celebrity or known personality. Your behaviour has an immediate impact on your reputation, it might sound clichéd, but practically it makes a huge difference to your image and reputation.
Usually in case of celebs such reputation disasters occurs when misconducts or anger tarnishes their social image. Being vulnerable, a single false move can bring down the reputation drastically.
Behaviour and social conduct has a lot meaning and value when it comes to celebrities. Always in the limelight, these so called stars are social figures and their acts are watched by millions. Any bad conduct from their end can be axing their own feet. In many instance it has seen that, how celebrity image has fallen down by their misconducts or offensive acts. Whether it’s by being rude to the media or by having a foul mouth, violent behaviour in public is simply disgraceful.
Some of the offensive acts by the celebrities:
- Lindsay Lohan was recently charged with carrying “contraband” found in her wrecked car.
- Paris Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail for driving on a suspended license.
- Mel Gibson verbally abusing and slapping his girl friend.
Robert Thompson, a professor of popular culture at Syracuse University said “Celebrities behaving badly is certainly not an uncommon thing to find throughout history and it is certainly not going to fade away.”
To maintain and protect your reputation today is far difficult than the hardships you faced to gain that fame, as the adage goes, “With great power comes great responsibilities”. In the same way, it asks for great responsibility to sustain that fame and glory.
However, if you are looking to rectify your flaws, then we at Reputation Management For.com suggests, a concrete PR strategy and reputation management plan, which will help you to repair your lost image and resurrect from the damages. Reputation management even helps you to manage and enrich your reputation, and also helps to keep track of the status of your reputation. Celebrities and social figures are recommended to shield there reputation with a systematic reputation management plan, especially at a time when social networking has given people the space to air their views easily.
Posted in Celebrity Reputation, Damage Limitation, Online PR, Reputation Management, Reputation Online | Tags: Bad Press, Celebrity, Celebrity reputation management, Human Interest, Lindsay lohan, negative comments, Online Reputation Management, PR / Public Relations, Repuatation Management, reputation, Reputation Management, Society, wrecked car | 1 Comment »
Radisson hack
The news that Radisson hotels in Canada were hacked is no surprise. What is a surprise is that it does not happen more often with hotels employing low quality staff and the relaxed attitude we al have to giving hotels our details. It is an obvious site to hack. Fortunately for Radisson other hotel chains have experienced similar hacking; Westin hotels were hacked in 2008 in Berlin by a Russian mafia gang. For Wyndham Hotels, there is the embarrassment of being hacked three times by the same method before it was discovered. In all cases credit card information was compromised.
Hotel chains routinely hold customer credit card data to hold against a stay. Any criminal will know this and know that there are multiple logins and sites to access the systems. Similarly many hotels run the same systems so the problem is mo than one hotel chain wide.
What impact will a loyalty card have if customers are having to replace their cards? Fortunately hotels have the obvious recourse of inviting guests to stay for free as an apology which protects them from too much negative comment.
Hotels should respond to these sorts of incidents with rapid response free by offers to customers to keep them onside.
Reputation management, a solid formula is also essential for small corporations
Is reputation management more important a matter to small businesses than to large corporations? Yes, small companies have a lot more to lose from a storm of negative comments and it can actually destroy them when compared to a multi million dollar firm that has the deep pockets to afford such an awful attack. A small company may not be often able to wait or counteract in accordance with big corporations.
But there is always a solution for small firms to control their online reputation by taking a proactive approach by constantly using organic SEO to boost positive listings in SERPs, address negative publicity swiftly and professionally.
Reputation management has always been a success factor in ensuring a company’s success. Online reputation management involves maintaining your company’s positive image over the web and combating the negative publicity as soon as it arises.
With a plethora of sites through which consumers exchange their ideas, the anonymity that the Internet provides may encourage disgruntled customers to voice the bad experiences with a sole purpose of sabotaging the company in question. Unfortunately no matter how well a business is run, there will always be dissatisfied customers who will take to the Internet no matter how willingly you try to address the situation.
Transparency is always important in managing your online reputation. When faced with such scrutiny, it’s best to address these problems directly instead of hoping or assuming they’ll clear all on their own. Let your customers know what you are doing to improve your company’s brand image and when problems seem to arise, make them know your side of the story as well.
Of course, it’s far easier to have reputation management services from experts and work on building your business and products better.