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politicians
From a popular PM to the shortest-serving leader in Australia – Where did Kevin Rudd go wrong in managing his reputation?
June 25, 2010 | 
Author It was only a year ago that Kevin Rudd was compared to Australia’s most popular leader Bob Hawke, but today he is coming to terms with the disreputable fact of being tagged “the most unsuccessful Prime Minister in Australian history”, the shortest serving one as well. And his once - popular campaign slogan “Kevin 07″ is today subverted to “Kevin 07, Gone By 11.” So where had he gone wrong?
Right from angering MPs, an unravelling personal image, getting no support in opinion polls and a series of other events (which were definitely not favourable for him) that finally culminated in Kevin Rudd being dumped by the Labour party and forced to hand over his office to Julia Gillard (Australia’s first woman Prime Minister), the reputation of Kevin Rudd has been badly damaged for quite some time now. And the speed of his demise showed the extent to how bad it was!
People who felt fooled at the last election were desperately looking for a hero in Kevin Rudd. How far did he meet their expectations? Mistakes were many, right from ratifying Kyoto to apologising to the stolen generation and the people who elected him to power felt he forgot why they got him to power.
One can get a fair idea of how Kevin Rudd’s reputation got drowned in the sea of the very same people who elected him to power from their views . Most of the people in the streets are of the opinion that Rudd failed in implementing most of the economic policies he himself introduced. The muffed home insulation farce, the school halls building program and the $900 stimulus handout are just a few examples. Finally to top it off , Rudd attacked the mining industry, which is the backbone of the Australian economy. Well now, the reputation of a PM obviously depends a lot on how far you are able to carry out the new economic policies introduced and failing to meet it will have consequences similar to the one Kevin Rudd had to go through.
There are people who say that Rudd has not kept a single election promise since being put in the PMs office. Earlier this week the media were saying that he only won the election because of his wife’s media campaign to get him into power. And, to say you have not kept promises is pretty bad from the reputation management point of view for a PM.
Past experiences whether it was in the case of Gordon Brown or Kevin Rudd speaks out the fact that PMs and politicians will have to keep in mind that people are empowered to throw anyone out of political office and hence they will have to above all maintain their reputation without any blemish at all.
As regards Kevin Rudd the only good news for him is that he does have a few people with him, who do believe that a PM being human can make mistakes or that Australia is not ready for a PM like Kevin Rudd.
But now with Kevin Rudd declaring (almost pledging) he will contest his seat of Griffith in Queensland at the next election, and http://www.google.com.au/ giving suggestions like “Kevin Rudd sorry” and “Kevin Rudd apology” for people typing his name at the same time, Kevin Rudd will have a hard job clawing back support and it necessarily does call for some serious reputation management too!
Posted in Celebrity Reputation, Examples, politicians, Reputation News | 
Tags: first australian women prime minister, julia gillard, kevin rudd, kevin rudd apology, kevin rudd prime minister, kevin rudd reputation, kevin rudd sorry speech, politicians reputaion, politicians reputation management | 
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Thailand Reputation- Bangkok businesses suffer losses
Thailand’s democracy is being tested yet again after the coup lead by the Yellow Shirts that put the present PM Abhisit Vejjajiva in office. Surprisingly he was then backed by Thaksin Shinawatra who is now behind the Red Shirt protesters.
If the present Bangkok protests worsen it will lend a huge blow to the economy of the country. About 40 people have been killed and more than 250 people injured till date.
Tourism brings in 6% of the country’s economy and provides employment to 15% of the working populace.
With the business districts being targeted businesses are likely to move out if protests and coups become regular fare. BBC reports the following:
Thai Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij has forecast economic growth of between 4.5% and 5% this year, but the civil unrest is threatening to reduce that figure.After meeting with business associations, Mr Chatikavanij has said the protests could cut 0.3% off his forecast.
The much revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej is unwell and is not likely to intervene; while ousted Thaksin is not likely to back down either. This could go on for a long time and at regular intervals and we can only speculate the implications on the economy.
For now tourists are continuing their plans to visit the islands and are staying away from the northern districts.
There is no question that all these political issues will have a far-reaching impact on Thailand’s national reputation and is taking away from the very essence of being Thai – land or ‘Freedom’ land as the word is said to mean.
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Google suggests- Gordon Brown Bigoted Woman
When I began my Gordon Brown post yesterday and typed ‘Gordon Brown’, Google, the ever helpful imp that it is, suggested “Gordon Brown bigoted woman”!!! The news had just broke and there it was picked up and urged by Google for all to see. In a matter of hours the Labour campaign is shaking under the onslaught of this gaffe. Questions are being raised about the character of the PM who is a week-away from election.
This is a great example of how biased Google can be when it comes to negative news. To illustrate the damning effect, here are two screen shots of both Google.com and Google.uk when you type ‘Gordon Brown’.
This is the kind of damage a negative news can do to your carefully built reputation. Still grabbing headlines and soaring on social networking sites, Gordon Brown will have to face Google’s suggestion horror for quite a few days and with elections a week away this can be a total disaster.
Now, this brings us to what it can do to affect companies that face serious negative issues. There is Google suggesting your worst nightmare to millions of people around the globe. In short, news in any form directly has an effect on Google’s suggested queries.
This is another reason why negative press always seem to have an effect on Google. It’s a vicious cycle and for now Gordon Brown will have to hope for something really big and positive probably in the debates today to stop this negative effect.
Gordon Brown’s Bigotted Moment of Truth
Certain episodes are moments of truth: they have a damning ring to them that cannot be expunged. The terse, mumbled conversation in the car that led to that bigoted woman comment has finished Gordon Brown as a political leader. It is the political equivalent of Gerald Ratner’s rubbishing his jewellery. This being politics, on the face of it Gordon Brown survives, but his credentials are gone.
It is not simply what he said, it was the complete theatre which made it a spectacular faux pas. We had also met Gillian Duffy and seen her for a typical middle england worried voter. Not a bigot in any way, but like many voters worried by immigration. His damning of her is akin to a damning of a huge proportion of voters at the same time.
It's a joke right? - Well it is now from Labour Facebook page
This is the real damage to Gordon Brown’s reputation: we know what he really thinks about us. We know that the arm around the shoulder and the slightly satanic smile hide a revulsion for us that destroys Brown’s reputation as a man of the people. Can we trust that look, that behaviour again? That is the real challenge facing Labour strategists today.
Gordon Brown – ‘Bigoted woman’ gaffe & Reputation management
Gordon Brown had to answer to 65-year-old Labour loyalist, Gillian Duffy, during his election campaign, and boy, did she have a thing or two to say about lost Labour glories!!
Wired still with the Sky News microphone, Brown unwittingly made a couple of comments that were promptly caught on tape and re-run all across the media ad nauseam. And this is what he said…
“That was a disaster – they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? Ridiculous.”Asked what she had said, he replied: “Everything, she was just a sort of bigoted woman.”
On a day when the Labour electioneers were hoping to talk policy, this incident took over. More so, when Ms Duffy was heard saying that Gordon Brown is a very nice man and that she has and will continue to vote for Labour.
So, what did Gordon Brown do for damage control?
- Dash off to Duffy’s house for a personal apology…speak to the media about it so…
“I am mortified by what has happened,” Brown added. “I have given her my sincere apologies. I misunderstood what she said. She has accepted that there was a misunderstanding, and she has accepted my apology. If you like, I am a penitent sinner.”
- Continue appearing in the media to show that he is not afraid to meet people after the incident and
- Have his wife give an interview showing her support to him
From a reputation management view – this was the only thing he could have done to save face. Though grinning from ear to ear may not have been the right expression to show while exiting Duffy’s house.
The words were chosen right and damage control was quick, but, Gordon Brown would look to see this die down quickly, and hope like hell more Labour loyalists don’t get disillusioned with this gaffe.
As for his PR team this is a lesson in the unthinkable happening! They have to remember that there are microphones, cameras and other gadgets out there to pick the most unimaginable things and throw it under the spotlight.
For politicians in particular a reputation crisis is always just around the corner, like the proverbial sword it’s just a matter of ‘when’!
So will Gillian Duffy bring down Gordon Brown? What’s your take?
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Gordon Brown’s Reputation Management skills the need of the hour
With elections in the UK only a few weeks away, Reputation management and reputation campaigns have been the hottest buzz words doing the rounds. The speculation of a hung parliament this year might set off innovative reputation management tactics from both the ruling front and the opposition camps.
The election, which is the first to be faced by the Labour leader Gordon Brown as Prime Minister will be a hotly contested affair with many popular names including the opposition party leaders, David Cameron of the Conservatives and Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats in the fray. Reputation management will play a key role in this election for Gordon Brown, as No.10 Downing Street has been abuzz with speculations of the alleged bullying tactics of the British PM for quite some time now.
It would mean that the PM and his party workers start working on their online reputation to mend the damage caused by negative comments and bad reviews, which have been influencing the search results. No politician can afford to see his name tagged to something unsavoury during the crucial phase of general elections. Politicians should rope in campaign managers as well to clean up the mess and to project their ratings in the online media.
Unlike PR , Reputation managemett takes its own time to show the results. The party should embrace Gordon Brown’s reputation as a man of principle who is undeterred by confrontation and willing to bring change, same for David Cameron. Voters are going to bank heavily on what they read online. Gordon Brown and his team has to work out a sure shot reputation management plan that would spell out their policies and preferences apart from making their stand clear in the murkier issues clouding their repute!
Amitabh Bachchan aka controversy
Amitabh Bachchan, the legendry actor of Bollywood seems to be amidst a controversy for all the wrong reasons. This time it started with Amitabh Bachchan agreeing to be the brand ambassador for Gujarat (a state in India). This led to massive opposition by the ruling Congress party. Meanwhile Amitabh had claimed that, by accepting the brand ambassadorship for the state, he is not endorsing the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi or his politics, but just the state’s tourism.
If we look at the large picture, we can find that, its not the first time Amitabh Bachchan has been dragged into such a controversy, the star does have a history of being part of many such controversies.
The political boxing involving Bachchan has raised a serious concern for his online reputation. Being a national icon and noted celebrity all over the world, Bachchan has to give a thought, on does he really needs to be watchfull when it comes to politics.
“You want to stop me from promoting tourism in a state because you have reason to believe that there are political connotations to the event. This is such rubbish! All I shall be doing will be working in a short film that shall highlight the various places of interest in the state, so that it encourages more tourists to visit the region,” he said. Bachchan said those who take umbrage at his association with Gujarat do not have the courage to stop “a Ratan Tata or an Ambani” from investing in the state and running successful ventures there.
Its not only Amitabh who is in soup, his son Abhishek Bachchan too has had to face the music when the posters featuring him were removed from the Earth Hour event held in Delhi.
We, at Reputation Management For.com feel that,
- Amithabh Bachchan meticulously needs to chalk out a well defined strategy for himself, clean of all controversies.
- We also found that he runs a blog where he express his views about all the controversies he faces, which is a good sign.
- The need of the hour is a strong PR and a perfect online reputation.
- Being a celebrity entails lots of responsibilities; you are there online and obviously people follow you.
- Imagine one bad comment can tarnish your online reputation beyond repair. And search engines have the habit to show those posts which gets maximum hits on top, needless to say people love reading all sorts of negative stories about their stars.
Online Celebrity Reputation Management is one tool which ensures that every negative comments is tracked and dealt sternly. Also we feel that Amitabh should clear his stance and make more positive vibes online before being considered a political football by his fans.
Google searches now show mixed results both negative as well funny ones for the star. This can be damaging for the iconic hero, and surely he will not want to take chances with his goodwill, which others are enjoying at his expense.
Posted in Bad Press, Celebrity Reputation, Damage Limitation, Online PR, politicians, PR / Public Relations, Reputation Management, Reputation News, Reputation Online | Tags: Amitabh Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan blog, Bad Press, Bollywood, Bollywood celebrity, Indian Politics, Online Reputation Management, Reputation Management | 2 Comments »
Online Reputation Management – A mix of SEO and PR
This post is about demystifying ORM in the simplest way possible…
- Is online reputation management (ORM) kinda like SEO? Yes it is, the one cannot exist without the other in the online world.
- Is reputation management like public relations? Yes it is, ORM is a lot about projecting the right image to the world.
In fact, we here at Reputation Management For.com believe that ORM is a mix of all this and yet it is more.
Functions of ORM:
Reputation Management is all about protecting, defending and removing the best and the worst respectively, about you from the public eye.
Picking up on things on alerts, monitoring the airwaves for all that is being said about a person who can be a celebrity, a professional or a politician or a corporate entity or a brand as the case may be is an important function of ORM.
Crawling the internet for everything being said about you helps to push forward the positive content and maybe even create an online buzz about something new. This is an important part of ORM.
Having a presence on different blog networks and social networking platforms, and maintaining them regularly is another function.
ORM is a routine, on-going process that should be part of your advertising or marketing, if it isn’t already.
When crisis strikes: ORM, however, gets into overdrive when there is a crisis and this is when the PR side of it comes out in full force. The online entity is under attack and it needs to be done systematically like in any other media.
- Real-time searches need to be monitored and looked into and Facebook posts and tweets all add up to the quick re-bound in reputation.
- Blog posts and news and more so in the case of press releases all play an important part in minimizing a crisis.
ORM, in short, does all that you would do in the real world – show up at the right places, make statements, give interviews, go on chat shows, keep you in the spotlight and put you in the news as and when required.
The only difference is that, this is the virtual world and the blog posts, press releases, tweets and Facebook posts all do what you would have done physically in the real world.
With the power cyberspace has on this world having ORM in place to watch your back only makes good sense. ORM is here to stay, and may be called SERM or PR with a cyber twist, but its the one thing to have in place if your business is all about your good reputation!
Gordon Brown faces fresh bullying claims!
No.10 Downing Street has been abuzz with speculations of the alleged bullying tactics of the British PM Gordon Brown. Meanwhile the founder of the National Bullying Charity helpline has told the media that they are receiving fresh calls for help from Downing Street Staff. Though the Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell came up with a quick denial and brushed aside the concerns with Brown as mere media speculation, a book has come up with the news that the cabinet secretary had in fact asked Brown to curb his “volcanic temper”. Amidst all the allegations and counter allegations, the public is left wondering.
Well, going by the signs, all is not well at the No.10 Downing Street and it is only a matter of time before these bickering might snowball into a major controversy. Prima facie, the whole episode appears as a PR mishandling issue and these internal issues might prove a major embarrassment to the Prime Minister’s office if more 10 Downing Street employees choose to take the matter to the media. Mr. Brown has to gather his acts smartly and make sure that the PR practices are in place in the highest office.
What is more worrying about the Gordon Brown revelations is not just the vile temper of the PM but the fact that the National Bullying Helpline having felt the need to intervene. For many, the alleged outbursts of Mr. Brown might appear childish but the fact that these have come out into the open from within the iron walls of the Downing street in itself is a warning call for the Prime minister’s office to set out on an urgent damage control and reputation management exercise to stall his rating from plummeting in the public eye.
Shashi Tharoor’s Controversial Pandora and his Reputation
Regardless of his impeccable credentials as a diplomat and him being the emerging face of Indian politics, Shashi Tharoor was recently made to resign from his post of Minister of State for External Affairs, on the grounds of illegal use of his office. Being a writer, sportsman, politician and above all a top UN diplomat, Tharoor was in a soup with nothing much to prove his part clean.
Ousted by Congress, Tharoor might not have ever dreamt of such an exit with allegation from all sides including no support for him from his very own ruling party. Well, seems Tharoor failed to score when it came to build a good PR internally in his party, though he enjoys over 700,000 followers in Twitter. Alleged for being involved in the auction of the Kochi team in the IPL, Tharoor never thought in his scariest dream, that his love for Kerala will turn up to him in such a fashion.
Being an ardent twitterer Tharoor’s (@ShashiTharoor) message have irked his party for a couple of occasions in the past, he was the first minister who came out open via Twitter and tried to connect with the masses. If Mr Tharoor would have used his social networking and twittering skills which is something new to Indian politics, to clear the air about the alleged scandal, then he would not have landed in such a mess, and the damage would have been minimized. Tharoor’s flamboyant persona and cool attitude had enough supporters on twitter, but being a politician Tharoor needed to distinguish his private and public life, before flaunting his girlfriend openly. All this has raised several repercussion, with the big question, whether Shashi Tharoor is a mis-fit in the Indian political scenario?
Whatever be the case, we at Reputation Management For.com strongly feel that Shashi Tharoor needs to make sure that he comes up strong over all these controversies and restructure his political reputation. He needs a well defined PR strategy in parliament to successfully make up for his lost glory.