‘Yet another talent lost early’  as tributes to Amy Winehouse pour in, there are quite a few shameless self-promotions going on out to market her sudden death. This post is not to serve as an eulogy to Amy but to point out to companies how not to market on their official twitter accounts during the death of a celebrity.

‘Should Traffic Ever Trump Taste?‘  gives two examples of  such behaviour and we pick the Microsoft UK PR twitter handle post – and yes they were crass enough to post this…

Clearly their later apology and tribute did nothing to cover up the real intention of the tweet.

This is a great example of how not to be a PR handle on Twitter and clearly puts Microsoft UK  in a bad light, despite the opportunity of increased sales of Amy’s music. Definitely a big ‘thumbs down’ from us here at Reputation Management For.com.

Six months into 2010 and you realize the one thing that’s been recurring is big reputation crises. And how the mighty have fallen in reputation terms!! From Tiger Woods to Toyota worries, from BP oil spill crisis to Mel Gibson’s rants, from the Duchess of York scandal to the performance duds by the millionaire football stars, 2010 has brought its share of bad luck to haloed people and companies.

Reputation Management has never been this important and it’s sadly when a crisis happens that you actually tend to quantify reputation in terms of money. Reputation is indeed money and even if you argue that time is a healer, the business you lose in this period of crisis is never coming back to you.

The cool thing about Online Reputation Management (ORM) is that it encompasses PR, SEO reputation management, Branding and Crisis Management. You practically have your defense lined-up for you, ready for action. With ORM in place the bumpy ride to recovery from a crisis is largely smooth.

Finally by outsourcing ORM you actually get a whole team working for you round the clock. Being active on blog networks and social networking sites daily may not be possible when you have to go about your business. ORM goes a long way in protecting your reputation and brand online and should be part of your advertising or PR portfolio.

At Reputation Management For.com we’ve been ranking reputation of celebrities and companies based on how they fare online and we’ve often been alarmed at the naiveté with which  online reputation has been handled. However,  there’s much to be done to change this and this is where we come in. From regular monitoring to highlighting positive stories to damage limitation and burying negatives ORM is not be ignored.

For nowadays anyone can be an investigative reporter- a citizen journalist with phone cameras and other gadgets and anyone’s a paparazzo and celebrities beware! These are times of sting operations, consumer forums, and review sites all as keen on reputations as we are.

So yes, the year 2010 seems to be going down history as a year that could well use some reputation management on its own and here’s hoping the next six months see companies and celebrities with sound ORM in place.

What can you do about fake twitter handles who steal your thunder? Well nothing!! BPGlobalPR is one such that’s enjoying a huge list of followers for his wry humor which seems to be the only way to digest the BP oil spill crisis. Re-tweeting his wisecracks, with the “BPcares” hashtag, have got me some weird comments from people who called me ‘insensitive’. I’ve had to explain that @BPGlobalPR is a fake account that yanks the ‘real’ BP PR chain.

BP has been dealing with this PR nightmare for long now and the latest effort has been in allowing writers to the area to convey to the world their side of the story. The company had placed a ban on journalists to the area and now seems to make amends with this new step. But then, no one seems to be buying it. Allowing their own PR guys disguised as journalists to provide interviews and other stories with a slant is really not going to help.

However, the papers are full of BP’s daily costs at handling the problem and is said to be at a total of $2.65bn (£1.76bn) and the problem has been raised at the  G20 Summit in Canada by both Obama and Cameron. They’ve agreed on wanting to keep BP stable while maintaining the pressure on them to clean up the problem. This means they’ve agreed to let BP continue their work in the Gulf of Mexico and BP shares has seen a slight increase in the market.

However, getting a BP sponsorship may not be something you need to agree on according to this BBC article…

More than 170 creative artists have put their names to a letter attacking Tate Britain for accepting BP sponsorship.

The BP logo, the letter in The Guardian says, “represents a stain on the Tate’s international reputation”.

So, clearly being associated with BP in any way may not be a good idea for now.

Now onto other associated problems of the oil spill…  Americans who love seafood are a paranoid lot, if tourists are to be believed. You can see them tucking into shrimp and fish with a purpose on their holidays in Europe and Asia. Shrimp is the No. 1 seafood in the US and Louisiana tops in US shrimp output, so the Gulf oil spill has put a thick cloud over the future of the shrimp industry here. Feasting on seafood abroad maybe a good idea, indeed!

Let’s not forget that despite all efforts oil continues to spill by the gallons, the Google crisis page with the ticker is a chilling reminder. For now, we have the satire of fake accounts to see us through the Gulf of Mexico oil spill crisis and BP has to continue to endure the smart aleck jibes and carry on with their work and, of course, put on hold any endorsements plans they may have.

Related posts:

• BP’s pay per click campaign to fix brand reputation
• BP = Beyond Petroleum = Big Pollution
• BP’s Oil Cam PR Fiasco
• BP’s Waiver Form Own Goal

This article focuses on reputation ranking mechanism. When a company or business gets unwanted  attention online, there obviously is something fishy about it. The search engines go naughty; they become biased and start ranking the ‘negatives’ on top. After all it’s attracting more visitors. When users search for you online the unofficial flashes before the official website, thus drowning your goodwill.

Take for instance if some firm wants to hire your service and finds no mention or option about you on the first two pages till they spot you on the 4th page of the search result, imagine the kind of damage it will be have on your company. All the negative stuff has pushed you out off sight. Reputation ranking shows what exactly is your position online.

The ranking system is a process that is concluded by feedback and thorough research and data collection mechanism, and then depicted with pictorial representation followed by analysis and summary. The results cannot be manipulated or altered.  Unlike other ranking systems that sum up the good and bad reports from customers, reputation rating depicts reliable and accurate facts based on that day’s researches. The intention is to build better and objective ratings and develop trust on Reputation Management system.

Reputation rating systems are becoming an essential tool and it is about finding ways to reduce the influence of bad press. Reputation Management For.com believes that every business needs a proactive measure to be on the web and be a consistent performer. And it only goes on to help you understand your business better.

The long standing tussle between British Airways’ and the trade union Unite’s seems to be a never ending affair with no sign of breakthrough. BA’s Chief Executive, Willie Walsh, is been criticized for his tough stance on cabin crew travel issue and for his relentless refusal to allow peace a chance. Though he claims the strike action by cabin crew is “a failure”. On the other hand Unite Union Chief, is reported to have flown out of UK with his family for vacation at this hour of crisis. So all this drama gives this  general feeling of a unholy nexus between the BA and Unite chief.

Traveling by BA is skeptical and may effect your itinerary or even expect a particular flight is canceled. Passengers are even cautioned to counter-check refund and re-booking options and also advised to look at other flights.

As this drama continues the brand BA has taken a huge beating besides losing customer’s faith. Though they announced about having proper back-ups in place and will operate additional flights to keep up with the demand, but, will this help BA as a company that is concerned about its employee and customers.

The U K’s flagship carrier, once the pride of UK had set a standard for quality, style and service. They even claimed to be “The World’s Favorite Airline”. Let’s face it; BA is undergoing a crisis management so they should now concentrate on how to bring back that old faith the quality, integrity and operation.

Reputation Management For.com finds Google search queries suggest “BA Strike” as first. Better late than never they will need to do some brainstorming to get out-off troubled waters to salvage their reputation both online and offline, after all every second passenger hits the Internet to see whats cooking

Dubai World, the  state backed business conglomerate ,which is in neck deep debts has struck a deal with lenders to restructure its $23.5bn (£16bn) debt, in a bid to save the company’s reputation and to  bring back the economy of the emirates on track. The proposed agreement with 60 per cent of Dubai world’s lenders will revitalize the economy, which was in a limbo.

Dubai World rocked global financial markets when it asked lenders for a six-month moratorium on $4bn of debt repayments due a month later. The confidence reposed by many investors and the reputation of Dubai World in the global financial markets dropped sharply with this . By then the tiny state ran up debts of around $80bn, according to Bank of International Settlements. The money was utilized to fund numerous projects including the Burj Khalifa, the 828m tall record-breaking skyscraper to the luxurious palm islands that housed many of the expats  who were hired on  tax-free salaries for completing Project Dubai. Many felt that this crisis would not have snowballed into a global issue had  Dubai world  pushed on with its  fund sourcing well in time instead of buying time and hoping for a miracle.

Now the reputation of Dubai is at stake and they need to send out a clear cut message that they are taking remedial measures to rectify the financial imbroglio that they have landed into. Regaining the confidence of the  international business community and winning back their trust would be the top most priority for Dubai.

Now the reputation of Dubai is at stake and they need to understand that attracting foreign contractors with low debt markets and liberal trade rules is not enough to float a paradise. Reputation Management For.com gets this feeling that it is good for the time being that Dubai World sit back chalks out a long term policy and let the momentum restart. Now that Dubai World is not in a position to deliver dreams, leave alone this promise tag to investors about dreams and salvage their credibility, which has already taken a beating.

After a massive global recall, the Japanese car giant ‘Toyota’ is yet again feeling the heat with the car owners demanding for full refund of their cars. Adding to the already grief ridden recall saga, Toyota  invited loads of criticisms followed by legal battles ever since the revelations of their car’s tendency to accelerate out of control. The technical glitch seems too hot to handle for Toyota, and now the customers are out of control.

Thankfully, the recent recall by both  Honda and Toyota has let the consumer’s to lose their confidence for Japanese vehicles.  Has this change in consumer preference exposed the grey area for Toyota or other Japanese car makers? Blessing in disguise, the American car makers, ‘GM Motors’ and ‘Ford’ are finally ready to capitalize on their once undisputed Japanese competitors.

Lately the Attorneys Toyota Actions Consortium (ATAC) added rackerteering claims on Toyota for its number of  lawsuits. Tim Howard,who is coordinating the ATAC even said that :

“It’s become increasingly apparent that Toyota profits were not built on quality products, but on a willful pattern of deception, fraud and racketeering.”

Undoubtedly all these development has tormented the reputation of Toyota globally. The growing list of enraged customers proves how PR was never considered at the first place followed by the absence of  a strategic reputation management. Setting an examples how things can slip off your hands, if not dealt the way it has to be. Toyota has lost its reputation and number one position  for being the most favorable customer loyal car maker in US. But its only matter of  time before we know how grave the scar is for Toyota and other Japanese car companies.

Related Posts :

• Toyota in damage control form
• Toyota, Peugeot Citroen and now Honda – Car industry jinxed?
• Toyota problem deepens
• Honda recalls for faulty airbags
• Maruti Suzuki recalls – Joins the band

When Apple launched its much hyped iPad, it brought along a fair share of brickbats as well along with the bouquets. May be people had over expectations about the product much before the release of the product at the beginning of the year. The possibility of Apple iPad replacing the notebook does seem a remote possibility now considering its shortcomings.

The absence of a camera makes video chatting impossible while the inbuilt mini SIM slot that it has only supports the AT&T network which means that you cannot use it with any another service provider or use it as a cell phone outside the US. Apple iPad supports only Mackintosh features thereby making it incompatible with other software applications as well. The absence of built in USB slots would mean that the customers have to shell out extra from their pockets  after spending so much on their Apple iPad. The lack of  high definition output in terms of both video and audio does not facilitate a comfortable reading of e-book.

The worst part is that Apple iPad has become a target for scammers as well who have managed to poison the search results to redirect the hits to their malware spreading sites. When customers search for the Apple tablet device in search engines, the poisoned search results would download a rogue program.  Ever since Apple announced the launch of iPad,  it has been one of the hottest topics doing the rounds in the Web.

With the growing user anticipation for this new product, it is most likely that many users will be victimized by the latest FAKEAV attack. Users are thus advised to be wary of malicious links and to instead go to reputable news sites to get the latest information about the iPad,” explained Carolyn Guevarra, the Communications Specialist  of TrendMicro, a company that specializes in providing network antivirus and internet content security software.

From the reputation management point of view, we feel that if Apple can take effective steps in plugging these loopholes, the damage will only be marginal. The first step would be to regain the customer confidence, and what Apple does in this direction will be of much interest to all of us.

Just how good it is when an Organization says that ‘Employees are their assets’, well let’s keep this debate aside for now. But here we are going to highlight how employees’ reputation creates a huge impact on those who look at you from the other side and just how critical it is for the reputation of your company..

Your employees’ carries the attitude and brand of your company. Have you ever noticed when visiting any office and waiting at the front office. I think this is the best place to analyze how true the employees carry the brand. You can feel the elements of the company culture and values coming through in the way people speak to each other and how they greet you. After all, employees are the caretakers of a company’s brand.

Employees and corporate reputation goes hand in hand. Though company reputation is vital, but employees are also the key factor that link to manage it. This generates positive performance and ultimately cements a place for you in this competitive era. So how to keep a positive reputation of your organization is about recognizing the significant role employees’ play in the overall positioning of corporate reputation.

However, to encourage employees to ‘live the brand’ are not much practiced. It is further suggested that to highlight your brand through your employees there has to be solid strategies in place. So when employees are trained to do their part perfectly the battle is half won. Let the employees know what actions are effective in return that successfully portray your strong brand.

In my opinion a brief training exercise and the know-how of the company and its regulation will go a long way in shaping employee reputation. Apprise them of the various vulnerability that could sabotage their reputation; for example ‘A tech savvy employee when comes across some website that has negative thing about the organization, what he should be doing? Persuade them to take advantage of the situation and come up with better solution to counter that after all it’s reputation at stake.

When you get a spam mail do not delete it and take sometime to read it (do not reply or react). If you notice the content of the mails are mostly promotional about all kinds of business. The majority of spam mails is to do with breast enlargement or about male enhancement. Do not be surprised to know that these mail as they claim comes from bigger companies than you own.

Now that’s a bait!
Some people ignorant of the fact what spam mail are suppose to be tend to reply them. What tempts them to respond is something interesting, well! It’s the big names like MSN, Amazon or Paypal attached to this email.

Now that’s what we call bait – you being skeptical shoot an email to that owner only to know it was spam. Unfortunately the damage is already done, you have authenticated and confirmed your email address, and now the spammer has all sources at his disposal to flood your Inbox.

What is the point.
Well give it a thought! If the spammer thinks that using reputed companies like MSN, Amazon or Paypal is perfectly fine, what makes you think that your business is safe. As we all know burglars are always on the lookout for huge cache, and they en route their plans using smaller companies because they know with smaller companies it is always a win-win situation. If this situation is not handled properly, imagine the kind of damage your business will inherit, you may even close your shop.

How to shield
Now urgency has pounced on you, there is nothing as important, but to shield your reputation before more people gives it a bad name. This not only results in loosing business even your identity too.

Smart move, you want somebody to take responsibility and guard your business and personal reputation.

Reputation managers will then try to capitalize on the already done damage until such time your reputation is secure. This is probably the best option and least you worry about the reputation of your business.

Send out a strong message and let no one think about using your company’s goodwill to fill their own coffers in future.