Corporate Reputation Management

Having a good corporate reputation can mean the difference between succeeding in the ultra competitive business world and joining the host of those who didn't make it. The idea is very simple: if you have a poor reputation, customers will not trust you. If customers do not trust you, then they won't buy from you. If they don't buy from you, your business falters. Effective corporate reputation management is essential in toady's business world.

If you are still uncertain whether you should invest your company's time and money in corporate reputation management, consider how important it was to Dell. In 2005, Dell customer Jeff Jarvis complained on his blog about the frustrations he was encountering concerning his Dell laptop. It overheated, malfunctioned, and came back from repairs still not working. To top it off, the customer service that Jarvis encountered when trying to resolve his problems was abysmal. Dell's customer satisfaction plummeted, sales dropped, and to make it worse, a recall cost the company about $411 million dollars in revenue and untold millions in lost sales.

This example demonstrates two things: one, individuals can wield immense power online. One blogger effectively facilitated a PR war. Two, corporate reputation management is essential. Dell responded by adding more call centers, more employees to help customers, reached out to bloggers and participated in discussions, started its own blog, and created forums in which customers can share opinions and suggestions. Dell has made an effort to use online media to reach out to customers, address problems, and take steps to resolve them. They also followed corporate reputation management rule number one: don't hide from a problem. Face it head on and take steps to ameliorate it.

Your business's reputation is its livelihood - trust and dependability matter more than flashy websites and gimmicks. It is worth any time and money you invest to pursue good corporate reputation management, and we can help. Take a moment to contact us today.