Company brand is the most crucial part of any business. Have you ever pay attention as to how people view your company brand? You may be running a big company and generate a lot of profits, but everything falls apart when you lack sound Reputation Management.

Reputation management is the process of tracking actions, opinions, perceptions and trends about an organisation, business/company or individual. The focus of reputation management involves establishing a strategic approach to ensure that these, in turn, influence positive brand impact. It is an emotional bond that should result in trust, admiration and raise esteem.

Reputation can make or break a company's bottom line. It can boost or kill sales, attract or put off investment and business partners, recruit or deter employees, influence legislators and regulators, and literally touch every audience. Reputation management holds companies accountable for their actions, comments, opinion and deliverables to the public.

Reputation management recognises that both internal and external stakeholders play a fundamental role in building a company's reputation. While a brand is a product of the company, its reputation is inevitably in the hands of its stakeholders.

Reputation management is driven by internal stakeholders (all stakeholders/employees, from the cleaner to the board), leadership, products and services, leadership, innovation, good governance and performance.

Reputation management cannot be built overnight, it is built over time and requires commitment from all stakeholders, as they are ambassadors of the company's reputation. Cited: Black Business Quarterly, 2011.

Understanding how to deal with corporate reputation management takes planning. Knowing what the job duties of each of staff member is also important to the success of doing so. Your business' success will depend on how well you succeed on managing your reputation?so do it well!

Many businesses remain ignorant about the importance of reputation management. But there are companies that deal with the company's reputation and provide concrete reputation management solutions to overcome their reputation crisis and restore the lost brand:

• Vuma Reputation Management is a member of the Institute of Directors South Africa and the International Women's Forum South Africa (IWFSA). It is the only company is South Africa affiliated with the Reputation Institute, and has JSE endorsement on its media training. Visit their site: http://www.vumareputation.com/

Other Reputation Management Companies:

• Reputationmanagers
• Webershandwick
• Reputationmanagementllc

Sources:

• Echoresearch
• Bbqonline

Page Created: 20 May 2011