Why do we look for the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval? When Berkshire Hathaway takes a position in a company, why do we believe that this is a fundamentally good company, even if it is underperforming? It’s simple – Reputation, with a capital R.

Throughout the centuries, great thinkers and leaders have talked about it. Yet reputation remains an elusive, amorphous concept that called to mind that famous Supreme Court reference to pornography – it’s difficult to define but you know it when you see it.
 

The Gifts of Hurricane Sandy: Leadership & Exceeded Expectations
November 5, 2012

While I recognize that Hurricane Sandy was entirely different, I look at the pictures of the devastation at the Jersey Shore and can’t help but being reminded of September 11.  This time, the massive destruction was at the hands of Mother Nature, not terrorists.  But the terror and the loss are just as real.  And the extreme acts of common kindness and displays of leadership are equally inspiring.

Take for example, Governor Christie.  Just a week ago, he was bashing President Obama in the most partisan ways imaginable. This week, we’ve seen a Governor who has put people ahead of politics, and his state ahead of his own ego.  He has allowed us to see his humanity and his emotion, and he has graciously given the President credit where credit is due.  So I will do the same:  Governor Christie became a leader this week, instead of a bully.

I’ve also been inspired by stories of everyday people who’ve extended themselves to strangers as flood waters took their homes ; of first responders who put themselves in danger so that others can be saved.  Neighbors are knocking on each other’s doors in a way we don’t see in this generation of organized play dates and neighbors who don’t know each other’s names.

Finally, I’ve been impressed by a change in PSEG’s approach to handling massive blackouts.  I don’t actually know if they are doing anything different in their process, approach or timeframes for service recovery, but they are doing a much better job in communicating their preparedness, process and progress.  As a result, I feel a lot more positive about how they are doing than I have in all of the other storms where I have been among those who’ve lost power for a week.   This is proof that better communications = better optics, and better reputation.

In all three of these cases, the impact comes largely from a mismatch between what I expected, and what occurred.  Granted, having negative expectations that re-exceeded isn’t the highest threshold, but it is a start.  What would really make my day?  If the social misfits known as the cast of the Jersey Shore would take some of their notoriety, and their millions earned from selling trash TV, to restore the shore.  We all expected a Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi Restore the Shore Benefit concert.  Let’s see if Snooki and Pauly D step up.

 

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Posted by cwinters at 5:00 pm | Tagged , , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

Disney Finds the Internet Not So Mickey Mouse
October 23, 2012

Yesterday’s New York Times has an excellent article on the travails of the usually sure-footed Disney company in the Internet and mobile space.  Reporter Brooks Barnes details the entertainment behemoth’s missteps as it tries to find some traction for Disney.com’s third redo in the last five years.

The article shows that even a company known for innovation and driving consumer trends like Disney, is having difficulty competing in the hyperbolic and constantly evolving digital world.  As Barnes aptly puts it, Disney is an aircraft carrier trying to compete in an ocean full of speedboats.  So if Disney, a company overstocked with creative talent and with a bevy of Silicon Valley highfliers serving as board members and advisors is having difficulty, what does that mean for mere mortal companies and their executives?  This is particularly critical at a time when brand equity and reputation are tied ever closer to your digital strategy and online attributes.  And it is only going to get more so.

The first lesson is you can no longer play by the old rules or procedures.  Flexibility and speed trumps bureaucracies and approval process layers.  Companies that take months or more to launch/update are being lapped by more nimble competitors that are already on digital/social media 3.0 by the time they are introducing digital/social media 1.5.   Technology and customer needs/tastes are often changing too quickly, so a company must keep up or risk impacting everything from sales, to recruitment to share price.  Smart is still paramount but it has to be done at warp speed and thinking two steps beyond not only matters but is a differentiator.

It is also important that companies focus on distinct audiences rather than a one-size-fits-all digital strategy.  As the NYT article points out, Disney’s issues also stemmed from trying to cater to the divergent interests of Disney Channel watchers, theme park attendees, movie goers and gamers seemingly with one approach to online content.

Lastly, it is critical to keep your eyes and ears open in the breakneck digital world.  This goes beyond just active listening and keeping abreast of your key constituencies on social media.   It means actively investigating and searching for what is new and what is hot across the digital spectrum in your industry and others.  This may mean you need to pivot quickly to a new approach, a new focus or a new technology but that is the reality that Disney found out and the lesson that any company should heed.

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Posted by rtauberman at 4:10 pm | Tagged , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

Can embracing simplicity improve your reputation?
October 22, 2012

I’m a typical 40-something working Mom.  My calendar looks like 10 pounds of flour in a 5 pound sack.  My days get longer and longer, yet my to do list never gets shorter.  Perhaps that is why I am drawn to the notion of simplicity.  Yup, I watch Ree Drummond being a Pioneer Woman, and find myself envious of her life.  I read Real Simple magazine looking for the magic elixir of simplicity. Sometimes I even succeed.  And I know I am not alone in this craving for simplicity.

Why, then, do companies make their communications as complex as humanly possible?  Have you ever read your credit card agreement?  Me neither.    How about trying to make sense of those open enrollment benefits communications?  An annual report or an earnings release?

Our founding fathers were able to create a nation in only 16 pages.  Yet a typical business meeting includes a death by PowerPoint much longer than that.  Employee handbooks, annual reports, CEO speeches, the U.S. Tax code – they all go on endlessly.  And if they aren’t too long, they are often riddled with industry jargon and complex explanations designed to provide clarity.  Yet they do the exact opposite.  And when your stakeholders can’t understand you, it stands to reason that they won’t trust you, support you or act in the desired fashion.

We are experiencing a trust crisis in America.   People don’t trust government, they don’t trust business, they don’t trust institutions.  They trust each other, and the simple, straightforward information we share with each other in the short form of a Facebook post or a tweet.   Imagine if corporate communications took a simple, straightforward approach – free from legal-ese and industry jargon. A simple concept, with big impact.

Thomas Jefferson said, “When the subject is strong, simplicity is the only way to treat it.”

Easy to say.  Difficult to do.  How do you preserve communications simplicity in an increasingly complex world?  Share your stories with us.   But please, keep them simple.  Not convinced? Watch this Ted Talk – which prompted me to make the connection between simplicity, trust and reputation.

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Posted by cwinters at 3:01 pm | Tagged , , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

The Lance Armstrong Effect – Winners and Losers Following The Cyclist’s Announcement
October 19, 2012

Following the news of Lance Armstrong’s tumultuous week, MWW analyzed the changes in perception since Wednesday’s announcement. The results of the analysis are below. Who do you think will ultimately benefit and suffer from this week’s news? For more on the winners and losers of Lance’s announcement, read Carreen Winters’ thoughts from earlier this week.

 

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Posted by admin at 6:41 pm | Tagged , , , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

“TweetThink” and What it means for Brands
October 18, 2012

We’ve all heard the conventional wisdom before: In this digital age of infinite access to a variety of online opinions, social media tools like Twitter are reshaping journalism for the better by wresting control of the narrative from the hands of a few media elite, and placing it firmly in the hands of everyday citizens. As a result, now more than ever, professional journalists need to carve out their own unique niche, approach stories from a different angle, or be the first to break news – or risk getting lost in the digital ether.

At least this is what we keep hearing ad nauseum from media critics. But is it true?

A closer look at how journalists use Twitter during the presidential campaign – and the debates in particular – shows just the opposite: rather than leading to more diverse coverage, social media is fostering a level of groupthink – or rather, Tweetthink – among our nation’s top political analysts.

There’s no doubt that Twitter is the tool of choice for any self-respecting journalist looking to share information or follow the latest stories – especially those covering the hyper-competitive beat of electoral politics. Nearly every reporter covering this election has an active Twitter account – and they use them, particularly during high-profile events like debates or conventions. After Tuesday’s debate, Twitter reported more than 7.2 million tweets, just three million shy of the first presidential debate – the most-tweeted U.S. political event in history. A great deal of that conversation was from reporters tweeting to other reporters, begging the question: were they even watching?

Even if they were, they couldn’t possibly have had the opportunity to develop their own thoughts on the proceedings in between re-tweets and banter with their reporter colleagues. For those watching from the outside, it was a cycle to set your watch to: one journalist tweets an insightful or witty observation and everyone else re-tweets it until it becomes conventional wisdom.

Thanks to Twitter and a ravenous political press corps looking for something – anything – to latch on to, within five minutes of the start of the debate, it was decided: Obama was “combative.” An off-hand comment by Romney about “binders full of women” – something the average American watching at home probably didn’t even notice – became a hashtag-sensation and the latest Internet meme. Romney’s failed attempt to criticize the President’s response to a terrorist attack in Benghazi became a gaffe of epic proportions and according to Twitter, a “game changer.”

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank put it best after the first presidential debate when he said to Howard Kurtz on CNN (live on television, I should add), referring to the media consensus that Obama had under-performed in the first debate:

“This idea gelled early on [Twitter] that Mitt Romney was having a big night, Obama was having a lousy night, which was generally true, but it accentuated it, and basically there was a groupthink going on there that was – that was that this is a really big bad thing for Obama, and I think that we probably did our readers and viewers a disservice.”

As Computer World said, Twitter has become “the new spin room.”  Buzzfeed reported both campaigns have given up on the traditional post-debate spin room in favor of a so-called “pre-wash” prior to the debate – they know that by the time the debate is half-over, the story is already written.

And while this phenomenon is most pronounced during the presidential campaign, it’s happening across all beats, all the time. Reporters talking during sports games, reporters speculating on the iPhone before its even officially unveiled (and declaring in unison that Apple Maps is obviously the worst decision the company has ever made).

This makes it all the more critical that brands and companies have a strategy that takes this new conversation cycle into consideration – that means monitoring and responding as the conversation unfolds in real time, parallel to whatever messages your brand is broadcasting.

If you wait until your presentation, speech, or event is over… you’re going to be about 1 million tweets too late.

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Posted by darnold at 3:43 pm | Tagged , , , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

Winners & Losers of the Lance Armstrong debacle; An Rx for The Foundation’s Survival
October 17, 2012

Winner: Nike

Nike has a long history of standing by their spokespeople in times of trouble.  I’ve long admired their use of sound judgment and their ability to separate an athlete’s personal choices relative to the reasons they chose him as a spokesperson to begin with.  They refrain from panic and reactionism, and protecting their brand, and perhaps even saving a few careers along the way.  They weren’t concerned about Tiger Woods and his affair.  When LeBron James enraged an entire city, Nike stood by him.  They even stood by Lance Armstrong through his decade-long denials about performance enhancing drugs.  Until today.

When it became clear that Armstrong is a doper, and a liar, they acted.  Now, one could argue that everyone has known this for years.  The same way everyone knows it about lots of athletes. Not sure what event tipped them over….unless it was a long overdue private admission by Lance himself, but I doubt it.

Nike demonstrates the kind of behavior I celebrate in a client…they are obviously getting good advice, and acting on it.

Loser:  Lance Armstrong

If Nike dumps you, you must have done something seriously wrong.  Seriously.  The Lance Armstrong brand, which moved so far beyond the Tour de France victories and into iconic stature as a symbol of courage and hope for cancer victims everywhere, is irreparably damaged.   Sure, he still beat cancer.  But he isn’t a role model.  Not to anyone.  Not anymore.

Ultimately, it was that very bravado we all loved that caused his downfall.  In a demonstration of hubris usually reserved for Congressional inquiries, Armstrong repeatedly lied (and continues to lie), thinking that his compelling and courageous story of beating cancer gave him permission to do so.

A legacy was ruined today.  He was lucky to dance between the rain drops as long as he did. The fact that he continues to deny it is a demonstration of the problem.

The Jury’s Out:  Livestrong Foundation

In an important nuance, Nike clearly rejected Lance Armstrong, but professed their support for the Livestrong Foundation.  Both brands have a lot to lose here, and we’re not just talking about yellow bracelets.  There is an entire line of apparel and shoes, representing millions of dollars in sales.  The Livestrong partnership is the ultimate personification of Just Do It, in action.  So Nike is sticking by them, for now.  Presumably, that licensing revenue will keep them afloat, even if they have a short term disruption of donor support.  But that window isn’t forever.  If the foundation wants to survive they need to do 3 things, quickly:

  • Put a new face to the Foundation.  Quickly.  Starting with their leadership.  But they need other iconic, celebrated “heroes” who’ve survived cancer to get more involved.
  • Energize the base – they need to communicate with their employees, partners and major donors…condemn Lance Armstrong the athlete, but remind people of the importance of the mission to fight cancer.
  • Rally and leverage third party support – the best way to change the narrative is to tell the stories of the impact of the Foundation’s work.  Third parties tip the scale in the he said, she said game.  And it is clear that Armstrong isn’t going to take a bullet to keep the foundation afloat.
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Posted by cwinters at 3:31 pm | Tagged , , , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

4 Easy Ways to Google-Proof Your Reputation
October 16, 2012

There is a lot of discussion about optimizing your content, your news, and even your photos for SEO.   New tools allow us to put photos and logos in a newsroom, and then track where they are used.  But have you thought about the important defensive steps to take to “Google-proof” your reputation?

Once upon a time, protecting your online reputation was mostly about buying the negative URLs related to your brand or company name… (yourcompany)sucks.com, and the like.   But today the task is much more complex.  For example, Google the phrase “completely wrong” and you will get a full page of Mitt Romney images.

The notion that anyone – from Presidential Candidate to CEO to Product Manager – could dream up every possible phrase and develop the appropriate defensive strategies just isn’t realistic.  But here is what you can do to protect your reputation using search engine reputation management (SERM):

  1. Engage in “Reverse SEO”: This is the process of removing (de-ranking) websites other than your own from the first pages of search results, ensuring that those searching for certain targeted terms (such as your company name) see the information that you’ve highlighted. For example, a company experiencing recent negative press might rather focus search attention on their CSR efforts instead. By pushing negative press down in search results, you can vastly decrease the chance of those pages gaining traction and damaging your own or your company’s reputation.
  2. Consider Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Purchasing keywords is another reputation management investment that can smooth over bad press should an issue arise. We saw an example of this in President Obama’s 2008 campaign, during which Sarah Palin referenced the then-presidential nominee as having a connection to William Ayers. After this reference was made, Obama’s team purchased several keyword phrases that targeted Obama and William Ayers. As soon as users typed in these terms and clicked on the paid Obama ads that comprised much of the search results, these users were driven to a website created by Obama’s team to address any questions people may have had about the issue.
  3. Strengthen Your Social Presence: Oftentimes, social properties for companies or executives comprise the first few search results for that person or company’s name. If this presence and engagement is robust enough, links to that company’s Twitter handle, Facebook page, or other properties can continue to dominate those top slots even during a crisis. Blogs are also a great way to improve a business’ SEO presence, and have the potential to attract many links and references from outside sources, which Google sees as trustworthy and relevant. Blog content is also easily shareable and should be pushed out to other social networks to expand this targeted presence even more.
  4. Tell the Search Giants: While the large search engine companies may seem unapproachable, you can contact them if you feel that a search result site violates the search engine’s guidelines in any way. To learn more about Google’s criteria for removing or de-ranking content, or to submit a claim, you can review this here.
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Posted by cwinters at 3:59 pm | Tagged , , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

What big brands can learn from Big Bird
October 5, 2012

I often talk to clients about the implications of social media for their brands and for their reputation.  Typically, that discussion is centered on some sort of issue taking flight on social media and becoming a full-fledged crisis.   And the best practices for using social media crisis management are starting to develop, like KitchenAid’s response to an erroneous and offensive tweet about the President’s Grandmother.

A friend once told me that the Chinese character for crisis is the same one used for opportunity.  There is no better example of this than the Big Bird phenomenon over the past few days.  I’ll admit to being a fan of Big Bird – I was the first generation to grow up with Sesame Street, and I watched it with my own children.  Sure, the plethora of Big Bird twitter handles, and the funny photos of Mitt Romney’s family room with Big Bird’s trophy head hanging over the fireplace have been entertaining and amusing.  But what was most impressive to me was how PBS responded.  Their defense of Big Bird was actually something far more important. It was a defense of PBS, its relevance and its contributions to our nation at a cost of less than $2.00 per taxpayer annually.

How’s that for a soundbite?

What is the moral of this story? When it comes to opportunities in social media, it is better to be fast than to be 100 percent perfect.  PBS isn’t the kind of organization that comes to mind when you think of brands that are cheeky, nimble or speedy.  And many organizations would get caught up debating the pros and cons of various responses, missing the window for high impact.

Making the most of a window of opportunity doesn’t require perfection. Don’t let paralysis by analysis interfere with your ability to do something great.

 

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Posted by cwinters at 2:44 pm | Tagged , , , , , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

PR’s Continued Reputation Battle
September 26, 2012

In the never ending battle for respect, the reputation of our profession is once again under fire, related to the practice of “quote approval” – or more specifically, the end of that practice at The New York Times.  My first reaction was, “Really?  People ask for that?  And they get it?”  Followed by, “Really?  Weren’t we just celebrating the fact that PR pros were finally getting a true seat at the table, and full partnerships at VC firms?”

Granted, POTUS has never been a client.  But truth be told, I’ve never asked for quote approval, and it has never been offered.  Heck, I’ve spent years, maybe decades, explaining to clients why journalists don’t need to submit their questions in advance…much less allow you to preview your quotes.

That’s why an entire cottage industry of media trainers exists…to be sure that people make the most of those interview opportunities.  Get quoted the right way, and for the right things.  Isn’t it?

I find it ironic that journalists ending their questionable practice becomes another black eye on our profession.  Two steps forward, three steps back.

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Posted by cwinters at 4:53 pm | Tagged , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

Socializing Investor Relations: Why You Should Be Doing It, and How You Can Get Started
September 13, 2012

Have you heard (or made) any of these statements lately?

The Street doesn’t get our story.

Why don’t we get credit for all of our strengths / accomplishments / ideas / successes / strategies?

 

We get the same questions, from the same few people, every quarter.

Our roadshow didn’t get us anywhere.

We are undervalued.

How can we differentiate ourselves from our peer group?

If the answer is yes, then you should be thinking about how to “socialize” your IR and financial communications programs. I could tick off all of the reasons why you haven’t done it yet, beginning with concerns about Regulation Fair Disclosure and some recent social mishaps resulting from some ill-conceived CEO commentary.

Those who think that social media is the land of brand promotion, and brand promotion only, should recall the cautionary tales of some other channels that were initially shunned by those tasked with financial communications – like live TV. Once the domain of the consumer brand and shunned by CEOs, live broadcast was too “uncontrolled,” too “scary” and too “dangerous.” Now, CEOs fight to be on CNBC to reach their investor audience. Sounds very similar to the current perception of social media. When used correctly, social media can be a powerful addition to your financial communications. And using it correctly means using it in complete regulatory compliance.

The conversation is going to happen, with or without you…all of the “social buzz” around Apple’s Q3 earnings miss was just one recent example.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few easy steps to get you socially active:

  • Listening & Insights: Social media can be a powerful “eavesdropping device” – tune in to hear what your individual shareholders are saying about you, and about your competitors. Twitter recently launched cashtags – clickable stock symbols which include $ + your stock ticker. The conversations are happening – and they can inform your messaging and keep you aware of what is being talked about.
  • Earnings 2.0: Your quarterly earnings cycle is one of the most important communications vehicles you have. Similar to a school report card, investors use this time to tell how a company is performing and what the future holds. Social media can serve as an additional layer of distribution to your investors by “live-tweeting” your earnings and providing links to your release, conference call webcast and investor presentation. Social media provides the platform to include and engage individual shareholders, as well as the larger, institutional investors. Some of the more progressive companies like Dell are even taking questions via Twitter to be answered on their calls, which can come from any shareholder, not just an analyst or major investor.
  • Start a Dialogue: One of the biggest challenges companies face is continuing the conversation with investors between quarters. Social media provides the platform for you to create an IR “channel” for easily sharing your Company news, releases, reports, presentations and company videos which can serve as the stimulus for true conversation, where you can get feedback in real time. So while pushing content and news is good, engaging in real dialogue is better. Social engagement – from responding to investor inquiries, reacting to online posts, or following the conversation – will give you the ability to respond or react to comments and questions online, gauge the sentiment of the financial community, and assist in building a broad, diversified base of holders by strengthening and building trust among your current and potential investors.
  • Lead the Conversation: Research repeatedly shows that a larger portion of your share price than you may think is attributed to intangibles, with quality of leadership, vision and strategy as major factors. Social media platforms like Twitter, Slideshare and YouTube provide forums where you can tell the “softer side” of your company’s story.  And unlike a feature story in major media, you have 100 percent editorial authority over the content, the timing and the photos. Use social media to help people get to “know” your leadership team, understand your strategy, and follow your news and developments, because a social CEO is perceived as more relevant. Maintain a blog to share thoughts and comments about industry trends and financial news. Get your content out there, build your company’s reputation and become a voice for your industry.

Social media isn’t going to pass. The conversations are happening, with or without you. You can use it as a strategic tool to build trust, relevance and long term shareholder value. Or not.  Competition for investment dollars is just that, competition.  And the savviest companies will be using every tool at their disposal to attract your investors.

Get social.   Or get left behind.

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Posted by cwinters at 3:50 pm | Tagged , , | Comment (0) | Trackback (0)