The challenge of most public relations practitioners in a major organization is the management of corporate reputation. Reality and corporate reputation are linked. Not even the most skilled PR Professional can create and sustain a good reputation for a bad company. But at one time or another, many PR counselors are indeed asked to work this magic and some foolish practitioners believe they can do it (Morleey, 2002). In such cases, the role of the PR executive is to persuade management to change the reality by revising offensive policies and practices, and then communicate these efforts so as to improve reputation. Persuading management of the real benefits that will follow the establishment of a good reputation, turning it into a corporate ‘must’ rather than a ‘nice to have’.
Corporate reputation management process recommended 13 steps, stretching from initial audit to measurement of achievement:
1. Audit
2. Research
3. Analysis
4. Benchmarking
5. Re-examination
6. Goal setting
7. Strategy
8. Targeting
9. Messaging
10. Mapping
11. Infrastructure
12. Program
13.Measurement
Fortune magazine has set the following criteria for corporate reputation:
– Quality of Management
– Quality of products and services
– Innovativeness
– Long term investment value
– Wise use of corporate assets
– Ability to attract, develop and keep talented people
– Responsibility to the community and environment
Source: How to Manage Your Global Reputation – A Guide to Dynamics of International Public Relations, Michael Morley
