Managing online reputation how to protect your company on social media

Managing Online Reputation is the Art of Reputation for the digital age.” Keith Schilling, Chairman, Schillings “A ‘must-read’ for any business leader concerned with the critical issue

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (1)

“Essential reading not only for those involved in corporate PR, but

for any manager or director who cares about their organisation.”

Michael Woodford MBE, Former CEO, Olympus Corporation,

and Whistleblower

“Readable and wise Managing Online Reputation is the

Art of Reputation for the digital age.”

Keith Schilling, Chairman, Schillings

“A ‘must-read’ for any business leader concerned with the critical

issue of corporate reputation.”

Stephen Thomas, Group Head of Corporate Communications, AIA Group

“ Cuts through the digital and social hype to provide compelling and incisive

insights into the risks of the social web Sets out

a no-nonsense, jargon free and practical playbook for dealing with online

attacks.”

Matthew Stafford, Cabinet Secretary, Government of Australia

“A survival guide for communications and PR practitioners navigating their

way through today’s tumultuous landscape ”

May Wong, General Manager, Corporate Relations, MTR Corporation

“Provides provocative and practical strategies to mitigate online

reputational risks Does more than any other book on the market to clarify

the issues and shine a light on the ways forward.”

Leesa Soloudre, Managing Partner, RL Expert Group and

Research Fellow, TIAS School for Business and Society

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (2)

WHAT PROMPTED MOR

• A multitude of embarrassing and damaging episodes caused

by peeved customers, aggrieved employees, malicious

competitors, frustrated activist groups, disenfranchised local

communities, devious hackers, bored trolls and recalcitrant

algorithms on companies, institutions and individuals

• Organisations with inadequate defences burying their heads

or mismanaging their responses when the heat is on

• Plenty of anxious clients and prospects unsure how best to

protect and defend themselves online

WHAT MOR SETS OUT TO ANSWER

• How and why corporate reputations come unstuck

in social media

• The most effective ways of minimising the risks of

social media

• How to respond effectively to known issues, sudden

negative incidents and full-scale crises using the

social web

WHAT MOR DRAWS ON

• In-depth interviews with experts in media and IP law, digital

forensics, IT security, disaster emergency response, crisis

management, NGO activism, search engine marketing,

Wikipedia and other areas

• Proprietary analysis of online reputation threats and incidents

• Extensive desktop research

• Over twenty year’s experience advising companies,

governments and individuals on their communications and

reputation, including a decade focused on social media

WHAT MOR DELIVERS

• Analysis of common risks in social media, a framework for

categorisation, and guidance on how to identify and assess risks

• Practical advice on how to minimise social media threats, including a

step-by-step guide to developing a Social Media Crisis Plan

• Tried and tested criteria and considerations for formulating responses

to different types of online threats

• Case studies detailing how Applebee’s, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, ING

Bank, Tesla and other companies responded to common serious

negative incidents using social media

• Analysis of how BP, Buffer, Dell, Malaysia Airlines, Shell, and the US

Nuclear Energy Institute used social media to respond to and recover

from major crises

• Guidance on how to use crowdsourcing and search engines to repair

online reputation.

SEVEN LEARNINGS

more art than science

inappropriate online

more effective for rebuilding and recovery

depend on local context

offline reputation

SEVEN PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS

1 Conduct an Online Vulnerability Audit

2 Create/update your Crisis Plan

3 Develop a corporate Transparency Strategy

4 (Re)-design your Reputation Management System

5 Get leadership involved early and updated regularly

6 Close the gaps between Communications, Legal,

Risk Management, IT and other departments

7 Make sure your defences are relevant and fit for

purpose, and train your foot soldiers rigorously.

TYPES OF ONLINE THREATS

STRATEGIC SOCIAL

ENVIRONMENTAL

OPERATIONAL LEGAL

BEHAVIOURAL FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGICAL

© CPC & Associates

DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEGATIVE SITUATIONS

© CPC & Associates

- LONGEVITY +

Each incident requires

the use of two – or

more – response

levers, depending on

the nature of the

threat and its

potential impact on

your business and

reputation.

BUSINESS

TECHNOLOGICAL

LEGAL

COMMS

ASSESSING ESCALATING ONLINE THREATS

TONE VISIBILITY

VIRALITY INFLUENCE

MOTIVATION

VALIDITY

RELATIONSHIPS

CONTEXT

IMPACT ON BUSINESS & REPUTATION

SOME ONLINE RESPONSE OPTIONS

REMOVE MINIMISE

RECTIFY

HIDE BLOCK

SUPPRESS RETRACT RE-FRAME

AFFIRM EXPLAIN DEFLECT

LEAVE

LITIGATE

REFRAME NEGOTIATE

SHARE

ARBITRATE

DENY

© CPC & Associates

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charlie Pownall draws on over twenty years’ experience in public

relations, government communications, political and issue

advocacy, digital marketing and social media to advise companies,

governments and individuals how to protect, manage and defend

their reputations A regular commentator and speaker at business

schools and universities, he divides his time between Hong Kong

and London

ORDER YOUR COPY

Managing Online Reputation is now available online and in good bookstores

across the world Discounts are available for bulk buys Further information,

contact cp@charliepownall.com

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Format: Paperback, E-book

ISBN: 9781137382290

US: $24.00, UK & RoW: £14.99