A world-class reputation begins with a world-class communications function comprising of thoughtful professionals who learn from the past, are attuned to the present and gather intelligence and insights that help anticipate needs of the future. It is also up to communicators to create a strong internal foundation on which to build corporate reputation, consisting of elements as important individually as they are as part of a whole. Following are four I consider to be essential:
The pace of a corporate reputation build
A strong reputation enables a company to forge its own path to success today and tomorrow. As defined by Oxford Languages, to “forge” is to craft something–in this case, a corporate reputation—that is strong, enduring and successful. No questions there. That’s the goal we all want to attain. Where ‘forge’ gets more interesting is in the different approaches that can be taken. One is to forge ahead slowly and steadily via the development and taking of well-planned steps. A second is to move deliberately but with pace and take robust actions from which results can be discerned quickly.
To be sure, there are benefits to both and there is no one ‘correct’ way to pace the path to a positive and sustainable reputation. Ultimately, I counsel communications teams to become adept at both approaches so that they can prepare their companies to move reputation work forward steadily against a clearly defined, evidence-supported path but also develop and master the capability to move fast when needed.
Prioritisation
The work of building corporate reputation is best tackled when it is a priority across the company, from C-suite to HR, from marketing to sales, from comms to investor relations, from R&D to manufacturing, from finance to customer service. Communications teams play a critical role in helping employees contribute to corporate reputation and regularly have it top-of-mind. Sharing the corporate reputation plan can start with a presentation in a Town Hall-style meeting. But to ensure ‘stickiness’ and internalisation of strategy and messages, consider the following:
- Develop a ‘road show’ presentation that spells out the strategy, vocabulary and a handful of takeaway messages. Share a vision of what successful prioritisation of corporate reputation looks like. Keep it high level but personal through visuals and storytelling. For example, in reputation work we’ve recently done for a consumer health company, we included anecdotes from the backstories of company leadership to drive home why the company was committed to its specific goals. This helped employees across the company feel more connected themselves not only to leadership but also to the greater goal.
- Meet with teams individually to share the presentation as well the specific expectations and responsibilities they have. Show them how they can engage on their own. Provide them with opportunities to contribute at regular intervals.
- Communicate stories –the successes as well as the challenges. Be transparent.
Innovation
Communications professionals are, by nature, early adopters. There are many ways to stay current and even prescient about the tools, technologies, and platforms by which to collect intelligence for, grow, sustain, protect and amplify corporate reputation. It is part of our professional role, and good for personal development, to read the blogs and articles, listen to the podcasts and follow thinkers from inside and outside the space you’re working in. Take every opportunity to enhance your understanding and utilisation of AI. I never find it a chore to keep learning; it’s exciting and fun even when a particular skill doesn’t come easily. The satisfaction of bringing innovative thinking and ideas to clients is always a win.
Big Bets
There’s a lot to be said for having a safe, balanced approach to communications, but I love a ‘big bet’ that is well-informed. Sometimes it takes doing something daring to break through a noisy environment to make an impact, deliver company differentiation, leadership recognition and enhanced corporate reputation.
Communicators can create a culture that is open to the well-researched, evidence-based ‘big bet’ that demonstrates leadership, a forward-thinking orientation and willingness to be bold. Going big for corporate reputation can take various forms. ‘Big’ can mean being first to take a stand on an issue. ‘Big’ can be making an investment in a specific tactic or sponsorship in an area the company hadn’t before considered. It can mean sharing a distinct point of view, taking steps to provide clarity on an issue impacting stakeholders, or tackling an unmet need that may or may not be linked to the company’s product portfolio. While ‘doing well by doing good’ is a classic approach to growing corporate reputation, doing good at scale sometimes requires boldness.
Communications teams can be—and often are—the role model of the discipline, attitudes and behaviors necessary for growing and sustaining corporate reputation from the inside.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
Sandra Stahl has created and led communications solutions for many of the world’s leading pharma, biotech, diagnostic, device and consumer healthcare brands over a 30+ year career. Her skills as a strategist and developer of compelling narratives have enabled organizational-and market- readiness, powered investment, enhanced profiles, amplified landmark data, built reputations and influenced opinion. She is a recognized thought leader regularly published in industry, national and international media, and author of the award-winning book, The Art & Craft of PR (LID 2018). Additionally, Sandra is founding faculty in the PR track in the Branding + Integrated Communications master’s degree program at The City College of New York, now in its 10th year, has delivered lectures at university communications programs around the world including Columbia University in New York and Xavier Institute of Communications in Mumbai, India.
Be the first to comment on "Building Reputation from the Inside Out"