TOP-12 Challenges for the reputation manager
In 2019, we chose the topic ‘Challenge & Response. A Correct Response to Every Challenge’ for the XVII International PR Festival and formulated theentireprogramaround this. This article will not revisit that theme, which consists of general long-term truths that will hardly have changed since last year, but will instead explore the challenges faced by reputation managers (senior figures, specialized department heads, and PR teams) in companies and also the optimal responses to the challenges of modernity and how these manifest in practice in Ukrainian businesses.
Challenge#1.
Indifferent audiences
Attracting target audiences is a type of new corporate religion. Of course, this goal has always been set, but historically it was never an absolute priority. However, the volume of information and the inordinate rate at which key messages now flow means that this has changed. Also, the post-truth era affects the attitude of stakeholders, who have learned not to trust information, and encourages them to protect themselves from unauthorized intrusion into their personal information space.
How can companies reach inundated and indifferent target audiences? The answer to such a question is spread throughout this article, but allow me to suggest a timeless conceptual approach here – offer a quality product, find a way to prove it is needed, and be visible. Of course, like many ingenious ideas, this is more complex in practice than in principle.
Challenge#2.
Media subjectivism
Freedom of speech is the most valuable achievement of human civilization. However, modern mass media has long since evolved into a mechanism of mass communication. The economic and political interests of the beneficiaries, the personal views of editors and contributors, and non-compliance with the professional and ethical standards of professional journalism are signs of our times. This is not about fakes, which are simply a symptom of the changing nature and social role of mass media.
How should companies work with such media? As smart people know, in order not to be afraid of dragons, you need to have one of your own one. Smart companies establish controllable communication channels to their target audiences by having their own media platform, the use of contributors from among employees, and special projects in traditional mass media etc.
Challenge#3.
Image instead of content
What was considered a detailed news article 10 years ago has become a long read in the new information reality. Infographics, dashboards, videos, and colourful visuals attract target audiences much more effectively than smart and stylistically refined texts. And this trend is irreversible for the mass public.
What should the company change? Get some good designers and web designers, pay special attention to visual content, and take for granted the need to keep up with the times.
Challenge#4.
Hype for hype’s sake
The word “hype” has been widely used in Ukraine over the last few years. It is used to indicate situations when there is an overactive discussion of a particular topic in the information space. This is not always a discussion that was artificially generated, but (as a rule) it is actively amplified and purposefully moderated.
Companies are concerned about two things: how to stop unwanted hype and how to promote desired hype. There is no single recipe because hypes are different. However, to stop undesired hype it is very important to identify the root from which it stems, and when attempting to hype, firstly ensure that the object of hype is actually worthy of fanfare.
Challenge#5.
Opinion leaders in the spotlight
Every other request from clients to our PR Service Agency includes a demand to involve experts and bloggers in the process of broadcasting the key messages of the corporate PR strategy. Basically, leaders of public opinion have become the most important target audience for businesses not only declaratively but also in practice.
For reputation managers, this entails the need to acquire new skills. Firstly, choose the right leaders to work with and understand the reputational risks associated with such work. Secondly, adequately motivate the hired ‘friends’ of the corporate brand. And, thirdly, understand that experts and bloggers “do not reproduce very well in captivity,” and their fertility and creativity when left to engage freely on a topic is usually an order of magnitude greater than when being expected to deliver content to order.
Challenge#6.
The personal branding epidemic
A personal brand has become a fixed idea for everyone from presidential candidates to ordinary employees. From the point of view of reputation management methodology, this is perfectly fine. Regardless of whether your environment consists of a dozen offline acquaintances or hundreds of thousands of followers in a social network you need to decide on a target image. The problem is that only a few of those who order the construction of a personal brand assess their reputational potential realistically.
How can PR companies respond to this challenge? The first thing is to work with the personal PR of businesspeople and take into account their capabilities and limitations in terms of building a reputation. The second is to exploit the narcissistic desire of people to attract audiences by offering them the prospect of media exposure and their fifteen minutes of fame.
Challenge#7.
Fashion for sociality and creativity
The modern world pretends to be vegetarian. Even corporations that predatorily exploit natural and human resources or profit from vice flaunt their projects of social and environmental consciousness. So-called social and creative entrepreneurship is gladly given expensive columns and airtime by leading traditional mass media, but what should others do?
They could start by implementing any of the projects listed above or establishing social and creative ecosystems while contemporaneously recruiting a galaxy of friendly public opinion leaders, ambassadors, and advocates for the corporate brand.
Challenge#8.
Globalization forever, but atomization is next
The geographical boundaries of the information space were erased a long time ago. The economy is inexorably globalizing, even considering political developments such as Brexit. Human society is no less inevitably becoming atomized through, for example, the ability to choose the content you want, individually-tailored learning, adjusting Internet advertising to user needs, and the silos of social networks, which push people towards intolerance instead of uniting them.
How can companies live with this? Not a problem at all. Divide and conquer – the ancient Romans knew how to embrace technology.
Challenge#9.
Is technology advancing?
There are often only informational dimensions to the practice of reputation management despite the continuous hype around artificial intelligence and virtual and augmented reality. A company’s mastering of future technologies or cooperation with high-profile start-ups is a desirable feature in a corporate resum and a means to generate resonance with the public. This does not threaten employees of PR departments just yet, even considering the fact that AI is rapidly learning to write texts and music, draw, and shoot films. Our profession may be among those that will never be fully robotized. Therefore, let’s assume the optimistic scenario and take advantage of the opportunities while the risks are distant.
Challenge#10.
Employees as the main source of reputational risk
The transparent world of social networks means that companies cannot hide a cat in a bag. Sooner or later, any dark secret will be revealed and spread. And the company’s own employees can harm it much more strongly than any ill-wishing outsider detectives. Whether it is defects in product quality, an unpleasant in-house atmosphere, corrupt practices in business relations with the outside world, or environmental pollution, everything can be made public by staff in a few clicks.
How can these risks be prevented? Be a decent and socially responsible company in relation to employees, not just on paper but in real life. At the same time, pay special attention to corporate security at all stages, from checking applicants at the recruiting stage to cyber-security. The strategy of the armed dove of peace is optimal in this case, especially at times of severe labour shortage, which tests most industries and forces them to be particularly careful about the company’s reputation as an employer.
Challenge #11.
Closed nature and selfishness of information carriers within the company
The personal branding epidemic has certainly become pertinent to businesses. However, in many companies, people who should naturally become public figures evade this duty. Some simply do not want to spend working time involving themselves in someone else’s business process. Others indulge in publicity (social network activity, participation in events, writing columns), but at the same time do not associate their name with the corporate brand.
How should the insularity or selfishness of potential company leaders be dealt with? First, implement internal policies and procedures obliging them to participate in corporate publicity. Secondly, incentivise them with a well-thought-out motivation program related to career growth and monetary reward.
Challenge #12.
It is difficult to be a one-man army
The whole range of challenges that the modern world poses to reputation managers means a need for continuous self-development for such managers. The more difficult the task is, the higher the level of professionalism that is required. They need to master, among much else, IT technologies and interaction with HR as well as gain understanding of media management, all of which skills extend far beyond those usually expected of PR services (which itself is not exactly short).
In fact, the industry needs one-man armies: those people whose thinking is reputation-focussed and who possess a full arsenal of PR tools. Individuals who are armed with these skills will remain in the profession, although it is worth remembering that this is an optimistic scenario.
Reputation ACTIVists, 2019