The subject of reputation management is one which is popping up more an more throughout the world of business, especially when the online world is being discussed. The idea of PR is nothing new, celebs, global businesses and politicians have been using spin doctors and PR gurus for years to filter what the public read or see about them. What has changed a great deal however are the methods which are being used in reputation management as well as the types of people who are using these services.
Reputation management consultants complaints are common but this is largely because of the shady way in which PR was historically done. These days the practice is a lot more upstanding and here are some of the types of people who will use these services and why.
Small Businesses
Small businesses were never the types of people or enterprises who would have considered using a reputation management firm in the past but these types of businesses are using these services more and more. This is in part thanks to lower fees which come with the service and in part because online reputations are so sensitive and a small business cannot take the risk of theirs being ruined. A solitary negative review can cause lasting damage to the success of a small business and as such, it makes sense for small businesses to invest in reputation management.
Celebrities
Celebs are so exposed to the media that it makes sense for them to spend money on having their reputation managed. The success of musicians, actors and models hinges on their public appearance and as a result of the public’s and the media’s obsession with celebrities, there is very rarely a stone left unturned when digging for stories on them. For this reason celebrities will pay for a firm to carefully manage what information comes out about them and whether or not it will work in favor of their reputation.
Big Business
Despite their scale, big companies are at just as much risk from having their reputations destroyed as small companies are. For this reason they must invest heavily in reputation management which can maintain the trust which customers have in their brand or their products. There is so much competition in the world of business that customers are not a particularly loyal bunch and if they hear or see something bad, they will not hesitate to go elsewhere.
Public Figures
If a public figure has a slanderous comment made about them, this can often alter the way in which they are thought about by the general public, even if the claim is not true. As they say ‘mud sticks’ and this is particularly true when it comes to public figures. A reputation management firm can work with these individuals to ensure that in these cases, the mud does not stick.