Let’s talk about IMAGE AND REPUTATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY (part 3)
Let’s look at the Stages of Image Formation and the Technologies Employed
To form a corporate image, several stages of work need to be completed well. Top of the list is creating image goals. It’s an important passage for the subsequent formation of the image on the Internet.
Then there’s analysing the target audience.
You should make a list of image characteristics. We’re talking about the qualities that need to be presented to the target audience.
Once that’s done, you can determine and examine the ratio of existing characteristics and desired ones. Decide upon what methods of self-presentation (leader or company) are required. For this, special techniques are created to achieve particular image goals.
Finally, it’s time to get cracking — with the direct implementation of certain strategies for creating the desired image.
Technologies for creating a positive image of an organisation also have their own characteristics. Among them are:
- Maintaining the same social values as the target audience.
- Developing positive qualities of leadership.
- Actively demonstrating the company’s achievements, its awards, etc.
- Taking part in solving any urgent social problems, and
- Demonstrating trusting relationships with authorities and professional institutions.
Examining the Role of PR technologies in the Formation of a Positive Image
The mechanism of image formation is rather complex and includes a wide range of measures. It is directly related to the PR activities of the company. The term Public Relations effectively means the company’s activities aimed at maintaining favourable and profitable relations with the public. This, in turn, means using a set of measures to influence public opinion in order to convince the target audience that the company is acting exclusively for their benefit — namely, for their satisfaction, comfort and overall well-being.
The measures that contribute to the formation of a positive image of a company or organisation must have a central focus — that the public knows that it is acting solely to cover the needs of the market and satisfy customers and is not in any way exploitive. A positive image, in turn, will help achieve the company’s goals.
Here’s a clever one — Using Sponsorship to Create a Positive Company Image
Sponsorship can be called PR technology because such activity contributes to building and maintaining the necessary relations between the company and the public. In turn, this contributes to the formation of a positive image of the company.
Sponsorship is a form of marketing communication. Its purpose is to influence consumer opinion. For this, a positive image of the sponsor is created when wholly meeting the aims of the sponsorship.
In order for sponsorship to have a positive effect, several conditions must be met:
First, you have to enlist the support of the public and arouse the interest of the target audience.
Then, go about creating long-term sponsorship, thereby testifying to the consistency and foresight of the company. Long-term sponsorship helps to create a positive image of an organisation.
Always be clear in the objective of any sponsorship. It’s better to choose companies whose target audience coincides with the target audience of the sponsoring company. At the same time, an unjustified choice of objects of sponsorship can only harm the image and lead to a loss of public confidence.
Now, a word of warning. In addition to the target audience, the sponsoring company and its aims in this endeavour must be fully allied to what your company is all about. If the connection is not clear, then logically questions may arise about the sponsor’s real interest.
Finally, keeping that brand awareness throughout the process is a very important factor.
By fulfilling all these conditions, sponsorship can be made a powerful tool for creating a positive image of your company.
Now, we look at How best to Maintain Your Image and Reputation
Buzz marketing is one of the most powerful tools for communicating information and influencing public opinion. This opinion is considered objective among the public, while it is much easier for an ordinary person to believe. But this is exactly where competitors or ill-wishers can take advantage. How can you insure yourself against such situations?
Unfortunately, you can’t. You’re just not insured against such a situation because there will always be competition and those ready to do you down in the market in which you operate. In order to be able to respond quickly to such manifestations, it is necessary to have appropriate in-house specialists in your employ — OR to use the services of a specialised agency like ADVES to monitor the Internet.
SERM specialists neutralise the negative posted on the network by placing positive materials about the client and bringing them to search engines’ top results. At the same time, references to the company or its representatives are constantly monitored so that you can react quickly and take the necessary action to resolve problems.
So, in summing up…
A positive image and reputation of the company will help make it attractive to both investors and clients. In addition, they help increase financial profit, gain a stable position in the market, and provide new opportunities for expansion in all areas of activity. It’s all down to great brand awareness and public trust.
That’s why it’s so necessary to start working on creating an image and improving corporate reputation as early as possible in order to bring the company to new, higher levels faster and more efficiently.
Image and reputation management is, without question, of the highest prerogative for any company’s executive.
Ends.
