• by Youmna Ovazza , December 16, 2010

Digital Reputation: Brands Doing Their Job With the explosion of social media, the concept of digital reputation has become a hot topic for brands, and a new market of digital reputation specialists have emerged. Given this, how should brands invest resources and who should they trust? Taking a broader view on the definition of "reputation" can shift perspective on the subject and where responsibility falls.

What's brand reputation in the first place?

Bertrand Cesvet provides an interesting definition in Conversational Capital: "Your reputation is the result of the relative proximity of three factors to one another, as follows:

Who you ARE (Covers the products, services, and how you operate -- the direct responsibility of the company.)

Who YOU SAY you are (The image the company wishes to display to the public -- both the responsibility of the company and its communication agencies.)

Who PEOPLE SAY you are (How the company's stakeholders -- consumers, clients, employees, etc. -- describe it)"

The closer the dimensions, the more consistent the brand reputation will be. The further apart, the bigger the disconnect between reality and stakeholders' perceptions. Managing brand reputation means, therefore, managing all three dimensions and it's not just a communication issue.

What have the Internet and social media changed?

The Internet hasn't changed what a brand is, but it has created a disruption in communication through the convergence of:

1. Unprecedented access to communicate through social media channels and viral functionalities.

2. Predominance of search engines allows for new "associations" to form through published content from different sources on the same page (i.e., company's opinion near a former employee's testimony).

How can brands manage reputation in a digitally interactive world?

Controlling brand reputation means managing all three factors while integrating digital media.

Who you ARE

A coherent company doesn't need to "manage" reputation-it follows naturally. With reputation as the visible part of the iceberg, a problem here draws attention to internal malfunctioning. In addition to fostering better internal communication, the Internet has also upgraded client support -- key to managing brand reputation (think Zappos). However, this "upgrade" can't happen without a global review of the company's organization: Should strategic services still be outsourced to lower costs?

Who YOU SAY you are

A brand's communication is everyone's responsibility, with two major consequences:

1. Training employees on proper use of the Internet is critical.

2. Transparency amongst company leaders is paramount. Managers who address issues with honesty navigate difficult situations.

Who PEOPLE SAY you are

Even the best SEO is useless without building a lasting relationship with stakeholders (versus simply issuing press releases) or giving employees freedom to speak (think Microsoft evangelists). When done properly, positive word of mouth builds a solid reputation.

So Whose Responsibility is it then?

This inclusive approach to reputation clarifies roles and helps avoid mishaps:

1. Digital reputation is neither a specialists nor communication issue; rather it is symptomatic of the brand's management, ultimately the company's responsibility.

2. Reputation shouldn't be shared between multiple consultants. Brands that dilute responsibility between agencies spend most the resources coordinating rather than implementing. Managing reputation calls for internal reorganization first.

3. Managing reputation means managing the relationship to key constituents which takes time. The right partners are seasoned professionals, capable of translating a company's vision into a brand relationship while mastering digital media specifics.

A company's reputation has the great ability to engage brand leaders with key stakeholders and face responsibilities. However, it's up to companies to manage brand reputation first, and the digital strategy will follow naturally. Positive word of mouth generated by an engaged community will be the most visible consequence and can virtually effortless when done properly.