|
According to
Fordham University professor Kevin Jackson, “Reputation
is the primary attribute of commercial relationships. If
there is no trust, there is no deal, period.” The same
can be said of media relationships – if there is no
trust, there is no story…period.
Based on his
study of companies like Hewlett-Packard, Northrop
Grumman and Levi Strauss, Jackson’s recent book
“Building Reputational Capital”
(Oxford University Press) argues that a strong
reputation draws repeat business, allows firms to charge
higher prices, attracts better job applicants, enhances
access to capital markets, attracts investors and
functions as a barrier to entry into markets by
prospective competitors.
That same
reputation can certainly help get stories placed in the
media. Such placements help maintain or raise your
“reputational capital” as well, so the process becomes
symbiotic.
The public
has become cynical towards business, media, and
government. The rewards of establishing and maintaining
a good reputation in this climate are significantly
greater than the efforts required to do so.
The next
time you consider your PR strategy and message, take
your company’s standing into account. How your message
is crafted and where it’s directed may change depending
on your current position and where you want it to go. |
