Brands

employee activism, employee engagement, values

Values. Go to almost any business website, and you’ll probably find a section dedicated to the company’s core values. They may be keywords like equality, diversity, authenticity and empathy. But these values can also explain what the brand is committed…

Trust and the power of expert influence in 2018

January 30, 2018

businesses, influencer, media, trust

The Edelman Trust Barometer had some interesting insights into how media is perceived and defined in 2018. We seem confused about what classifies as media, but we’re clearer about where we place our trust. While we all respond to influence…

Are brands inherently political?

February 21, 2017

brands, Communication, issues, Leadership, politics, reputation management, values

Last week, Mark Zuckerberg published his ‘Building Global Community’ open letter – or, as the BBC called it – his “manifesto to re-boot globalisation”. At first glance, it may seem hypocritical for the man who says he isn’t interested in…

Reputation Audit: Ashley Madison

September 24, 2015

Brands, Crisis Management

Ashley Madison, Reputation, trust

On 19th July 2015 a hacking group calling itself the Impact Team hacked into a few websites owned by Avid Life Media. One of the websites being the notorious adultery-loving website, Ashley Madison. In the months since then, the media…

Reputation Audit: Amazon

September 4, 2015

Brands, Comms

Amazon, boycott, brand loyalty, habit, reputation management,

When does a bad reputation just not matter very much? Amazon is no stranger to controversy over its working practices. A few years ago, it was various global media outlets raking the online retailer over the coals for the working…

Trust and PR: is PR dead?

July 17, 2015

Brands, Comms

accountability, copywriting, data, PR, specialists, trust, Trust Me PR Is Dead

I’ve just finished reading Trust me, PR is Dead. As someone who’s only ever worked in a small PR agency, and one which operates and thinks along the same lines as the author does, the arguments made in the book…

The reputation of business matters to everyone

July 14, 2015

Kate Hartley

reputation management, trust

Research from Populus and Reputation.com (presented at the recent Trust and Reputation conference in London) shows that 64% of people in the UK think that big business will rip people off, if given the opportunity. Perhaps because of that, 71%…

Actions, Not Words, Build Reputation

July 7, 2015

Kate Hartley

action, brands, Communication, reputation management, trust

At the Trust and Reputation conference in London on Thursday, the focus was very much on action-led communication. To establish a reputation, you have to do stuff, not just talk about it. In her opening remarks, conference chair (and chairman…

Broken promises: what happens when brands let fans down?

June 24, 2015

Brands, Crisis Management

customer reviews, customer service, quality,