Reputation Management: A Driving Force For Action

In my opinion, any company that wishes to succeed in the long-run must work on their reputation. Bad company practices are increasingly being scrutinized by public watchdogs and netizens, and as the web continues to get more influential, the speed which bad press travels is increasing at an alarming rate. Although smaller companies can rely on fewer aspects of their business to establish their reputation, such as efficiency and quality, larger companies have to ensure that all aspect of their practices are being monitored, including those that they might be directly associated with.

These include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which relates to how the company deals with the environment and the community around them. CSR has taken much significance in how consumers spend their money, therefore it is important for large corporation to incorporate them into their business planning and ensure the public that their social and environment conditions are well taken care of.

However, many companies experiencing significant growth period would often continue focusing on increasing their profits margin rather than channelling their resources to building their corporate image through CSR. This can be clearly seen in the many companies that has been establish due to the effects of China's recent economic growth, as they continue to exploit workers and destroy the environment to achieve their financial targets.

Such ill practices will soon be exposed and large international corporations cannot afford to make such mistakes at the risk of damaging their reputation. Apple and Google have been prime examples of how to establish corporate reputation with the former well-known for excellent customer service and the latter renowned for their generous employee benefits. I am sure such corporations will continue to come up with communications strategies to sustain and improve their reputation.