Managing online reputation how to protect your company on social media

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (1)
“Essential reading not only for those involved in corporate PR, but for any
manager or director who cares about their organisation.”
Michael Woodford MBE, Former CEO, Olympus Corporation,
and Whistleblower

“Readable and wise. Managing Online Reputation is the
Art of Reputation for the digital age.”
Keith Schilling, Chairman, Schillings

“A ‘must-read’ for any business leader concerned with the critical issue of
corporate reputation.”
Stephen Thomas, Group Head of Corporate Communications, AIA Group
charliepownall.com


WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (2)
“Cuts through the digital and social hype to provide compelling and incisive
insights into the risks of the social web. Sets out
a no-nonsense, jargon free and practical playbook for dealing with online
attacks.”
Matthew Stafford, Cabinet Secretary, Government of Australia

“A survival guide for communications and PR practitioners navigating their way
through today’s tumultuous landscape. ”
May Wong, General Manager, Corporate Relations, MTR Corporation

“Provides provocative and practical strategies to mitigate online reputational
risks. Does more than any other book on the market to clarify the issues and

shine a light on the ways forward.”
Leesa Soloudre, Managing Partner, RL Expert Group and
Research Fellow, TIAS School for Business and Society
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WHAT PROMPTED MOR
•

A multitude of embarrassing and damaging episodes caused
by peeved customers, aggrieved employees, malicious
competitors, frustrated activist groups, disenfranchised local
communities, devious hackers, bored trolls and recalcitrant
algorithms on companies, institutions and individuals

•

Organisations with inadequate defences burying their heads
or mismanaging their responses when the heat is on

•

Plenty of anxious clients and prospects unsure how best to
protect and defend themselves online

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WHAT MOR SETS OUT TO ANSWER
• How and why corporate reputations come unstuck

in social media
• The most effective ways of minimising the risks of
social media
• How to respond effectively to known issues, sudden
negative incidents and full-scale crises using the
social web
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WHAT MOR DRAWS ON
• In-depth interviews with experts in media and IP law, digital forensics, IT
security, disaster emergency response, crisis management, NGO
activism, search engine marketing, Wikipedia and other areas
• Proprietary analysis of online reputation threats and incidents
• Extensive desktop research
• Over twenty year’s experience advising companies, governments and
individuals on their communications and reputation, including a decade
focused on social media

charliepownall.com


WHAT MOR DELIVERS
•

Analysis of common risks in social media, a framework for categorisation, and
guidance on how to identify and assess risks

•

Practical advice on how to minimise social media threats, including a step-bystep guide to developing a Social Media Crisis Plan

•

Tried and tested criteria and considerations for formulating responses to
different types of online threats

•

Case studies detailing how Applebee’s, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, ING Bank, Tesla
and other companies responded to common serious negative incidents using
social media

•

Analysis of how BP, Buffer, Dell, Malaysia Airlines, Shell, and the US Nuclear
Energy Institute used social media to respond to and recover from major crises

•

Guidance on how to use crowdsourcing and search engines to repair online
reputation.

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SEVEN LEARNINGS
1. Everything is now reputational
2. Most online threats are knowable and manageable
3. Despite technology and data, online reputation defence is more

art than science
4. Many classic PR, legal and IT defences are ineffective or
inappropriate online
5. A must-have for incident and crisis response, social media is more
effective for rebuilding and recovery
6. Transparency, authenticity and ethics are not absolutes, and
depend on local context
7. Online reputation is neither mirror of nor panacea for
offline reputation
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SEVEN PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Conduct an Online Vulnerability Audit
2. Create/update your Crisis Plan
3. Develop a corporate Transparency Strategy
4. (Re)-design your Reputation Management System
5. Get leadership involved early and updated regularly
6. Close the gaps between Communications, Legal,
Risk Management, IT and other departments
7. Make sure your defences are relevant and fit for purpose,
and train your foot soldiers rigorously.
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TYPES OF ONLINE THREATS

LEGAL

STRATEGIC

SOCIAL

OPERATIONAL

BEHAVIOURAL

FINANCIAL

ENVIRONMENTAL

TECHNOLOGICAL

© CPC & Associates

charliepownall.com

11


DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEGATIVE SITUATIONS

CRISIS

PROBLEM

ISSUE

-

SEVERITY

+

INCIDENT

© CPC & Associates

charliepownall.com

LONGEVITY

+
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FORMULATING THE RIGHT RESPONSE
Each incident requires
the use of two – or
more – response
levers, depending on
the nature of the
threat and its
potential impact on
your business and
reputation.

BUSINESS
TECHNOLOGICAL

COMMS
LEGAL

charliepownall.com

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ASSESSING ESCALATING ONLINE THREATS
QUALITATIVE

QUANTITATIVE

VISIBILITY

TONE

MOTIVATION

RELATIONSHIPS

VIRALITY

INFLUENCE

VALIDITY

CONTEXT

IMPACT ON BUSINESS & REPUTATION

charliepownall.com

© CPC &14Associates


SOME ONLINE RESPONSE OPTIONS

BLOCK

REMOVE

MINIMISE

HIDE

LEAVE

SHARE

SUPPRESS

RETRACT

RECTIFY

RE-FRAME

LITIGATE

ARBITRATE

AFFIRM

EXPLAIN

NEGOTIATE

REFRAME

DEFLECT

DENY

© CPC & Associates
charliepownall.com

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charlie Pownall draws on over twenty years’ experience in public relations,
government communications, political and issue advocacy, digital marketing
and social media to advise companies, governments and individuals how to
protect, manage and defend their reputations. A regular commentator and
speaker at business schools and universities, he divides his time between
Hong Kong and London.

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ORDER YOUR COPY
Managing Online Reputation is now available online and in good bookstores across the
world. Discounts are available for bulk buys. Further information, contact


Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Format: Paperback, E-book
ISBN: 9781137382290
US: $24.00, UK & RoW: £14.99

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