PR Online: Reputation Management

Web 2.0 is a major influence in Marketing and PR image management. From branding to crisis--blogs and other personal editorials on the Web have become a major issue for us Marketing folks.

One interesting turn of events is the online rumor mill. Yes, it sounds like high school, but the fact is people spread silly rumors which can impact the bottom line. One claim reported the P&G CEO went on TV and said he donated company profits to a Satanic organization. According to a Seattle Times article, one major source of correcting the problem was that the TV show stated the CEO never appeared on their broadcast. So, ultimately PR 101 works in the online world--with a twist. Get the truth out, but wait until the issue is becoming mainstream. No sense in publicizing something that only 12 people read. Use legitimate and credible sources to state your position. They may include websites, traditional media and even reliable bloggers.

Most of all, keep an eye out for what is being said about your organization online. You can't manage what you don't know. Surprises in reputation management are generally not positive.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003599488_rumors04.html