Page 65 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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Determining how you want to be known

A reputation develops from a company’s uniqueness and identity-
shaping practices that over time lead constituents to perceive the
company as credible, reliable, trustworthy, and responsible. Deeper
yet, they walk their talk.
Companies, organizations and institutions need to become strategic
and visionary about how they want to be known one, two and three
years from now and beyond. To get there, determine which first words
you would like to have pop up in the frontal lobe of any constituent
when they hear your name – the evocative thought. This includes
people inside and outside the company. If you have a clear idea of how
you want to be known, you have a great start. If not, you need to
conduct extensive competitive research and develop a candid assess-
ment of your strengths and weaknesses and whether or not you can be
clearly differentiated.
Determine how you want to be known and then build the strategic
roadmap to get there. Do you have core values that separate you from
the herd? Have you supported important community causes for long
periods of time? Are your people active in non-profit organizations
and respected for their contributions, not just lending their name to
the letterhead?

Establishing competitive advantage

What you stand for can be a true differentiator. If you stand for the
highest ethical standards in your profession, that’s important. Then,
can you demonstrate it over time? What will the proof of principle –
the evidence – look like?
Do you have a real competitive advantage with your technology or
do your products stand apart from others in a particular niche? Can
you truly be identified as a leader of a category or niche? If not, think
about your ‘magic’ and proprietary processes. Can you create the
impression of having a magical black box inside your organization that
helps you deliver better services and results than your competitors?
What is your secret ingredient that no one else has? Can you make tan-
gible the intangibles?
Core values are what you stand for – the differentiating elements
that help you stand out, build reputation and gain respect. Focus on
three or four core values as the pillars of your reputation.