I have been looking into the matter of online reputations for businesses and individuals as well as reputation management itself for some time now and it is safe to say that this type of public relations work has changed drastically over the years.
In the past, PR firms were hired by big businesses and important individuals to essentially manage what kind of information the general public saw about them. Whilst the industry is far from mirky like it used to be, this is not the only change and these days there is a far wider variety of people who can benefit from these services. Any reputation management consultant complaints which you may hear are like as a result of the shady past which this industry has and they ought to be ignored. Let’s take a look at some of the types of people who can take advantage of reputation management.
Celebrities
Some things do not change and one such area which will always remain the same is the need for celebrities to manage and maintain their reputations. The media hound celebrities for every pound of flesh which they can get and they are constantly trying to dig up some truth which they think is buried away somewhere. This is not to say that all celebrities are innocent, many are not, but it is to say that there is little privacy in their lives and they face an unnecessary level of intrusion. For these reasons, it is important that celebrities do their best to filter what gets through the net.
Small Businesses
In the past small businesses wouldn’t have dreamed of contracting a reputation management company for themselves but these days it is very much the done thing. Much of this is down to the power of social media and review systems online which make it very easy for disgruntled ex-employees or competition to post negative content about a business online.
Big Business
When it comes to the internet big businesses are at just as much risk of having their brand destroyed by a social media campaign as a small business is and it is vital that they constantly seek to preserve their positive reputation. A key example is that many big businesses will have many different partnerships with other business. Should one of their affiliates go rogue or operate unethically, there is a potential that the big company can be tarred with the guilty brush solely as a result of their affiliation. A reputation management company will work hard on ensuring that all ties to said company are severed and the reputation is left in tact.
These are just examples of the many types of people and companies who will seek out reputation management services and the key point here is that far more ‘everyday’ people, are utilizing these services and aiming to make sure their reputation online is squeaky clean.
