Defending your Reputation

Overview

You almost certainly have detailed procedures in place for dealing with fire, theft, IT failure and so on. But do you have any sort of crisis contingency plan for protecting your reputation?

Organisations, large and small, spend huge amounts of time and money on promoting their products, services and image. In today’s world, a good name can be destroyed in a few hours.

Simon Taylor, an expert in crisis management, explains the ways in which preparation and effective communication make all the difference in defending your reputation and placing it in the best possible position to recover. At a time when all organisations face public scrutiny to a far greater extent than ever before, this Report will help managers in all kinds of organisation, commercial, public and not for profit.

The Report Benefits

It will:
1. Show you how to evaluate your reputation to really see how valuable and important it really is
2 Detail what good crisis management is and how to communication effectively in a crisis
3 Explains what happens during a crisis and gives guidelines on how to respond so you are fully prepared in case the worst happens

Who should buy this Report

• Managing directors and board directors
• Company secretaries
• Brand managers
• Marketing and sales managers
• PR managers
• PR advisers and consultants
• Brand and image consultants

Content

The corporate reputation – Your most valuable asset?

• What makes up your corporate reputation?
• What impact does your reputation have on your organisation?
• How can you evaluate your reputation?
• How can a crisis destroy your reputation?
• The need to communicate in a crisis
• Case studies

Principles of good crisis communication

• Good crisis communications strategy
• Good crisis communications tactics
• Bad communications

Dealing with the media

• Who are the media and how do they work?
• What makes a good news story?
• Handling the media

Crisis planning

• The crisis planning process
• Developing a plan
• Conducting a crisis risk audit
• Creating a Crisis Management Team
• Developing plans, procedures and a crisis manual
• Training and implementation
• Internal communications
• Working with outside consultants

What happens during a crisis and guidelines for response

• What happens in a crisis? – What is a crisis?
• Checklist for responding to a crisis
• Communicating with stakeholders

Issue Management – Crisis prevention

• Conducting a risk and issues audit
• Issue management and handling pressure groups

Rebuilding and conclusions

• Rebuilding
• Conclusions

APPENDICIES

Appendix I:
‘Calamity Jane PLC’ Pro forma draft outline crisis manual

Appendix II:
Training scenarios and exercises

Appendix III:
Pro forma crisis booklet for management

Appendix IV:
Bibliography and further reading

Appendix V:
Resources for more information and assistance

The author

Simon Taylor is a Senior Consultant with Ergo Communications, a leading strategy communications consultancy working in London and Brussels. Simon has 20 years of experience advising major companies and organisations on crisis and issue communications. He was Strategy Director and Head of Corporate and Public Affairs, advising major clients on public affairs and crisis and issue management.

CPD

Thorogood legal reports are accredited by The Solicitors Regulation Authority (CPD reference DVQ/THPU) for continuing professional development as distance learning education.

NB: Solicitors may claim up to 75% (12 hours) of their annual CPD requirement by undertaking distance learning education.

For more information see The Solicitors Regulation Authority

Certificate of completion

Upon reading this publication participants are invited to undertake a final assessment in the form of an on-line multiple choice paper. Upon passing, a certificate of completion will be made available to you, which can be included as part of your CPD requirements should you consider it relevant to your professional development needs.