Reputation Management - Case Study Example

? Reputation Management Reputation is acquired over time through an entity’s activities with relation to its purpose and fulfilment of its objectives. Reputation management is the practice of monitoring and evaluating the reputation of a brand or individual. Management entails addressing factors that are damaging to the reputation of an entity, which is mostly done by using customer feedback as an early warning systems and signals to reputation problems. This paper seeks to discuss reputation management by answering two questions against a previously analysed organization as a case study on Eddie Stobart. According to Van Riel and Balmer, corporate identity mix is characterized by the fusion of behavioural communications that are drawn from several management disciplines, and it is better manifested when there is an ownership philosophy. Corporate identity is achieved from the way that a company represents itself through behaviour and symbolism to internal and external audiences (Van Riel &Balmer, 1997). It is enshrined in the behaviour of individuals in the firm and the way that they express the firm’s consistent identity over time, its distinctiveness and centrality. Reputation is built on identity because it reverberates with the principles of identity, which state that, the results of what, how and where; that determine the identity that is portrayed. Corporate identity mix is attributed to a philosophical representation of channels through which a firms’ personality is conveyed (Van Riel & Balmer, 1997).Public relations (PR) in any organisation are meant to cater for and look after the reputation of that organisation (Doorley & Garcia, 2011). PR activities are characterized by planned and sustained efforts to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between a firm and the public (Van Riel & Balmer, 1997). Eddie Stobart’s PR initiatives are focused on ensuring that the firm conducts business that achieves sustainable growth and fulfils all legal and moral obligations. Question #1 In corporate identity, symbolism is achieved through a set of visual identities that firms and business organisations execute at corporate or product level to denote ownership and attain differentiation (Van Riel & Balmer, 1997). Eddie Stobart has been able to achieve this through its immense fleet of 2, 500 haulage trucks and over six million square feet of premium quality warehousing. The strategy of turning the name Eddie Stobart into a brand has worked magnificently as a symbol of logistical solutions. The use of symbolism is exemplified by the fact that every Eddie Stobart vehicle has little blue lights on the front to allow them easier recognition at night. This is a subtle initiative, but it is an ingenious method of symbolism that works to strengthen the firm’s identity in society. This is a good example of elemental principles of corporate identity mix where visual style is used to cement and unify a firm’s array of product lines. This has helped Eddie Stobart build a strong corporate identity by integrating its operations into a monolithic identity (Van Riel & Balmer, 1997). This has helped the corporation set its self apart from rising competitors like Virgin Trains and City Link. Eddie Stobart as a company has made excellent use of visual style through various multimedia outlets. The hugely popular channel 5 TV documentary series ‘Eddie Stobart’ is agood example of how the firm is using visual style as an element of corporate identity mix to achieve effective symbolism. According to Van Riel and Balmer, communication represents the various ways in which corporations convey their personality to the stakeholders, customers and the public at large. This is achieved through corporate advocacy advertising and public relations. Corporate communication ensures coordination across disciplines, which involves stakeholders’ management and corporate identity, image and corporate identity mix (Cornelissen, 2009). Eddie Stobart has done this through increased message effectiveness through consistency and reinforcement of core values. Through media complementarity, the firm has been able to shore up costs and control of communication tools (Cornelissen, 2009). The TV show documentary has helped create a completely new cohort of ‘Eddie Spotter’ fans. This has resulted in a fan club membership, which has translatedto record sales of branded goods. Corporate or institutional advertising is as used a tool of cultivating positive corporate identity by building favourable corporate image about an organization in the mind and eyes of its stakeholders. Eddie Stobart has been able to achieve corporate and institutional advertising by registering on the London Stock Exchange. Registering at the stock exchange gives a firm credence to its stakeholders and clients because it indicates maturity and confidence in an organisation. By adopting a frontline stance of being one of the few corporations that haveadapted to new energy, Eddie Stobart has set its place in the new emerging markets. Eddie Stobart has also utilized organizational storytelling in the sense that the business is family run, which gives it a familial appeal. The use of the firm’s founding father’s name as an icon and trademark gives the corporation an added advantage. This is because people are more likely to identify with entities and products from a family owned corporation because it appeals to their sense of familiarity. The participation of Eddie Stobart’s sons in the business and growing it to the dimensions it exhibits today is a classic example of corporate story telling. In contrast to Van Reil and Balmer’s theory on corporate identity mix, Davies et al have another way or theory of helping corporations establish corporate identity. Their method is more of an evaluative technique that entails building a corporate identity around the feedback gotten from the market (Van Riel & Balmer, 1997). This approach is two pronged because it takes into account the firm’s view on its product (s), which is the internal identity that the firm holds.The other perspective that is sought is that of the customer, which can be done through a market survey or product trial. Gauging the reaction of both parties helps a firm formulate its corporate identity strategy with regard to its objectives and long-term goals. The corporate identity chain approach is best suited for those organisations that are seeking to rebrand or rejuvenate their enterprise. This is because it is an approach whose application is not fit for start-ups. New businesses can only make do with an elaborate corporate identity mix like the one employed by Eddie Stobart to navigate the murky waters of global trade. Question #3 In one context, corporate identity can be described as a set of visual features that include physical and behaviour that distinguish a firm from others of its kind (Whetten, 2006). This is best exemplified by the logo of Eddie Stobart on every vehicle that works for the corporation. The firm has turned the name Eddie Stobart into a brand that is synonymous with transport solutions in the United Kingdom (UK). Corporate identity can be termed as a firm’s distinct characteristic; this is an aspect that is best illustrated by Eddie Stobart. The distinct feature of this firm is that it is family run and owned. This gives the firm an edge over its competitors because it provides the firm an appeal that lacks in other similar firms especially with the conservative portion of society. Corporate identity can also be pegged on an organisation’s unique capabilities that set it apart from the rest of its kind (Whetten, 2006). Eddie Stobart has been able to build its identity on this premise by virtue of the services it provides. Transport solutions offered by Eddie Stobart are characteristic of a service that is all-inclusive in the sense that it has airfreight services, trains, trucks and warehousing services. This inclusivity of their services makes the firm stand apart from other corporations in the same line of business. Distinctive manifestation of a firm gives it a unique identity from the perspective of its shareholders and the world (Whetten, 2006). This is mirrored in Eddie Stobart’s initiative of joining the clean energy campaign by launching the Stobart Enviro trailer in 2011. This helps the corporation manifest itself in a new and unique light by venturing into conservation and public health and safety on the roads (Tench & Yeoman, 2009). Corporate identity also represents meanings that attach to an entity and use these meanings to relate and remember them by as a reference. The combination of the Eddie Stobart logo and its iconic status provide an excellent reference point for the firm. Eddie Stobart trucks’ predominant presence in the streets of cities they operate in is a sure way of ensuring that the company elicits the desired effect on people’s memories. Albert and Whetten devised a criterion for corporate identity based on centrality, distinctiveness and continuity. They defined continuity as relative similarities or continuity over time in an organization’s identity. This can be identified in Eddie Stobart’s consistent excellence in the transport industry, for the last forty years. The use of the iconic ‘Eddie Stobart’ name as the firm’s logo has ensured that firm’s established tradition is maintained and advanced through time. Centrality in organisational identity pertains to a firm’s positioning of attributes in a network or hierarchy of attributes (Whetten, 2006). Identities in business organisations do not evolve randomly but do so over time. This means that centrality is motivated by the needs and preferences of an organisation’s leadership and owners. The need for centrality in an organisation is driven by various needs, including needs for control, consistency, pleasure and achievement (Whetten, 2006). Eddie Stobart exhibits this features in keeping with the family ownership of the firm and possessing the controlling stakes in the corporation. Distinctiveness or uniqueness is achieved through comparison with other similar business organisations. According to Albert and Whetten, identity is relational and comparative. This is in the sense that comparison provides the benchmark upon which contrast for articulating and crystallization of a unique identity (Whetten, 2006). For distinction to be attained there must be a reference point upon which the subject is viewed through. These inferences are made from referents pursuing comparable missions. Eddie Stobart has been able to achieve this distinctiveness through its operations and venture into new frontiers of business operations. These new business operations and the long held tradition of Eddie Stobart have ensured that the corporation maintains a unique image externally and fulfilling internal identity. According to van Riel and Fombrun, when thinking about identity one should focus on two key factors that determine the outcome and purpose of identity. The first thing is the internal identity that people harbour for and about themselves because it determines the nature of the other underlying factor (Van Riel &Fombrun, 2009). Achieving a positive internal identity is tantamount to a positive and beneficial perception from the external environment. A healthy reputation is achieved through effective PR practices that are attained through corporate communication. According to van Riel &Fombrun, effective communication via various media outlets provides changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. Through honest and symmetrical criteria, measurable success is attainable through corporate communication (Van Riel & Fombrun, 2009). Reputation management is vital for successful business prosperity because it determines the reception of their products and services in the market. Corporate identity is achieved through a myriad of avenues. Achieving a positive corporate identity amounts to a healthy reputation where it is easy and simple to maintain customers. Reputation management should be embraced by every organisation with a vision of excelling the future and present global trade. Bibliography Cornelissen, J (2009).Corporate Communication: A guide to theory and practice. New York: Sage. Doorley, J and Garcia, F (2011).Reputation Management: The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communication. 2nd Edition. London:Routledge. Griffin, A. (2008).New Strategies for Reputation Management.London: Kogan Page. Tench, R. &Yeomans, L. (2009).Exploring Public Relations.2nd Edition. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. Van Riel, C. B. M., and Balmer, J. M. T. (1997).Corporate identity: the concept, its measurement and management.European journal of marketing, 31 (5/6), 340-355 Retrieved From: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=853497&show=abstract Van Riel, C and Fombrun, C. (2009).Essentials of Corporate Commnication. London: Routledge. Whetten, D. A. (2006). Albert and Whetten revisited: Strengthening the concept of organizational identity. Journal of Management Inquiry, 15(3), 219-234. Retrieved From: http://jmi.sagepub.com/content/15/3/219.short Read More