How – and why – to prioritise business reputation in 2021

Alex Hankinson, Joint Managing Director, Midnight Communications

Businesses with a strong reputation set themselves up for stellar long-term performance. A good reputation endures, helping to win greater levels of customer trust and endorsement. It also secures the best and most loyal talent and engenders goodwill that withstands rockier times. All this interlocking good karma feeds into the bottom line. A great reputation, authenticity and skilful communication have never been more business critical.

Edelman’s latest Trust Barometer makes for fairly grim reading. Trust levels amongst consumers have dipped, reflecting a new zeitgeist characterised by mistrust, scepticism and volatility. The results are fairly woeful for government and the media, where misinformation and perceived double standards in a year of pandemic and societal crisis have seen public confidence plummet.

However, there are signs of a gentle upswing for businesses. They are now rated the most trusted institutions globally, with a 61 per cent trust score. And, of the four institutions – businesses, government, media and NGOs – businesses alone are considered to be both ethical and competent.

Out of the gloom, perhaps this is a cause of optimism for business leaders? Edelman’s research suggests there is now an expectation for CEOs to lead on societal issues and fill an information void left by governments. So, how as businesses, do we fulfil these expectations?

Here are a few ways to drive reputational value.

1.Articulate your purpose

Business-facing and consumer-facing brands alike need a purpose (and that excludes making a profit!). Audiences need to understand what the business stands for, what its values are and what it believes in.

The pandemic has made people even more alert to brands and businesses which have kindness and empathy at their core – these values should run through all communications strategies, from social media to PR and internal comms.

2. Be authentic

We’ve seen an uptick in media interest for CSR stories as people are craving good news stories to counteract the pandemic headlines. But it’s important to be authentic with it and to display a dose of humility. Companies who can demonstrate they are a force for good in the world and who operate sustainably will see their reputation boosted and stand the best chance of success.

3. Talk to the troops

For many businesses their teams are the bedrock of their business.; if you look after your team, your team will look after your business.

Yet internal comms can sometimes get overlooked in the mix. Are you sharing enough knowledge and insights with your team to help them be your greatest ambassadors?

One of the heart-warming things we’ve noticed recently is the fabulous ‘side effect’ of a new PR and media relations push: enhanced staff pride. Have you got a splash in the national media, some incisive thought leadership in the trade press, some local media love for a charity initiative? Show the team – it’s a huge morale booster! I think we can agree that everyone is in need of a lift right now.

4. Prove competence

Trust and reputation extend beyond CSR. Demonstrating competence and showcasing expertise is king when it comes to business credibility.

A thought leadership campaign properly joined up with PR, social and other marketing channels, is an opportunity to shine a light on your team’s expertise – especially important for professional services and B2B service brands.

Over the years we’ve had a handful of clients worry that a thought leadership campaign might mean they have to give away their trade secrets for free. This isn’t the case. Most businesses accept that offering a nugget of expertise is a valuable door opener and builds their reputation. And they soon agree when the phone starts ringing more.

Your audiences consume multiple media – whether that’s scrolling through LinkedIn, the local paper, vertical sector media or the broadsheets, so try to ensure your business has a presence across a broad spectrum of media.

It’s a powerful endorsement for your business to be featured in high profile, relevant media and on average people will need to see your business’ name seven times before it sticks.

5. Hone your digital footprint:

Digital PR supports reputation and builds awareness in a couple of key ways.

High authority placements on credible media outlets with relevance or domain authority (how influential Google considers them) are gold dust to boost business’ search engine ranking.

This is important to catch the eye of people who are searching with intent but not actively looking for your individual business.

It’s also important to have a well-considered and eclectic spread of stories and articles featured in a wide array of digital media outlets. People want to partner with a business that is commercially active and innovative (news), has strong expertise (placements in key industry, national and business media), and socially responsible (CSR stories).

Together, all these components should fit together to weave a strong narrative and support your digital presence and reputation.

6. Does your brand measure up?

Finally, all this great work to build and maintain a strong reputation can be let down by a tired visual identity and out-of-date website.

If you’ve worked hard to generate media coverage, signpost great content or build social media engagement, make sure your digital shop window looks the part when visitors stop to browse. And don’t forget to populate your site with incisive, helpful and fresh content that reinforces and marries up with your PR and comms themes.

In 2021 it’s never been more vital for businesses to nurture their reputation and keep communicating to ensure they are trusted, memorable and chosen – now and in the future.

www.midnight.co.uk
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